hmmm...judging his posts, Le Minh Khai holds pretty much a neutral view on Vietnam. I don´t see him critizing of what you say "blinded by anti-Chinese nationalism". Nationalism is not bad per se. Without nationalism there is no nation. Neither China nor Vietnam. Yes, nationalism is precondition for nation building. I don´t see we are blind. Surely, we are anti Chinese, but just because you don´t want our kind of thinking, our way of life and try to stop it by force. Vietnam wants respect and equality, but you have other different thing in mind.
or do I miss anything?
I don´t know, maybe you can tell us. I guess, firstly, the Nguyen wanted to restore the old law and order that went lost during the last civil war (Trinh vs. Nguyen vs. Tay Son). secondly, the emperor had reason to copy the greatness of the Qing as Vietnam controlled Laos and Cambodia. Vietnam/Laos/Cambodia all combined means reign supreme over the largest ever territorial expansion in the vietnamese history.
just google a bit and find these historial pics... comparing Chinese and Vietnamese mandarins. they were much different in terms of dress. extreme sinicization?
well, I read Vietnam tried to impose Vietnam´s law and order, sinicization and other things on barbarians in Laos and Cambodia, and punished hard those who failed to comply.
Qing officials
Nguyen officials
by the way, thank you for sharing the link of this author Le Minh Khai. Unbelieveable that he is a white man. He seems to be fluent in vietnamese as well as chinese language. I am not historian, thus I cannot judge whether what he says is right or wrong. other can do.