French Colonialists’ Investment in and Exploitation of Natural Rubber in Vietnam

Abstract

Rubber trees are among the plants which have sustainable economic values. In Vietnam, the discovery, cultivation and exploitation of rubber trees are closely associated with the natural formation and the historical upheavals of Vietnam as well as the world. Rubber was internationalized in the 18th-19th centuries and used extensively in the colonial industry of Vietnam during this period. This paper aims to provide insight into the importation and exploitation of rubber in Vietnam. Over 120 years of cultivating and exploiting rubber trees in Vietnam is the evidence of the plant’s internalization, its significance in the capitalist economic development, and the proof of France’s wisdom and economic strength. Upon this solid foundation, Vietnamese people today still preserve and continue developing rubber trees. The coverage of rubber trees in Vietnam focuses largely on the southeast part of the country, where fertile soil is ideal for perennial crops. Today, rubber growing and exploiting remains the backbone of Vietnamese economy, creating sustainable economic values. Through this paper, the author hopes to create a prospect for the internalization of Vietnamese rubber trees, contributing to the knowledge industry of the human kinds in the future.