CONTRIBUTORS

Hoang Thi Ha is Senior Fellow and Co-coordinator of the Regional Strategic and Political Studies Programme, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute.

Articles by Hoang Thi Ha (59)

To Lam’s Foreign Policy Leadership in the “Era of National Rise”

Hoang Thi Ha|Pham Thi Phuong Thao

Since assuming power in August 2024, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam has pursued bold reforms with urgency. Economic diplomacy has been a central focus, aimed at mobilising international resources for economic restructuring and technological upgrading. He has also engaged Washington, traditional partners China and Russia, and other major powers with equal vigour, pursuing pragmatic multi-alignment to advance national interests.

From Defensive to Dynamic: Vietnam’s Thirty-Year Journey in ASEAN

Hoang Thi Ha|Pham Thi Phuong Thao

This Long Read reviews the historical significance of Vietnam’s ASEAN accession and examines how Vietnam’s approach to ASEAN has evolved in tandem with its national development, shifting security outlook, and institutional maturation over the past three decades.

Partnership, Not Protection: Trump’s Defence Policy in Asia

Hoang Thi Ha|William Choong

At his maiden Shangri-La Dialogue outing, the US Secretary of Defense laid out a stark and demanding vision for the region’s security. ASEAN and much of Southeast Asia did not feature in it.

Vietnam’s Trump Card: Navigating Growth, Politics, and US Relations

Hoang Thi Ha|Dien Nguyen An Luong

Vietnam’s fast-tracking of a Trump-branded project is a high-stake diplomatic gambit to curry favour with the US president to ameliorate the extent of US tariffs. But the Trump project should also be viewed in the context of Hanoi’s relentless drive to do away with red tape and pro-business strategy.

Vietnam Navigates Trump’s Trade Headwinds: Making Virtue Out of Necessity

Hoang Thi Ha

Vietnam has been navigating the potential trade headwinds from the second Trump administration with pragmatism and opportunism, aligning with Trump’s transactional approach. The focus has been on fostering corporate partnerships, framing Vietnam-US economic ties as win-win instead of virtue-signalling on free trade.