Over the previous 9 months, Vietnam has hosted Joe Biden, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, balancing geopolitical rivalries with an élan that has eluded different nations.
The string of visits reveals how a rustic adept at attracting manufacturing funding from corporations desperate to diversify their provide chains is adroitly managing its international coverage.
By internet hosting Putin this week for his first go to since 2017, Vietnam, which has a long-standing impartial and diversified international coverage, joins the ranks of North Korea, Iran and China in opening its doorways to a frontrunner shunned globally after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Putin’s go to, which follows his journey to North Korea and comes lower than a yr after Washington and Hanoi upgraded their ties, has irked the US however is unlikely to disrupt relations. “Vietnam has performed this sport fairly effectively,” mentioned Nguyen Khac Giang, a visiting fellow at Singapore’s Iseas-Yusof Ishak Institute.
Vietnam has been “actively impartial” not like different nations which were extra passive, he mentioned. “Hanoi is aware of it should actively steadiness totally different powers . . . as a result of that’s the way in which for Vietnam to achieve advantages from all three powers. In any other case it will be drawn into political video games with none potential to alter the route of the sport.”
Communist party-ruled Vietnam’s impartial international coverage dates again to the top of the chilly battle, when Hanoi determined to be a good friend to all nations. Lengthy-standing get together chief Nguyen Phu Truong, probably the most senior political determine in Vietnam, calls this “bamboo diplomacy”, citing the plant’s “robust roots, stout trunk and versatile branches”.
Below his management, Vietnam has upgraded relations with the US and allies akin to Australia, Japan and South Korea to “complete strategic partnerships”, the best degree of diplomatic ties afforded by Hanoi.
When Biden visited Hanoi final September, the US president hailed the transfer to improve the partnership as a part of the 50-year “arc of progress” between the 2 former foes.
In recent times Vietnam has change into a favoured vacation spot for corporations akin to Apple as they appear to diversify their provide chains away from China. International direct funding in Vietnam hit $36.6bn final yr.
But Vietnam has managed to attain this with out disrupting its ties with China, its largest buying and selling associate, and Russia, its largest arms provider. The 2 have been strategic companions with Vietnam since 2008 and 2012, respectively.
Three months after the Biden go to, Xi adopted in his footsteps and the 2 communist neighbours agreed to construct a “shared future” to strengthen their ties — regardless of disagreements and common stand-offs between their ships within the South China Sea, the place Vietnam and Beijing have overlapping claims.
Vietnam has been astute in navigating the connection with China by placing the best steadiness “between defiance and deference”, mentioned Susannah Patton, the Lowy Institute’s director of south-east Asia programme.
Vietnam has used its relationships with the US and Russia as a steadiness towards China, she mentioned. “Vietnam has benefited from its omnidirectional international coverage stance and has made itself related to many companions.”
Vietnam’s international coverage route has withstood latest home political upheaval — a results of a long-running corruption crackdown — and is unlikely to alter whilst geopolitical tensions rise.
Analysts mentioned the Communist get together was pragmatic about its international coverage and understood the significance of getting western allies, particularly because it regarded to cement its place as a vital manufacturing hub.
On the identical time, internet hosting Putin is a “matter of precept” for Vietnam to point out the steadiness and variety in its international coverage, mentioned Le Hong Hiep, senior fellow and co-ordinator of the Vietnam research programme at Iseas.
The US has expressed disappointment on the go to however mentioned its relationship with Vietnam would proceed to strengthen.
“We reiterate that no nation ought to give Putin a platform to advertise his battle of aggression and in any other case permit him to normalise his atrocities. We can not return to enterprise as ordinary or flip a blind eye to the clear violations of worldwide regulation Russia has dedicated in Ukraine,” a US state division spokesperson informed the Monetary Instances.
Russia, the most important provider of army gear together with submarines to Hanoi, has been a detailed associate of Vietnam because the chilly battle. The 2 nations have run joint exploration initiatives for oil and fuel within the South China Sea.
Vietnamese media has reported that Hanoi is in search of nearer co-operation with Russia in pure assets, synthetic intelligence, life sciences and vitality. Putin is predicted to satisfy Nguyen and different senior officers, with talks specializing in commerce, financial and technological prospects, together with worldwide and regional points. It’s unclear if any offers will likely be introduced.
This week’s go to could in the end show extra helpful for Putin than for Vietnam, mentioned Iseas’ Le, because it reveals that doorways nonetheless open for him. Vietnam may be cautious in saying any main offers with Russia because it seeks to stay on good phrases with the US and its allies.
“Vietnam will likely be clever sufficient to guarantee that the go to won’t hurt its relation with US and western companions,” mentioned Le. “It has been in a position to keep good ties with all the most important powers, and that performs an necessary function in serving to Vietnam appeal to funding from totally different companions.”
