The memoir of Trần Quang Cơ (1927-2015), former member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), brings to light the intense diplomacy among great powers and regional players over the continued conflicts in Indochina after the unification of Vietnam as well as the bitter disagreements within the Vietnamese leadership over the country’s political priorities during the period of 1975-1993.

Cơ put together his memories and thoughts on “many sensitive developments” in Vietnamese foreign relations that he believed had been “intentionally or unintentionally” forgotten (rơi rụng) in the state-endorsed history “to ‘smooth over’ (tròn trĩnh) the historical record.”  Completed in Vietnamese in 2001 (updated in 2003) and informally circulated on the internet, Merle Pribbenow’s English-translation makes this valuable historical source available to wider audiences.

Deng and Tanaka discuss Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, and ASEAN, among other subjects.

Deng and Ohira discuss China and Japan's relations with Pakistan, Vietnam, Cambodia, and the U.S.

Brezhnev reports to Honecker on international affairs.

Discusses the joint efforts by Chinese and American leaders to promote a better relationship between these two countries, at the expense of the Soviet Union and of communism. The U.S. seems to be trying to capitalize on a growing “internal stability” in China, and the U.S. is even now selling equipment to China. The Soviet Union does not believe that this alliance will prove powerful enough to significantly impair other Socialist countries, but their alliance should also not be ignored.

Discusses the growing aggression seen in China and the effects of its closer relationship with the United States.