ARTICLES

25 Jul 2024

Nguyen Phu Trong’s Foreign Policy Legacy: Shaping Vietnam’s Great Power Balance

Phan Xuan Dung

Nguyen Phu Trong’s strategic nous in shaping Hanoi’s relations with the great powers is his foremost foreign policy legacy.

2 May 2024

The Enduring Relevance of Vietnam’s “Three Nos” Policy

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.

China-Vietnam Relations U.S.-Vietnam Relations Vietnam Vietnamese Politics

18 Dec 2023

Xi Jinping in Hanoi: Courting for a Common Destiny?

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.

China china politics China-Vietnam Relations Vietnam Vietnamese Politics

14 Dec 2023

Late to the Party: Vietnam and the Belt and Road Initiative

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.

China-Vietnam Relations Vietnam Vietnamese Economy

Rare earth elements are a group of 17 elements many of which are crucial for use in technology such as catalysts, magnets, special alloys, glass and high performance electronics. China has 37.9% of the world's reserves of rare earth elements. (Photo by Wang chun lyg / Imaginechina / Imaginechina via AFP)

8 Nov 2023

Vietnam’s Rare Earth Ambitions: Economic and Strategic Drivers

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.

China-Vietnam Relations U.S.-Vietnam Relations Vietnam Vietnamese Politics

25 Sep 2023

China-Vietnam Party-to-Party Ties: A Tie that Binds

Lye Liang Fook

Vietnam appears to be drawing closer to the U.S. with the recent upgrade in ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership. This development, however, should not be overestimated as Vietnam-China relations, especially party-to-party ties, remain strong.

China-Vietnam Relations Vietnam

14 Mar 2022

The Russia-Ukraine War: Parallels and Lessons for Vietnam

Hoang Thi Ha

Vietnam’s nuanced approach to the Russia-Ukraine war and its refusal to single out Russia’s invasion suggest introspection in Hanoi over its foreign and defence policy calculations.

China-Vietnam Relations U.S.-Vietnam Relations Ukraine Vietnam

1 Oct 2021

Vietnam and Japan Partners Amid Superpower Rivalry

Mateusz Chatys

If two recent high-level visits by China and Japan to Vietnam are of any indication, Tokyo appears to have gained the upper hand over Beijing when it comes to courting one of Southeast Asia’s most important players.

China-Vietnam Relations U.S.-Vietnam Relations Vietnam

29 Sep 2021

Wang Yi’s Visit to Vietnam: Reasserting Influence, Regaining Balance

Hoang Thi Ha|Le Hong Hiep

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Vietnam on 10-12 September was part of Beijing’s efforts to pull Hanoi back from its perceived ‘tilt’ towards Washington. More than ever, Vietnam’s foreign policy mantra, “firm in objectives, flexible in strategies and tactics”, is being put to test.

China-Vietnam Relations South China Sea U.S.-Vietnam Relations

12 Jul 2021

A Tale of Two Vaccines in Vietnam

Hoang Thi Ha

The public reactions to the arrivals of Covid-19 vaccines to Vietnam – one from China, the other from the United States – underscore a geopolitical dilemma for the country.

China-Vietnam Relations COVID-19 U.S.-Vietnam Relations Vietnam