Vietnam vs. China
Introduction
| Vietnam | China | |
|---|---|---|
| Background | "The conquest of Vietnam by France began in 1858 and was completed by 1884. It became part of French Indochina in 1887. Vietnam declared independence after World War II, but France continued to rule until its 1954 defeat by communist forces under Ho Chi MINH. Under the Geneva Accords of 1954, Vietnam was divided into the communist North and anti-communist South. US economic and military aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the government, but US armed forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973. Two years later, North Vietnamese forces overran the South reuniting the country under communist rule. Despite the return of peace, for over a decade the country experienced little economic growth because of conservative leadership policies, the persecution and mass exodus of individuals - many of them successful South Vietnamese merchants - and growing international isolation. However, since the enactment of Vietnam's ""doi moi"" (renovation) policy in 1986, Vietnamese authorities have committed to increased economic liberalization and enacted structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and to produce more competitive, export-driven industries. The communist leaders maintain tight control on political expression but have demonstrated some modest steps toward better protection of human rights. The country continues to experience small-scale protests, the vast majority connected to either land-use issues, calls for increased political space, or the lack of equitable mechanisms for resolving disputes. The small-scale protests in the urban areas are often organized by human rights activists, but many occur in rural areas and involve various ethnic minorities such as the Montagnards of the Central Highlands, Hmong in the Northwest Highlands, and the Khmer Krom in the southern delta region. " | For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War II, the Communist Party of China under MAO Zedong established an autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people. After 1978, MAO's successor DENG Xiaoping and other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by 2000 output had quadrupled. For much of the population, living standards have improved dramatically but political controls remain tight. Since the early 1990s, China has increased its global outreach and participation in international organizations. |
Geography
| Vietnam | China | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, as well as China, Laos, and Cambodia | Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam |
| Geographic coordinates | 16 10 N, 107 50 E | 35 00 N, 105 00 E |
| Map references | Southeast Asia | Asia |
| Area | total: 331,210 sq km land: 310,070 sq km water: 21,140 sq km | total: 9,596,960 sq km land: 9,326,410 sq km water: 270,550 sq km |
| Area - comparative | about three times the size of Tennessee; slightly larger than New Mexico | slightly smaller than the US |
| Land boundaries | total: 4,616 km border countries (3): Cambodia 1,158 km, China 1,297 km, Laos 2,161 km | total: 22,457 km border countries (14): Afghanistan 91 km, Bhutan 477 km, Burma 2,129 km, India 2,659 km, Kazakhstan 1,765 km, North Korea 1,352 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,063 km, Laos 475 km, Mongolia 4,630 km, Nepal 1,389 km, Pakistan 438 km, Russia (northeast) 4,133 km, Russia (northwest) 46 km, Tajikistan 477 km, Vietnam 1,297 km regional border(s) (2): Hong Kong 33 km, Macau 3 km |
| Coastline | 3,444 km (excludes islands) | 14,500 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
| Climate | tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (May to September) and warm, dry season (October to March) | extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north |
| Terrain | low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest | mostly mountains, high plateaus, deserts in west; plains, deltas, and hills in east |
| Elevation extremes | mean elevation: 398 m elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: Fan Si Pan 3,144 m | mean elevation: 1,840 m elevation extremes: lowest point: Turpan Pendi -154 m highest point: Mount Everest 8,848 m (highest peak in Asia and highest point on earth above sea level) |
| Natural resources | phosphates, coal, manganese, rare earth elements, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and gas deposits, timber, hydropower, arable land | coal, iron ore, petroleum, natural gas, mercury, tin, tungsten, antimony, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead, zinc, rare earth elements, uranium, hydropower potential (world's largest), arable land |
| Land use | agricultural land: 34.8% arable land 20.6%; permanent crops 12.1%; permanent pasture 2.1% forest: 45% other: 20.2% (2011 est.) | agricultural land: 54.7% arable land 11.3%; permanent crops 1.6%; permanent pasture 41.8% forest: 22.3% other: 23% (2011 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 46,000 sq km (2012) | 690,070 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding, especially in the Mekong River delta | frequent typhoons (about five per year along southern and eastern coasts); damaging floods; tsunamis; earthquakes; droughts; land subsidence volcanism: China contains some historically active volcanoes including Changbaishan (also known as Baitoushan, Baegdu, or P'aektu-san), Hainan Dao, and Kunlun although most have been relatively inactive in recent centuries |
| Environment - current issues | logging and slash-and-burn agricultural practices contribute to deforestation and soil degradation; water pollution and overfishing threaten marine life populations; groundwater contamination limits potable water supply; growing urban industrialization and population migration are rapidly degrading environment in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City | air pollution (greenhouse gases, sulfur dioxide particulates) from reliance on coal produces acid rain; China is the world's largest single emitter of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels; water shortages, particularly in the north; water pollution from untreated wastes; coastal destruction due to land reclamation, industrial development, and aquaculture; deforestation and habitat destruction; poor land management leads to soil erosion, landslides, floods, droughts, dust storms and desertification; trade in endangered species |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements | party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note | extending 1,650 km north to south, the country is only 50 km across at its narrowest point | world's fourth largest country (after Russia, Canada, and US) and largest country situated entirely in Asia; Mount Everest on the border with Nepal is the world's tallest peak above sea level |
| Population distribution | though it has one of the highest population densities in the world, the population is not evenly dispersed; clustering is heaviest along the South China Sea and Gulf of Tonkin, with the Mekong Delta (in the south) and the Red River Valley (in the north) having the largest concentrations of people | overwhelming majority of the population is found in the eastern half of the country; the west, with its vast mountainous and desert areas, remains sparsely populated; though ranked first in the world in total population, overall density is less than that of many other countries in Asia and Europe; high population density is found along the Yangtze and Yellow River valleys, the Xi Jiang River delta, the Sichuan Basin (around Chengdu), in and around Beijing, and the industrial area around Shenyang |
Demographics
| Vietnam | China | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 96,160,163 (July 2017 est.) | 1,379,302,771 (July 2017 est.) |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 23.55% (male 11,909,326/female 10,735,324) 15-24 years: 16.23% (male 8,098,019/female 7,509,021) 25-54 years: 45.56% (male 22,087,095/female 21,719,615) 55-64 years: 8.55% (male 3,798,928/female 4,419,837) 65 years and over: 6.12% (male 2,281,923/female 3,601,075) (2017 est.) | 0-14 years: 17.15% (male 127,484,177/female 109,113,241) 15-24 years: 12.78% (male 94,215,607/female 82,050,623) 25-54 years: 48.51% (male 341,466,438/female 327,661,460) 55-64 years: 10.75% (male 74,771,050/female 73,441,177) 65 years and over: 10.81% (male 71,103,029/female 77,995,969) (2017 est.) |
| Median age | total: 30.5 years male: 29.4 years female: 31.7 years (2017 est.) | total: 37.4 years male: 36.5 years female: 38.4 years (2017 est.) |
| Population growth rate | 0.93% (2017 est.) | 0.41% (2017 est.) |
| Birth rate | 15.5 births/1,000 population (2017 est.) | 12.3 births/1,000 population (2017 est.) |
| Death rate | 5.9 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.) | 7.8 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.) |
| Net migration rate | -0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) | -0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.11 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.11 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 0.85 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2016 est.) | at birth: 1.15 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.17 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.14 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2016 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 17.3 deaths/1,000 live births male: 17.6 deaths/1,000 live births female: 16.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.) | total: 12 deaths/1,000 live births male: 12.3 deaths/1,000 live births female: 11.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 73.7 years male: 71.2 years female: 76.4 years (2017 est.) | total population: 75.7 years male: 73.6 years female: 78 years (2017 est.) |
| Total fertility rate | 1.81 children born/woman (2017 est.) | 1.6 children born/woman (2017 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | 0.4% (2016 est.) | NA |
| Nationality | noun: Vietnamese (singular and plural) adjective: Vietnamese | noun: Chinese (singular and plural) adjective: Chinese |
| Ethnic groups | Kinh (Viet) 85.7%, Tay 1.9%, Thai 1.8%, Muong 1.5%, Khmer 1.5%, Mong 1.2%, Nung 1.1%, Hoa 1%, other 4.3% note: 54 ethnic groups are recognized by the Vietnamese Government (2009 est.) | Han Chinese 91.6%, Zhuang 1.3%, other (includes Hui, Manchu, Uighur, Miao, Yi, Tujia, Tibetan, Mongol, Dong, Buyei, Yao, Bai, Korean, Hani, Li, Kazakh, Dai, and other nationalities) 7.1% note: the Chinese Government officially recognizes 56 ethnic groups (2010 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | 250,000 (2016 est.) | NA |
| Religions | Buddhist 7.9%, Catholic 6.6%, Hoa Hao 1.7%, Cao Dai 0.9%, Protestant 0.9%, Muslim 0.1%, none 81.8% (2009 est.) | Buddhist 18.2%, Christian 5.1%, Muslim 1.8%, folk religion 21.9%, Hindu < 0.1%, Jewish < 0.1%, other 0.7% (includes Daoist (Taoist)), unaffiliated 52.2% note: officially atheist (2010 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths | 8,000 (2016 est.) | NA |
| Languages | Vietnamese (official), English (increasingly favored as a second language), some French, Chinese, and Khmer, mountain area languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian) | Standard Chinese or Mandarin (official; Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghainese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages (see Ethnic groups entry) note: Zhuang is official in Guangxi Zhuang, Yue is official in Guangdong, Mongolian is official in Nei Mongol, Uighur is official in Xinjiang Uygur, Kyrgyz is official in Xinjiang Uygur, and Tibetan is official in Xizang (Tibet) |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 94.5% male: 96.3% female: 92.8% (2015 est.) | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 96.4% male: 98.2% female: 94.5% (2015 est.) |
| Major infectious diseases | degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and Japanese encephalitis (2016) | degree of risk: intermediate food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: Japanese encephalitis soil contact disease: hantaviral hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) (2016) |
| Education expenditures | 5.7% of GDP (2013) | NA |
| Urbanization | urban population: 34.9% of total population (2017) rate of urbanization: 2.59% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.) | urban population: 57.9% of total population (2017) rate of urbanization: 2.3% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.) note: data do not include Hong Kong and Macau |
| Drinking water source | improved: urban: 99.1% of population rural: 96.9% of population total: 97.6% of population unimproved: urban: 0.9% of population rural: 3.1% of population total: 2.4% of population (2015 est.) | improved: urban: 97.5% of population rural: 93% of population total: 95.5% of population unimproved: urban: 2.5% of population rural: 7% of population total: 4.5% of population (2015 est.) |
| Sanitation facility access | improved: urban: 94.4% of population rural: 69.7% of population total: 78% of population unimproved: urban: 5.6% of population rural: 30.3% of population total: 22% of population (2015 est.) | improved: urban: 86.6% of population rural: 63.7% of population total: 76.5% of population unimproved: urban: 13.4% of population rural: 36.3% of population total: 23.5% of population (2015 est.) |
| Major cities - population | Ho Chi Minh City 7.298 million; HANOI (capital) 3.629 million; Can Tho 1.175 million; Haiphong 1.075 million; Da Nang 952,000; Bien Hoa 834,000 (2015) | Shanghai 23.741 million; BEIJING (capital) 20.384 million; Chongqing 13.332 million; Guangdong 12.458 million; Tianjin 11.21 million; Shenzhen 10.749 million (2015) |
| Maternal mortality rate | 54 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | 27 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) |
| Children under the age of 5 years underweight | 14.1% (2015) | 3.4% (2010) |
| Health expenditures | 7.1% of GDP (2014) | 5.5% of GDP (2014) |
| Physicians density | 1.18 physicians/1,000 population (2013) | 1.49 physicians/1,000 population (2011) |
| Hospital bed density | 2 beds/1,000 population (2010) | 3.8 beds/1,000 population (2011) |
| Obesity - adult prevalence rate | 2.1% (2016) | 6.2% (2016) |
| Dependency ratios | total dependency ratio: 42.5 youth dependency ratio: 32.9 elderly dependency ratio: 9.6 potential support ratio: 10.4 (2015 est.) | total dependency ratio: 37.7 youth dependency ratio: 24.3 elderly dependency ratio: 13.3 potential support ratio: 7.5 data do not include Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan (2015 est.) |
Government
| Vietnam | China | |
|---|---|---|
| Country name | "conventional long form: Socialist Republic of Vietnam conventional short form: Vietnam local long form: Cong Hoa Xa Hoi Chu Nghia Viet Nam local short form: Viet Nam abbreviation: SRV etymology: ""Viet nam"" translates as ""Viet south,"" where ""Viet"" is an ethnic self identification dating to a second century B.C. kingdom and ""nam"" refers to its location in relation to other Viet kingdoms " | "conventional long form: People's Republic of China conventional short form: China local long form: Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo local short form: Zhongguo abbreviation: PRC etymology: English name derives from the Qin (Chin) rulers of the 3rd century B.C., who comprised the first imperial dynasty of ancient China; the Chinese name Zhongguo translates as ""Central Nation"" " |
| Government type | communist state | communist party-led state |
| Capital | name: Hanoi (Ha Noi) geographic coordinates: 21 02 N, 105 51 E time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) | "name: Beijing geographic coordinates: 39 55 N, 116 23 E time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) note: despite its size, all of China falls within one time zone; many people in Xinjiang Province observe an unofficial ""Xinjiang time zone"" of UTC+6, two hours behind Beijing " |
| Administrative divisions | 58 provinces (tinh, singular and plural) and 5 municipalities (thanh pho, singular and plural) provinces: An Giang, Bac Giang, Bac Kan, Bac Lieu, Bac Ninh, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Ben Tre, Binh Dinh, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Binh Thuan, Ca Mau, Cao Bang, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Dien Bien, Dong Nai, Dong Thap, Gia Lai, Ha Giang, Ha Nam, Ha Tinh, Hai Duong, Hau Giang, Hoa Binh, Hung Yen, Khanh Hoa, Kien Giang, Kon Tum, Lai Chau, Lam Dong, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Long An, Nam Dinh, Nghe An, Ninh Binh, Ninh Thuan, Phu Tho, Phu Yen, Quang Binh, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Quang Ninh, Quang Tri, Soc Trang, Son La, Tay Ninh, Thai Binh, Thai Nguyen, Thanh Hoa, Thua Thien-Hue, Tien Giang, Tra Vinh, Tuyen Quang, Vinh Long, Vinh Phuc, Yen Bai municipalities: Can Tho, Da Nang, Ha Noi, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) | 23 provinces (sheng, singular and plural), 5 autonomous regions (zizhiqu, singular and plural), and 4 municipalities (shi, singular and plural) provinces: Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang; (see note on Taiwan) autonomous regions: Guangxi, Nei Mongol (Inner Mongolia), Ningxia, Xinjiang Uygur, Xizang (Tibet) municipalities: Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Tianjin note: China considers Taiwan its 23rd province; see separate entries for the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau |
| Independence | 2 September 1945 (from France) | 1 October 1949 (People's Republic of China established); notable earlier dates: 221 B.C. (unification under the Qin Dynasty); 1 January 1912 (Qing Dynasty replaced by the Republic of China) |
| National holiday | Independence Day (National Day), 2 September (1945) | National Day (anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China), 1 October (1949) |
| Constitution | several previous; latest adopted 15 April 1992, effective 1 January 1995; amended 2001, 2013 (2016) | several previous; latest promulgated 4 December 1982; amended several times, last in 2004 (2016) |
| Legal system | civil law system; note - the civil code of 2005 reflects a European-style civil law | civil law influenced by Soviet and continental European civil law systems; legislature retains power to interpret statutes; note - in early 2017, the National People's Congress took the first step in adopting a new civil code by passing the General Provisions of the Civil Law |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch | chief of state: President Tran Dai QUANG (since 2 April 2016); Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc THINH (since 7 April 2016) head of government: Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan PHUC (since 7 April 2016); Deputy Prime Ministers Truong Hoa BINH (since 9 April 2016), Vuong Dinh HUE (since 9 April 2016), Vu Duc DAM (since 13 November 2013), Trinh Dinh DUNG (since 9 April 2016), Pham Binh MINH (since 13 November 2013) cabinet: Cabinet proposed by prime minister, appointed by the president, and confirmed by the National Assembly elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by National Assembly from among its members for a single 5-year term; election last held on 2 April 2016 (next to be held in spring 2021); prime minister appointed by the president from among members of the National Assembly, confirmed by National Assembly; deputy prime ministers appointed by the prime minister, confirmed by National Assembly election results: Tran Dai QUANG (CPV) elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 98.9%; Nguyen Xuan PHUC elected prime minister; percent of National Assembly vote - 91.0% | chief of state: President XI Jinping (since 14 March 2013); Vice President LI Yuanchao (since 14 March 2013) head of government: Premier LI Keqiang (since 16 March 2013); Executive Vice Premiers ZHANG Gaoli (since 16 March 2013), LIU Yandong (since 16 March 2013), MA Kai (since 16 March 2013), WANG Yang (since 16 March 2013) cabinet: State Council appointed by National People's Congress elections/appointments: president and vice president indirectly elected by National People's Congress for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 5-17 March 2013 (next to be held in March 2018); premier nominated by president, confirmed by National People's Congress election results: XI Jinping elected president; National People's Congress vote - 2,952 ; LI Yuanchao elected vice president with 2,940 votes |
| Legislative branch | description: unicameral National Assembly or Quoc Hoi (500 seats; members directly elected by absolute majority vote with a second round if needed; members serve 5-year terms) elections: last held on 22 May 2016 (next to be held in May 2021) election results: percent of vote by party - CPV 95.8%, non-party members 4.2%; seats by party - CPV 473, non-party CPV-approved 19, self-nominated 2; note - 496 candidates elected, 2 CPV candidates-elect were disqualified | description: unicameral National People's Congress or Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui (2,987 seats; members indirectly elected by municipal, regional, and provincial people's congresses, and the People's Liberation Army; members serve 5-year terms); note - in practice, only members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), its 8 allied parties, and CCP-approved independent candidates are elected elections: last held in December 2012-February 2013 (next to be held in late 2017 to early 2018) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats by party - 2,987 |
| Judicial branch | highest court(s): Supreme People's Court (consists of the chief justice and 13 judges) judge selection and term of office: chief justice elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president for a 5-year, renewable term; other judges appointed by the president for 5-year terms subordinate courts: Court of Appeals; administrative, civil, criminal, economic, and labor courts; Central Military Court; People's Special Courts; note - the National Assembly can establish special tribunals | highest court(s): Supreme People's Court (consists of over 340 judges including the chief justice, 13 grand justices organized into a civil committee and tribunals for civil, economic, administrative, complaint and appeal, and communication and transportation cases); note - in late December 2016, the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth circuit courts of the Supreme People's Court began operation judge selection and term of office: chief justice appointed by the People's National Congress (NPC); limited to 2 consecutive 5-year-terms; other justices and judges nominated by the chief justice and appointed by the Standing Committee of the NPC; term of other justices and judges determined by the NPC subordinate courts: Higher People's Courts; Intermediate People's Courts; District and County People's Courts; Autonomous Region People's Courts; Special People's Courts for military, maritime, transportation, and forestry issues note: in late 2014, China unveiled planned judicial reforms |
| Political parties and leaders | Communist Party of Vietnam or CPV [Nguyen Phu TRONG] note: other parties proscribed | Chinese Communist Party or CCP [XI Jinping] note: China has 8 nominally independent small parties ultimately controlled by the CCP |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | 8406 Bloc Democratic Party of Vietnam or DPV People's Democratic Party Vietnam or PDP-VN Alliance for Democracy note: these groups advocate democracy but are not recognized by the government | no substantial political opposition groups exist |
| International organization participation | ADB, APEC, ARF, ASEAN, CICA, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO | ADB, AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, Arctic Council (observer), ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, BRICS, CDB, CICA, EAS, FAO, FATF, G-20, G-24 (observer), G-5, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SCO, SICA (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNSC (permanent), UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Pham Quang VINH (since 23 February 2015) chancery: 1233 20th Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 861-0737 FAX: [1] (202) 861-0917 consulate(s) general: Houston, San Francisco consulate: New York | chief of mission: Ambassador CUI Tiankai (since 3 April 2013) chancery: 3505 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 495-2266 FAX: [1] (202) 495-2138 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel KRITENBRINK (since 6 November 2017) embassy: 7 Lang Ha Street, Hanoi mailing address: 7 Lang Ha Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi; 4550 Hanoi Place, Washington, DC 20521-4550 telephone: [84] (4) 3850-5000 FAX: [84] (4) 3850-5010 consulate(s) general: Ho Chi Minh City | "chief of mission: Ambassador Terry BRANSTAD (since 12 July 2017)Charge d""Affaires Johnathan FRITZ (acting)(since 5 June 2017) embassy: 55 An Jia Lou Lu, 100600 Beijing mailing address: PSC 461, Box 50, FPO AP 96521-0002 telephone: [86] (10) 8531-3000 FAX: [86] (10) 8531-3300 consulate(s) general: Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenyang, Wuhan " |
| Flag description | red field with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center; red symbolizes revolution and blood, the five-pointed star represents the five elements of the populace - peasants, workers, intellectuals, traders, and soldiers - that unite to build socialism | red with a large yellow five-pointed star and four smaller yellow five-pointed stars (arranged in a vertical arc toward the middle of the flag) in the upper hoist-side corner; the color red represents revolution, while the stars symbolize the four social classes - the working class, the peasantry, the urban petty bourgeoisie, and the national bourgeoisie (capitalists) - united under the Communist Party of China |
| National anthem | "name: ""Tien quan ca"" (The Song of the Marching Troops) lyrics/music: Nguyen Van CAO note: adopted as the national anthem of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945; it became the national anthem of the unified Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 1976; although it consists of two verses, only the first is used as the official anthem " | "name: ""Yiyongjun Jinxingqu"" (The March of the Volunteers) lyrics/music: TIAN Han/NIE Er note: adopted 1949; the anthem, though banned during the Cultural Revolution, is more commonly known as ""Zhongguo Guoge"" (Chinese National Song); it was originally the theme song to the 1935 Chinese movie, ""Sons and Daughters in a Time of Storm"" " |
| International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt |
| National symbol(s) | yellow, five-pointed star on red field; lotus blossom; national colors: red, yellow | dragon, giant panda; national colors: red, yellow |
| Citizenship | citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Vietnam dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years | citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: least one parent must be a citizen of China dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: while naturalization is theoretically possible, in practical terms it is extremely difficult; residency is required but not specified |
Economy
| Vietnam | China | |
|---|---|---|
| Economy - overview | Vietnam is a densely populated developing country that has been transitioning from the rigidities of a centrally planned, highly agrarian economy since 1986 to a more industrial and market based economy, raising incomes substantially. In 2016 and 2017, Vietnam missed its yearly growth target of 6.7% due to environmental issues – drought and salinization - impacting the agricultural sector, and low oil prices affecting the extractive sector. However, annual GDP growth reached 6.3%, reflecting strengthening domestic demand and strong manufacturing exports. Vietnam has a young population, stable political system, commitment to sustainable growth, relatively low inflation, stable currency, strong FDI inflows, and strong manufacturing sector. In addition, the country is committed to continuing its global economic integration. Vietnam joined the WTO in January 2007 and concluded several free trade agreements in 2015-16, including the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, the Korean Free Trade Agreement, and the Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Agreement. However, to continue its trajectory of strong economic growth, the government acknowledges the need to spark a ?second wave’ of reforms, including reforming state-owned-enterprises, reducing red tape, increasing business sector transparency, reducing the level of non-performing loans in the banking sector, and increasing financial sector transparency. Vietnam has demonstrated a commitment to sustainable growth over the last several years, but a recent slowdown in economic growth could test the government’s resolve. In 2016, Vietnam cancelled its civilian nuclear energy development program, citing public concerns about safety and the high cost of the program, and is facing growing pressure on energy infrastructure. Overall, the country’s infrastructure fails to meet the needs of an expanding middle class. As the 2017 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) chair, Vietnam lead the dialogue on key APEC priorities such as inclusive growth, innovation, food security and climate change. | "Since the late 1970s, China has moved from a closed, centrally planned system to a more market-oriented one that plays a major global role. China has implemented reforms in a gradualist fashion, resulting in efficiency gains that have contributed to a more than tenfold increase in GDP since 1978. Reforms began with the phaseout of collectivized agriculture, and expanded to include the gradual liberalization of prices, fiscal decentralization, increased autonomy for state enterprises, growth of the private sector, development of stock markets and a modern banking system, and opening to foreign trade and investment. China continues to pursue an industrial policy, state support of key sectors, and a restrictive investment regime. Measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis that adjusts for price differences, China in 2016 stood as the largest economy in the world, surpassing the US in 2014 for the first time in modern history. China became the world's largest exporter in 2010, and the largest trading nation in 2013. Still, China's per capita income is below the world average. After keeping its currency tightly linked to the US dollar for years, China in July 2005 moved to an exchange rate system that references a basket of currencies. From mid-2005 to late 2008, the renminbi appreciated more than 20% against the US dollar, but the exchange rate remained virtually pegged to the dollar from the onset of the global financial crisis until June 2010, when Beijing announced it would allow a resumption of gradual liberalization. From 2013 until early2015, the renminbi (RMB) appreciated roughly 2% against the dollar, but the exchange rate fell 13% from mid-2015 until end-2016 amid strong capital outflows in part stemming from the August 2015 official devaluation; in 2017 the RMB resumed appreciating against the dollar – roughly 7% from end-of-2016 to end-of-2017. From 2013 to 2017, China had one of the fastest growing economies in the world, averaging slightly more than 7% real growth per year. In 2015, the People’s Bank of China announced it would continue to carefully push for full convertibility of the renminbi, after the currency was accepted as part of the IMF’s special drawing rights basket. However, since late 2015 the Chinese Government has strengthened capital controls and oversight of overseas investments to better manage the exchange rate and maintain financial stability. The Chinese Government faces numerous economic challenges including: (a) reducing its high domestic savings rate and correspondingly low domestic household consumption; (b) managing its high corporate debt burden to maintain financial stability; (c) controlling off-balance sheet local government debt used to finance infrastructure stimulus; (d) facilitating higher-wage job opportunities for the aspiring middle class, including rural migrants and college graduates, while maintaining competitiveness; (e) dampening speculative investment in the real estate sector without sharply slowing the economy; (f) reducing industrial overcapacity; and (g) raising productivity growth rates through the more efficient allocation of capital and state-support for innovation. Economic development has progressed further in coastal provinces than in the interior, and by 2016 more than 169.3 million migrant workers and their dependents had relocated to urban areas to find work. One consequence of China’s population control policy known as the “one-child policy” - which was relaxed in 2016 to permit all families to have two children - is that China is now one of the most rapidly aging countries in the world. Deterioration in the environment - notably air pollution, soil erosion, and the steady fall of the water table, especially in the North - is another long-term problem. China continues to lose arable land because of erosion and urbanization. The Chinese Government is seeking to add energy production capacity from sources other than coal and oil, focusing on natural gas, nuclear, and clean energy development. In 2016, China ratified the Paris Agreement, a multilateral agreement to combat climate change, and committed to peak its carbon dioxide emissions between 2025 and 2030. The government's 13th Five-Year Plan, unveiled in March 2016, emphasizes the need to increase innovation and boost domestic consumption to make the economy less dependent on government investment, exports, and heavy industry. However, China has made more progress on subsidizing innovation than rebalancing the economy. Beijing has committed to giving the market a more decisive role in allocating resources, but the Chinese Government’s policies continue to favor state-owned enterprises and emphasize stability. Chinese leaders in 2010 pledged to double China’s GDP by 2020, and the 13th Five Year Plan includes annual economic growth targets of at least 6.5% through 2020 to achieve that goal. In recent years, China has renewed its support for state-owned enterprises in sectors considered important to ""economic security,"" explicitly looking to foster globally competitive industries. Chinese leaders also have undermined some market-oriented reforms by reaffirming the “dominant” role of the state in the economy, a stance that threatens to discourage private initiative and make the economy less efficient over time. The slight acceleration in economic growth in 2017—the first such uptick since 2010—gives Beijing more latitude to pursue its economic reforms, focusing on financial sector deleveraging and its Supply-Side Structural Reform agenda, first announced in late 2015. " |
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | $643.9 billion (2017 est.) $605.7 billion (2016 est.) $570.3 billion (2015 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars | $23.12 trillion (2017 est.) $21.66 trillion (2016 est.) $20.3 trillion (2015 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars |
| GDP - real growth rate | 6.3% (2017 est.) 6.2% (2016 est.) 6.7% (2015 est.) | 6.8% (2017 est.) 6.7% (2016 est.) 6.9% (2015 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | $6,900 (2017 est.) $6,500 (2016 est.) $6,200 (2015 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars | $16,600 (2017 est.) $15,700 (2016 est.) $14,800 (2015 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 15.9% industry: 32.7% services: 41.3% (2017 est.) | agriculture: 8.2% industry: 39.5% services: 52.2% (2017 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 11.3% (2012 est.) | 3.3% note: in 2011, China set a new poverty line at RMB 2300 (approximately US $400) (2016 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 3.2% highest 10%: 30.2% (2008) | lowest 10%: 2.1% highest 10%: 31.4% note: data are for urban households only (2012) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 4.4% (2017 est.) 2.7% (2016 est.) | 1.8% (2017 est.) 2% (2016 est.) |
| Labor force | 56.46 million (2017 est.) | 806.7 million note: by the end of 2012, China's population at working age (15-64 years) was 1.004 billion (2017 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 48% industry: 21% services: 31% (2012) | agriculture: 28.3% industry: 29.3% services: 42.4% (2015 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 2.3% (2017 est.) 2.3% (2016 est.) | 4% (2017 est.) 4% (2016 est.) note: data are for registered urban unemployment, which excludes private enterprises and migrants |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index | 37.6 (2008) 36.1 (1998) | 46.5 (2016 est.) 46.2 (2015 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $49.41 billion expenditures: $61.14 billion (2017 est.) | revenues: $2.672 trillion expenditures: $3.146 trillion (2017 est.) |
| Industries | food processing, garments, shoes, machine-building; mining, coal, steel; cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, mobile phones | world leader in gross value of industrial output; mining and ore processing, iron, steel, aluminum, and other metals, coal; machine building; armaments; textiles and apparel; petroleum; cement; chemicals; fertilizer; consumer products (including footwear, toys, and electronics); food processing; transportation equipment, including automobiles, railcars and locomotives, ships, aircraft; telecommunications equipment, commercial space launch vehicles, satellites |
| Industrial production growth rate | 6.4% (2017 est.) | 6.2% (2017 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | rice, coffee, rubber, tea, pepper, soybeans, cashews, sugar cane, peanuts, bananas; pork; poultry; seafood | world leader in gross value of agricultural output; rice, wheat, potatoes, corn, tobacco, peanuts, tea, apples, cotton, pork, mutton, eggs; fish, shrimp |
| Exports | $194.6 billion (2017 est.) $176.6 billion (2016 est.) | $2.157 trillion (2017 est.) $1.99 trillion (2016 est.) |
| Exports - commodities | clothes, shoes, electronics, seafood, crude oil, rice, coffee, wooden products, machinery | electrical and other machinery, including computers and telecommunications equipment, apparel, furniture, textiles |
| Exports - partners | US 20.2%, China 14.2%, Japan 8.2%, South Korea 6.2% (2016) | US 18.2%, Hong Kong 13.8%, Japan 6.1%, South Korea 4.5% (2016) |
| Imports | $190.1 billion (2017 est.) $162.6 billion (2016 est.) | $1.731 trillion (2017 est.) $1.495 trillion (2016 est.) |
| Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, petroleum products, steel products, raw materials for the clothing and shoe industries, electronics, plastics, automobiles | electrical and other machinery, including integrated circuits and other computer components, oil and mineral fuels; optical and medical equipment, metal ores, motor vehicles; soybeans |
| Imports - partners | China 25.1%, South Korea 17.5%, Japan 7.9%, US 6%, Thailand 4.7% (2016) | South Korea 10%, Japan 9.2%, US 8.5%, Germany 5.4%, Australia 4.4% (2016) |
| Debt - external | $91.79 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $84.34 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $1.649 trillion (31 December 2017 est.) $1.467 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) |
| Exchange rates | dong (VND) per US dollar - 22,784 (2017 est.) 22,355 (2016 est.) 22,355 (2015 est.) 21,909 (2014 est.) 21,189 (2013 est.) | Renminbi yuan (RMB) per US dollar - 6.7588 (2017 est.) 6.6445 (2016 est.) 6.2275 (2015 est.) 6.1434 (2014 est.) 6.1958 (2013 est.) |
| Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
| Public debt | 62.3% of GDP (2017 est.) 61.6% of GDP (2016 est.) note: official data; data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions | 18.6% of GDP (2017 est.) 16.1% of GDP (2016 est.) note: official data; data cover both central government debt and local government debt, including debt officially recognized by China's National Audit Office report in 2011; data exclude policy bank bonds, Ministry of Railway debt, and China Asset Management Company debt |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | $38.75 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $36.91 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $3.194 trillion (31 December 2017 est.) $3.098 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) |
| Current Account Balance | $2.794 billion (2017 est.) $8.235 billion (2016 est.) | $162.5 billion (2017 est.) $196.4 billion (2016 est.) |
| GDP (official exchange rate) | $216 billion (2016 est.) | $11.94 trillion (2016 est.) note: because China's exchange rate is determined by fiat rather than by market forces, the official exchange rate measure of GDP is not an accurate measure of China's output; GDP at the official exchange rate substantially understates the actual level of China's output vis-a-vis the rest of the world; in China's situation, GDP at purchasing power parity provides the best measure for comparing output across countries |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home | $128.3 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $115.4 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $1.514 trillion (31 December 2017 est.) $1.391 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad | $7.7 billion (31 December 2009 est.) $5.3 billion (31 December 2008 est.) | $1.342 trillion (31 December 2017 est.) $1.227 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) |
| Market value of publicly traded shares | $51.88 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $46.07 billion (31 December 2014 est.) $40.06 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | $7.321 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) $8.188 trillion (31 December 2015 est.) $6.005 trillion (31 December 2014 est.) |
| Central bank discount rate | 9% (31 December 2012) 15% (31 December 2011) | 2.25% (31 December 2016 est.) 2.25% (31 December 2015 est.) |
| Commercial bank prime lending rate | 6.8% (31 December 2017 est.) 6.96% (31 December 2016 est.) | 4.4% (31 December 2017 est.) 4.35% (31 December 2016 est.) |
| Stock of domestic credit | $320.1 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $277.3 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $26.87 trillion (31 December 2017 est.) $23.02 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) |
| Stock of narrow money | $84.22 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $73.48 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $8.16 trillion (31 December 2017 est.) $7.001 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) |
| Stock of broad money | $341.4 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $299.2 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $25.24 trillion (31 December 2017 est.) $22.3 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) |
| Taxes and other revenues | 22.9% of GDP (2017 est.) | 22.4% of GDP (2017 est.) |
| Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) | -5.4% of GDP (2017 est.) | -4% of GDP (2017 est.) |
| GDP - composition, by end use | household consumption: 68.5% government consumption: 6.6% investment in fixed capital: 24.8% investment in inventories: 2.9% exports of goods and services: 98.6% imports of goods and services: -101.4% (2017 est.) | household consumption: 39.1% government consumption: 14.6% investment in fixed capital: 43.3% investment in inventories: 1.1% exports of goods and services: 19.6% imports of goods and services: -17.7% (2017 est.) |
| Gross national saving | 28% of GDP (2017 est.) 30.7% of GDP (2016 est.) 27.5% of GDP (2015 est.) | 45.4% of GDP (2017 est.) 45.9% of GDP (2016 est.) 47.5% of GDP (2015 est.) |
Energy
| Vietnam | China | |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity - production | 146.9 billion kWh (2015 est.) | 6.142 trillion kWh (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - consumption | 134.3 billion kWh (2015 est.) | 5.92 trillion kWh (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - exports | 811 million kWh (2015 est.) | 18.91 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - imports | 2.393 billion kWh (2015 est.) | 6.185 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
| Oil - production | 301,800 bbl/day (2016 est.) | 3.981 million bbl/day (2016 est.) |
| Oil - imports | 0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | 6.167 million bbl/day (2014 est.) |
| Oil - exports | 183,600 bbl/day (2014 est.) | 32,000 bbl/day (2014 est.) |
| Oil - proved reserves | 4.4 billion bbl (1 January 2017 es) | 25.62 billion bbl (1 January 2017 es) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves | 699.4 billion cu m (1 January 2017 es) | 5.194 trillion cu m (1 January 2017 es) |
| Natural gas - production | 9.08 billion cu m (2015 est.) | 138.4 billion cu m (2016 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption | 15.5 billion cu m (2015 est.) | 210.3 billion cu m (2016 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports | 0 cu m (2013 est.) | 3.243 billion cu m (2015 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports | 0 cu m (2013 est.) | 75.1 billion cu m (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity | 40.49 million kW (2015 est.) | 1.646 billion kW (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels | 58% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | 64% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - from hydroelectric plants | 41% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | 20.2% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - from nuclear fuels | 0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | 2% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - from other renewable sources | 1% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | 13.7% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - production | 156,900 bbl/day (2014 est.) | 10.85 million bbl/day (2014 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption | 422,000 bbl/day (2015 est.) | 11.75 million bbl/day (2015 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - exports | 28,860 bbl/day (2014 est.) | 709,900 bbl/day (2014 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - imports | 256,600 bbl/day (2014 est.) | 971,900 bbl/day (2014 est.) |
| Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy | 142 million Mt (2013 est.) | 9.135 billion Mt (2014 est.) |
| Electricity access | population without electricity: 2,600,000 electrification - total population: 99% electrification - urban areas: 100% electrification - rural areas: 98% (2013) | population without electricity: 1,200,000 electrification - total population: 99.9% electrification - urban areas: 100% electrification - rural areas: 99.8% (2016) |
Telecommunications
| Vietnam | China | |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - main lines in use | total subscriptions: 5,598,017 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 6 (July 2016 est.) | total subscriptions: 206.624 million subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 15 (July 2016 est.) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | total: 122 million subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 129 (July 2016 est.) | total: 1,364.934 million subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 99 (July 2016 est.) |
| Telephone system | general assessment: Vietnam is putting considerable effort into modernization and expansion of its telecommunication system domestic: all provincial exchanges are digitalized and connected to Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City by fiber-optic cable or microwave radio relay networks; main lines have been increased, and the use of mobile telephones is growing rapidly international: country code - 84; a landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3, the C2C, and Thailand-Vietnam-Hong Kong submarine cable systems; the Asia-America Gateway submarine cable system, completed in 2009, provided new access links to Asia and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) (2016) | general assessment: domestic and international services are available for private use; unevenly distributed domestic system serves principal cities, industrial centers, and many towns; China continues to develop its telecommunications infrastructure; China in the summer of 2008 began a major restructuring of its telecommunications industry, resulting in the consolidation of its six telecom service operators to three, China Telecom, China Mobile, and China Unicom, each providing both fixed-line and mobile services (2016) domestic: interprovincial fiber-optic trunk lines and cellular telephone systems have been installed; mobile-cellular subscribership is increasing rapidly; the number of Internet users now over 50% of the population; a domestic satellite system with several earth stations is in place (2016) international: country code - 86; a number of submarine cables provide connectivity to Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the US; satellite earth stations - 7 (5 Intelsat - 4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean; 1 Intersputnik - Indian Ocean region; and 1 Inmarsat - Pacific and Indian Ocean regions) (2012) |
| Internet country code | .vn | .cn |
| Internet users | total: 49.741 million percent of population: 52.7% (July 2016 est.) | total: 730,723,960 percent of population: 53.2% (July 2016 est.) |
| Broadcast media | government controls all broadcast media exercising oversight through the Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC); government-controlled national TV provider, Vietnam Television (VTV), operates a network of 9 channels with several regional broadcasting centers; programming is relayed nationwide via a network of provincial and municipal TV stations; law limits access to satellite TV but many households are able to access foreign programming via home satellite equipment; government-controlled Voice of Vietnam, the national radio broadcaster, broadcasts on 6 channels and is repeated on AM, FM, and shortwave stations throughout Vietnam (2008) | all broadcast media are owned by, or affiliated with, the Communist Party of China or a government agency; no privately owned TV or radio stations; state-run Chinese Central TV, provincial, and municipal stations offer more than 2,000 channels; the Central Propaganda Department lists subjects that are off limits to domestic broadcast media with the government maintaining authority to approve all programming; foreign-made TV programs must be approved prior to broadcast; increasingly, Chinese turn to online television to access Chinese and international films and television shows (2017) |
Transportation
| Vietnam | China | |
|---|---|---|
| Railways | total: 2,600 km standard gauge: 178 km 1.435-m gauge; 253 km mixed gauge narrow gauge: 2,169 km 1.000-m gauge (2014) | total: 124,000 km standard gauge: 124,000 km 1.435-m gauge (80,000 km electrified); 102,000 traditional, 22,000 high-speed (2017) |
| Roadways | total: 195,468 km paved: 148,338 km unpaved: 47,130 km (2013) | total: 4,577,300 km paved: 4,046,300 km (includes 123,500 km of expressways) unpaved: 531,000 km (2015) |
| Waterways | 47,130 km (30,831 km weight under 50 tons) (2011) | 110,000 km (navigable waterways) (2011) |
| Pipelines | condensate 72 km; condensate/gas 398 km; gas 955 km; oil 128 km; oil/gas/water 33 km; refined products 206 km; water 13 km (2013) | gas 70,000 km; crude oil 22,900 km; refined petroleum products 25,500 km; water 710,206 km (2015) |
| Ports and terminals | major seaport(s): Cam Pha Port, Da Nang, Haiphong, Phu My, Quy Nhon river port(s): Ho Chi Minh (Mekong) container port(s) (TEUs): Saigon (6,556,000), Saigon New Port (5,026,000) (2015) | major seaport(s): Dalian, Ningbo, Qingdao, Qinhuangdao, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Tianjin river port(s): Guangzhou (Pearl) container port(s) (TEUs): Dalian (9,591,000), Guangzhou (17,097,000), Ningbo (20,636,000), Qingdao (17,323,000), Shanghai (36,516,000), Shenzhen (24,142,000), Tianjin (13,881,000)(2015) LNG terminal(s) (import): Fujian, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Shandong, Shanghai, Tangshan, Zhejiang |
| Merchant marine | total: 1,818 by type: bulk carrier 81, container ship 34, general cargo 1,259, oil tanker 109, other 335 (2017) | total: 4,287 by type: bulk carrier 1,069, container ship 198, general cargo 697, oil tanker 480, other 1,843, (2017) |
| Airports | 45 (2013) | 507 (2013) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 38 over 3,047 m: 10 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 9 (2013) | total: 463 over 3,047 m: 71 2,438 to 3,047 m: 158 1,524 to 2,437 m: 123 914 to 1,523 m: 25 under 914 m: 86 (2017) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 3 (2013) | total: 44 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 18 (2013) |
| Heliports | 1 (2013) | 47 (2013) |
| National air transport system | number of registered air carriers: 4 inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 140 annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 29,944,771 annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 384,470,240 mt-km (2015) | number of registered air carriers: 56 inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 2,890 annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 436,183,969 annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 19.806 billion mt-km (2015) |
| Civil aircraft registration country code prefix | VN (2016) | B (2016) |
Military
| Vietnam | China | |
|---|---|---|
| Military branches | People's Armed Forces: People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN, includes Vietnam People's Navy (with Naval Infantry), Vietnam People's Air and Air Defense Force, Border Defense Command, Coast Guard) (2013) | People's Liberation Army (PLA): Army, Navy (PLAN, includes marines and naval aviation), Air Force (Zhongguo Renmin Jiefangjun Kongjun, PLAAF, includes airborne forces), Rocket Force (strategic missile force), and Strategic Support Force (space and cyber forces); People's Armed Police (Renmin Wuzhuang Jingcha Budui, PAP); PLA Reserve Force (2016) |
| Military service age and obligation | 18-25 years of age for male compulsory and voluntary military service; females may volunteer for active duty military service; conscription typically takes place twice annually and service obligation is 18 months (Army, Air Defense), 2 years (Navy and Air Force); 18-45 years of age (male) or 18-40 years of age (female) for Militia Force or Self Defense Force service; males may enroll in military schools at age 17 (2013) | 18-24 years of age for selective compulsory military service, with a 2-year service obligation; no minimum age for voluntary service (all officers are volunteers); 18-19 years of age for women high school graduates who meet requirements for specific military jobs; a recent military decision allows women in combat roles; the first class of women warship commanders was in 2011 (2012) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 2.44% of GDP (2016) 2.36% of GDP (2015) 2.29% of GDP (2014) 2.18% of GDP (2013) 2.16% of GDP (2012) | 1.9% of GDP (2016) 1.95% of GDP (2015) 1.9% of GDP (2014) 1.85% of GDP (2013) 1.84% of GDP (2012) |
Transnational Issues
| Vietnam | China | |
|---|---|---|
| Disputes - international | "southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check the spread of avian flu; Cambodia and Laos protest Vietnamese squatters and armed encroachments along border; Cambodia accuses Vietnam of a wide variety of illicit cross-border activities; progress on a joint development area with Cambodia is hampered by an unresolved dispute over sovereignty of offshore islands; an estimated 300,000 Vietnamese refugees reside in China; establishment of a maritime boundary with Cambodia is hampered by unresolved dispute over the sovereignty of offshore islands; the decade-long demarcation of the China-Vietnam land boundary was completed in 2009; China occupies the Paracel Islands also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; Brunei claims a maritime boundary extending beyond as far as a median with Vietnam, thus asserting an implicit claim to Lousia Reef; the 2002 ""Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea"" has eased tensions but falls short of a legally binding ""code of conduct"" desired by several of the disputants; Vietnam continues to expand construction of facilities in the Spratly Islands; in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord to conduct marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands; Economic Exclusion Zone negotiations with Indonesia are ongoing, and the two countries in Fall 2011 agreed to work together to reduce illegal fishing along their maritime boundary " | continuing talks and confidence-building measures work toward reducing tensions over Kashmir that nonetheless remains militarized with portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas); India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964; China and India continue their security and foreign policy dialogue started in 2005 related to the dispute over most of their rugged, militarized boundary, regional nuclear proliferation, and other matters; China claims most of India's Arunachal Pradesh to the base of the Himalayas; lacking any treaty describing the boundary, Bhutan and China continue negotiations to establish a common boundary alignment to resolve territorial disputes arising from substantial cartographic discrepancies, the most contentious of which lie in Bhutan's west along China's Chumbi salient; Burmese forces attempting to dig in to the largely autonomous Shan State to rout local militias tied to the drug trade, prompts local residents to periodically flee into neighboring Yunnan Province in China; Chinese maps show an international boundary symbol off the coasts of the littoral states of the South China Seas, where China has interrupted Vietnamese hydrocarbon exploration; China asserts sovereignty over Scarborough Reef along with the Philippines and Taiwan, and over the Spratly Islands together with Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Brunei; the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea eased tensions in the Spratlys but is not the legally binding code of conduct sought by some parties; Vietnam and China continue to expand construction of facilities in the Spratlys and in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord on marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands; China occupies some of the Paracel Islands also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands are also claimed by China and Taiwan; certain islands in the Yalu and Tumen Rivers are in dispute with North Korea; North Korea and China seek to stem illegal migration to China by North Koreans, fleeing privations and oppression, by building a fence along portions of the border and imprisoning North Koreans deported by China; China and Russia have demarcated the once disputed islands at the Amur and Ussuri confluence and in the Argun River in accordance with their 2004 Agreement; China and Tajikistan have begun demarcating the revised boundary agreed to in the delimitation of 2002; the decade-long demarcation of the China-Vietnam land boundary was completed in 2009; citing environmental, cultural, and social concerns, China has reconsidered construction of 13 dams on the Salween River, but energy-starved Burma, with backing from Thailand, remains intent on building five hydro-electric dams downstream despite regional and international protests Chinese and Hong Kong authorities met in March 2008 to resolve ownership and use of lands recovered in Shenzhen River channelization, including 96-hectare Lok Ma Chau Loop |
| Illicit drugs | minor producer of opium poppy; probable minor transit point for Southeast Asian heroin; government continues to face domestic opium/heroin/methamphetamine addiction problems despite longstanding crackdowns; enforces the death penalty for drug trafficking | major transshipment point for heroin produced in the Golden Triangle region of Southeast Asia; growing domestic consumption of synthetic drugs, and heroin from Southeast and Southwest Asia; source country for methamphetamine and heroin chemical precursors, despite new regulations on its large chemical industry; more people believed to be convicted and executed for drug offences than anywhere else in the world, according to NGOs |
| Refugees and internally displaced persons | stateless persons: 11,000 (2016); note - Vietnam's stateless ethnic Chinese Cambodian population dates to the 1970s when thousands of Cambodians fled to Vietnam to escape the Khmer Rouge and were no longer recognized as Cambodian citizens; Vietnamese women who gave up their citizenship to marry foreign men have found themselves stateless after divorcing and returning home to Vietnam; the government addressed this problem in 2009, and Vietnamese women are beginning to reclaim their citizenship | refugees (country of origin): 317,098 (Vietnam); undetermined (North Korea) (2016) IDPs: undetermined (2014) |
Source: CIA Factbook
