Support for Cement

Asia after Vietnam THOSE who made the facile assumption that Hanoi was acting under Chinese influence and advice in conducting the war in Vietnam and that it was likely to remain an area of Chinese influence at the end of it have now been proved so wrong that they do not try to put up a defence of their case. All recent evidence indicates that Hanoi has been an entirely free agent all along. While it may have been grateful to both Russia and China for the support they have given to it in carrying on the struggle in South Vietnam, it has taken care to retain as much of its manoeuvrability as it could in dealing with both its friends and foes. If one were to compare the relative positions of the Soviet Union and China in Vietnam today, one would conclude that Moscow has a much greater influence over that country than Peking. But this is largely because Soviet and Vietnamese interests coincide, particularly on the major issues concerning war and peace. If Hanoi can achieve its major objectives at the negotiating table it can have little interest in carrying on an expensive and destructive war.