Abstract

This article examines the economic relations between the Republic of Vietnam (RVN) and Taiwan from 1955 to 1963 within the broader context of the Cold War. Both of these governments shared a strong anti-communist orientation, were allies of the United States, and exhibited notable political and cultural similarities. Using historical and logical methods, the study focuses on economic cooperation in three key areas: industry and mining, agriculture and rural development, and trade. Taiwan provided critical support to the RVN through technology transfer, expert missions, and investment in industrial sectors such as textiles, cement, sugar, and electricity, as well as assistance in mine surveys and resource exploitation. In agriculture, Taiwan dispatched three major technical groups – focused on crop improvement, irrigation, and farmer cooperatives – which played a significant role in the “agricultural modernization” process of South Vietnam. Bilateral trade developed robustly; however, the balance of trade was skewed in favor of Taiwan. The findings also demonstrate that the economic relations between the Republic of Vietnam and Taiwan was not merely driven by economic interests but was intrinsically linked to the strategic objectives of both governments: namely, to build model anti-Communist states and enhance their respective influence in diplomatic relations, particularly within the East Asian region.