In addition. the Vietnamese response to the absence of any American gestures concerning lifting the trade embargo or normalizing relations has been to increase its reliance on the Soviet Uniona move which. in turn. feeds Chinese paranoia about Vietnam acting as a pawn of the Soviets. The consequences of "playing the China card" in Southeast Asia have been damaging as well to regional stability and to American interests. First. the instability caused by the refugees from Indochina has generated concern and resentment among ASEAN nations. Second. the apparent detente between Vietnam and the ASEAN nations evident last summer has fallen apart. thus delaying regional stability. Third. it has made the Vietnamese more dependent on the Soviet Union. thus raising fears of our ASEAN allies.
Keywords matched
refugees