The fundamental line of Western countries including the United Kingdom of Great Britain carried out in Vietnam has been started from commercial exchanges to the intention of establishing diplomatic relations and the step by step infiltration into the politics and society. | Trade Relations between the United Kingdom and Vietnam . TRADE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND VIETNAM IN THE 17TH – 19TH CENTURIES LE THANH THUY * Abstract: In about two centuries (from the beginning of the 17th century to the middle of the 19th century), thanks to its important geographical position, Vietnam was a noticeable point in the world trade system. In the time of exploding world and Asian trade, Vietnam was paid attention to many contemporary trade powers, especially by Western capitalist countries. The fundamental line of Western countries including the United Kingdom of Great Britain carried out in Vietnam has been started from commercial exchanges to the intention of establishing diplomatic relations and the step by step infiltration into the politics and society. From the early 17th century to the time before the aggression of Vietnam by the French, the British have continually had dynamic to create certain stable stance for themselves through activities such as establishing emporiums, organizing commercial operations, appointing diplomatic missions to present credentials. However, all their efforts had to be stopped after the French attacked and occupied Vietnam in 1858. The ambition was clear and the results were not reached as expected; this was the intention of Britain and the historic reality of trade relations of trade relations between Vietnam and Britain from the beginning of the 17th century to the middle of the 19th century. Key words: Vietnam – Britain trade relations history, the East India Company (EIC,) Tonkin, Cochinchin, East Asia. In the early 17th century many colonial Western countries began the process of infiltration into Asian countries including South East Asian countries and Vietnam. With its very favourable position for activities of navigation traffic (the chief type of communication for commercial and diplomatic activities between the East and the West areas from the 17th century to the 19th century), Vietnam .
