Abstract
The recent literature on China’s relations with North Vietnam has given insufficient attention to the impact of the Sino-Soviet conflict. This article underscores the centrality of the Soviet factor in Beijing’s relations with Hanoi and the importance of triangular relations during the 1964-1968 period. The article points to the Sino-Soviet conflict as the main cause of the fissures in the Sino-North Vietnamese alliance that emerged more fully after the Vietnam War.