Independence and sovereignty, this is perhaps something that every vassal state desires.
But can independence really lead the country to economic self-reliance?
These three countries that once "belonged" to China provide the answer, because they have struggled to develop economically after independence.
Repeatedly invaded, the country is weak
So, which three countries are they?
It is Vietnam, Mongolia and Tajikistan.
Let's start with Vietnam.
Historical records record that in 257 B.C., the ancient Shu king Zi Shu Pan came to northern Vietnam with his people and decided to settle here. Shu Pan would make such a decision because Shu was attacked by Qin and the regime was overthrown.
Shu Pan, who arrived in Vietnam, established himself as the king of Anyang, established a new capital city in the Yueshang area, Silong City, and changed the name of the country to "Ouluo".
After that, Ying Zheng completed the imperial work of unifying the six kingdoms in 221 BC.
In order to stabilize the country, Ying Zheng sent generals Tu Sui, Wang Jian and others to recover the remote Lingnan region. Therefore, Vietnam was also reduced to a county of the Qin Dynasty.
Although in the years that followed, the Vietnamese people sought independence from the imperial power of the Central Plains, but these rebellions were bloodily suppressed.
When the time came to the Jiaqing period, because the national strength of the Qing Dynasty at this time was not as good as before, the emperor was more tolerant in dealing with foreign races.
In 1802, Emperor Gia Khanh granted Vietnam the status of a "vassal state" and gave the then ruler of Vietnam, Nguyen Phuc, the title of "national death".
So, when did Vietnam become independent?
It was after suffering a Japanese colonial invasion.
In 1940, Japan took advantage of World War II to force a landing in Vietnam and forced the other side to sign the "Japan-France Hanoi Agreement", turning Vietnam into its colony.
Fortunately, World War II was a fascist delusion, and Japan finally surrendered in the face of resistance from people all over the world.
Thus, on September 2, 1945, Vietnam was able to become an independent democratic republic.
However, Vietnam, with its socialist form of government, was once again invaded by French capitalism, and it was only with the support of China that it was able to "turn the corner". However, Vietnam was also divided into two parts, "North and South", due to this disaster.
In order to expand its power after World War II, the United States supported South Vietnam.
This struggle between different forms of government lasted until 1976, ending with the victory of socialism, but Vietnam was also greatly damaged by the "national fortunes".
According to statistics, Vietnam's total national GDP in 2023 will be less than 3 trillion yuan, while Shanghai, China's GDP exceeded 4.7 trillion yuan last year, which shows Vietnam's poverty.
In addition, the average monthly salary in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is around 2,000 yuan, which is lower than the minimum wage standard in Shanghai. Although Vietnam gained independence, after being separated from China's help, it experienced years of war, which dragged down its economic development.
Separated from China, development is restricted
Let's talk about Mongolia. According to historical records, Mongolia was first included in the territory of the Central Plains during the Tang Dynasty.
Although in 1206 Genghis Khan regained Mongol sovereignty and established the Mongol Khanate, after his death, his descendants were unable to maintain such a large territory, and the Mongols fell apart again.
In 1660 AD, the Living Buddha Kulen of Mongolia decided to submit Mongolia to China as a way to defend itself against the Russian tsars. Therefore, during the Qing Dynasty, Mongolia once again "bowed to China".
However, the Qing Dynasty was not as powerful as it thought. Under the invasion of Western colonists, Mongolia was also in danger of being colonized, and Mongolia, as a vassal state, was ceded to the Tsar by the Qing Dynasty.
As a result, Mongolia was divided into Inner Mongolia and Outer Mongolia, and this Outer Mongolia became the territory of Russia. But the Mongols were not willing to be enslaved, so they also began to actively want to embark on the road to independence.
In 1946, Mongolia received support from the Soviet Union and the United States, and under pressure from these two countries, the Kuomintang government recognized the independence of Mongolia.
However, although Mongolia gained sovereignty, it was too close to the Soviet Union and could only be subject to the Soviet Union until its collapse.
As a result, it was only after 1992 that Mongolia regained its autonomy and pursued economic development. At this stage, China has been reforming and opening up for some time, and its economy is growing rapidly, leaving Mongolia far behind.
In addition, 85% of Mongolia's territory is made up of grasslands and deserts, which greatly restricts the development of agriculture and animal husbandry in Mongolia.
Moreover, Mongolia is a landlocked country and lacks access to the sea for international trade, which hinders economic growth.
Therefore, although Mongolia is also independent like Vietnam, the country's economy has not developed either, with a GDP of less than 150 billion yuan in 2023.
The economy is sluggish, and the people are conservative
The last is Tajikistan. In the 13th century, the country was invaded by the Mongols and became part of China, under the rule of the Central Plains Dynasty.
However, in the late Qing Dynasty, Tajikistan was occupied by the greedy Russian tsar and incorporated into the territory of the Soviet Union. It can be seen that this country, like Outer Mongolia, waited until the collapse of the Soviet Union before declaring independence.
However, after losing the help of the Central Plains Dynasty and the Soviet Union, Tajikistan fell into a development dilemma and found it difficult to "rely on itself".
According to some data, only 7% of Tajikistan's land area is suitable for agricultural purposes, which dooms the agricultural economy to stagnation.
In addition, despite the country's abundant water resources, the country is too poor to exploit them, and these resources are wasted.
In 2022, Tajikistan's GDP per capita is less than $900, and life is very difficult. Moreover, the vast majority of the people here are devout followers of Islam, and the folk customs have become more "conservative and feudal" as a result.
According to media reports, the custom of arranged marriages by "parents' orders" still exists in Tajikistan. In addition, the man will also require that his wife who has not passed through the door is perfect. It can be seen that under such public conditions, it is difficult for society to become free and open.
These three former states have all seceded from China and become independent states.
But after independence, the country's development has slowed even more, and it has even had to seek China's help again.
Although it is said that national independence can safeguard national interests from external forces, it can also have the right to mobilize its own resources to develop the economy.
However, for the above three countries, they were all forced to separate from China under the world situation, and they should not be ready to become independent and self-reliant.
As a result, all three countries are stuck in a slow economic recovery.
Compared with them, China is developing rapidly, which is also because China is a big country with rich resources and heritage.