Caught in the Crossfire: Vietnam and the Chinese Transshipment Dilemma
Le Hong Hiep
Vietnam is caught in the middle as the US seeks to clamp down on China using it as a backdoor into the American market.

Le Hong Hiep
Vietnam is caught in the middle as the US seeks to clamp down on China using it as a backdoor into the American market.
Hoang Thi Ha
Hanoi’s welcome of the Chinese president amid the global tariff war is a harbinger of steadfast commitment to serving Vietnam’s national interests and development, rather than a picking of sides.
Nguyen Khac Giang
Vietnam’s growing trade surplus with the US strongly suggests that China uses Vietnam as a backdoor to dodge US tariffs. Such rerouting is actually lower than is imagined. Given that perceptions drive politics, Vietnam will likely still be caught in the Trump administration’s sights.
Le Hong Hiep
Chinese investments in Vietnam have surged. But they bring not only opportunities but also challenges for the latter.
Ian Storey
President Putin’s visit to Vietnam was a qualified success for both countries. The Putin regime was able to show that despite Western efforts to isolate it, Russia is not without friends. By hosting the Russian leader, Vietnam was able to honour an old friend and highlight the merits of its bamboo diplomacy.
Phan Xuan Dung
Nguyen Phu Trong’s strategic nous in shaping Hanoi’s relations with the great powers is his foremost foreign policy legacy.
Phan Xuan Dung
Ten years after the May 2014 oil rig crisis in Vietnam’s Exclusive Economic Zone, Hanoi continues to maintain its “Three Nos” policy. This, however, does not mean that the policy is set in stone.
Nguyen Khac Giang
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Hanoi presented an opportunity for Beijing to draw Vietnam closer into its sphere of influence, especially since Vietnam has recently upgraded ties with the U.S. and Japan. However, Vietnam’s foreign policy will continue to strike a delicate balance between China and the West.
Hoang Thi Ha
Chinese-funded investments into Laos and Cambodia have transformed the geo-economic landscape in Vietnam’s immediate neighbourhood. This has caused Hanoi to give China’s Belt and Road Initiative another look.
Le Hong Hiep
Vietnam is seeking to develop its rare earth industry at a time when global demand for such minerals is increasing. Its motivations are not merely economic, but also strategic.