Some issues on cross-border relations of Ha Nhi people in Bat Xat district, Lao Cai province

Abstract

In the specific context of the border areas, the Ha Nhi people in Bat Xat district, Lao Cai province are currently encountering many changes. The cross-border relationship in the border between Vietnam and China is one of the important factors which have a strong impact on the lives of the Ha Nhi people in all aspects. Through the analysis of secondary data and field studies, the results show that cross-border relations are shown as diverse socio economic interactions of ethnic groups. This article aims to clarify several issues about the cross-border relations of the Ha Nhi people, in which the prominent aspects are: economic relations, marital relations, and kinship relations. In the face of changes in the situation in the country as well as in the region, especially the consequences caused by the Covid-19 epidemic, the cross-border relationships with its connection points to create interactions between residents of the two countries are currently experiencing restrictive trends.