Xi Jinping’s Visit to Vietnam Shows Stable Relations
Vietnam’s Diplomacy: Protecting Independence Amid Major Power Relations
According to Globely News, Before the U.S. and Vietnam announced their “comprehensive strategic partnership” in September 2023, some thought China would react poorly. However, China’s response was measured, and President Xi Jinping visited Vietnam soon after President Biden. The way China’s press covered Xi’s trip suggested that China and Vietnam still have a good relationship.
Vietnam aims to successfully navigate its relationships with significant world powers while safeguarding its autonomy and territory. The recent favorable developments indicate that Vietnam has achieved a balance in managing its relations with these great powers. As demonstrated in the case of Ukraine, once powerful nations resort to force, it often continues until all options have been explored. To safeguard their interests, smaller and mid-sized countries like Vietnam must focus on preserving national independence and territorial integrity while minimizing the possibility of conflict.
Vietnam’s approach to international relations has been characterized by a unique mixture of discouragement purposes, assurance, and hedging strategies. Due to its history of fending off invasions, Vietnam recognizes the importance of a strong national defense system for discouragement purposes. The persistent threat of conflict in the South China Sea has led to significant modernization of the military particularly in maritime capabilities. Discouragement purposes, while not foolproof against determined adversaries can be effective in preventing opportunistic acts of aggression.
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Vietnam’s Diplomatic Strategy: Maintaining Independence and Peace
To achieve and maintain peace, effective diplomacy is essential in addition to discouragement purposes. Vietnam has learned from historical errors like World War I where discouragement purposes failed due to a lack of assurance. To manage relationships with major powers, Vietnam prioritizes assurance through diplomatic efforts. Vietnam assures these powers of its commitment to cooperation and mutual benefits emphasizing that it poses no security or interest threats. This strategy acknowledges that even powerful leaders can have insecurities and may take risks to restore their sense of security. Vietnam portrays its partnership with the U.S. as one of peace, cooperation and development to signal goodwill and foster trust.
Vietnamese officials engaged in discussions with their Chinese counterparts both before and after enhancing relations with the United States likely to reassure Beijing that the move was not aimed at containing China. Alongside this diplomatic effort, Vietnam employs active hedging as a strategy to balance its relationships with major powers. The U.S.-China reconciliation served as a reminder to Vietnamese policymakers that great powers may prioritize their interests over those of their smaller allies. To counter this risk, Vietnam emphasizes the diversification and multilateralization of its foreign relations as outlined in Communist Party documents since the Cold War’s end. This strategy is designed to reduce reliance on a single power and keep the ability to shift and change in response to geopolitical changes.
Vietnam’s foreign policy strategy focuses on creating diverse relationships with several middle powers like Japan, India, South Korea, and Australia, while also engaging with great powers like Russia and the United States. This strategy ensures that Vietnam is not overly dependent on any one country and expands its diplomatic influence. It also provides Vietnam with access to various economic, military and technological benefits. Additionally, Vietnam actively participates in ASEAN, considering the regional bloc’s importance in maintaining peace and stability in Southeast Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific region. Vietnam is determined to work closely with nations who share similar interests to strengthen their collective influence in the face of intense global power rivalry.
Vietnam’s skillful management of relations with the United States and China has been effective demonstrated by its recent positive interactions with both countries. However, ongoing challenges like great power competition disputes in the South China Sea and transnational threats require Vietnam to remain adaptable and autonomous. To guarantee its sovereignty and prevent conflict, Vietnam must balance diplomacy uphold international norms and proactively engage with global issues.