Dancing between Giants: Vietnam's Position within U.S.–China Strategic Competition

This chapter is dedicated to examining Vietnam’s foreign policy in the face of the strategic competition between the United States and China. As a rising middle power in the region, Vietnam has encountered mounting side-taking pressure forged by the U.S.–China rivalry, as both Washington and Beijing expect Hanoi to make a decisive move in their favor. Given its constraints due to its consistent non-alliance policy, Vietnam has so far been relatively cautious about taking any stance or action that might be deemed contradictory to the principles of its policies. However, the heightened sense of threat from China and its growing convergence of interests with the United States in recent years have motivated Vietnam to adopt a harder line vis-à-vis China and seek closer collaboration with the United States on various issues. As the ambiguity within its hedging strategy is generally eroding, Vietnam has gradually turned toward the adoption of strategic position-taking amid the rising U.S.–China tensions.