Vietnam's bamboo diplomacy amid global turmoil

In the context of complex global economic and political fluctuations leading to significant challenges, Vietnam's bamboo diplomacy has demonstrated its own identity, helping to enhance the country's position in the international arena.

The context of economic recovery after Covid-19 , the conflict in Ukraine, fierce competition between major powers, and many fluctuations in the Indo- Pacific region... are issues that have been present throughout the past years and have continuously created many challenges.

Important partner in the Indo- Pacific

In that context, commenting on Vietnam's position in an interview with Thanh Nien, Professor Stephen Robert Nagy (International Christian University - Japan, scholar at the Japan Institute of International Affairs) said: "Vietnam has become an important partner in the Indo-Pacific with which many countries want to strengthen cooperation in the fields of trade, development, security and diplomacy . Vietnam continues to be considered an important economy for investment. Countries such as Japan and South Korea provide ODA and FDI capital to Vietnam in an effort to selectively diversify the shift of supply chains."

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and heads of delegations attended the opening ceremony and plenary session of the 42nd ASEAN Summit held in Indonesia in May.

VNA

Indeed! During his recent state visit to Vietnam, when meeting with 300 representatives of the Korean community who have been living and working in Vietnam, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol emphasized that Vietnam is a country that plays an important role for South Korea in building a free, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. Not only with South Korea, Professor Nagy further cited: "We have witnessed the image of G7 countries welcoming Vietnamese leaders to attend the recent summit in Hiroshima (Japan) to develop a cooperative life in development fields between the parties. We are also witnessing Vietnam strengthening cooperation in the field of security and other partnerships based on Vietnam's 4 no principles".

Diplomatic identity

For a long time, when talking about bamboo diplomacy, many opinions have equated it with the model of policy that other countries have pursued, and some opinions say that it is a "swaying" of the type "today on this side, tomorrow on that side". But that is an incorrect assessment of the nature and foundation of Vietnam's bamboo diplomacy, which needs to see the identity of the bamboo tree, which is that amidst strong winds, even storms, the bamboo tree remains steadfast, showing strong vitality. Regarding the identity of Vietnam's bamboo diplomacy, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has directed and oriented: "firm roots, strong trunk, flexible branches" to protect the Fatherland "early, from afar, from when the country is not yet in danger". Accordingly, "firm roots" are self-reliance, self-reliance, always putting national and ethnic interests first. "Strong trunk" is the resilience in the face of all challenges and difficulties; ready to be a reliable and responsible partner with the international community. "Flexible branches" is a way of behaving flexibly, promptly adapting to changes and challenges.

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Don't be dependent

Vietnam is gaining more international attention due to its geostrategic position in Southeast Asia. The US, India, Japan and now South Korea (which is actively increasing its influence in Southeast Asia under the new Indo-Pacific strategy) and many other countries are approaching Vietnam. Some media outlets argue that Vietnam will lean towards one side or the other, but in fact Vietnam’s stance has not changed, focusing on preventing the risk of being dependent on a particular power. In such a context, Vietnam has engaged in active diplomacy based on its traditional stance to limit the impact of competition between major powers.

Associate Professor Kei Koga

(Programme on Global Issues and Public Policy - School of Social Sciences - Nanyang Technological University, Singapore)

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This identity is based on the foundation of Ho Chi Minh's Thought on foreign affairs. Specifically: Must be independent and self-reliant in foreign affairs and international cooperation; Always have a spirit of peace, "more friends, less enemies"; Build friendly and cooperative relations with countries on the basis of respecting independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity; Consistent with the motto "Respond to all changes with the unchanging" in foreign affairs activities... Over the years, Vietnam's foreign policy has always been consistent with Ho Chi Minh's Thought, and has been regularly supplemented and completed to suit global developments and trends. Vietnam always aims to harmoniously resolve the relationship between independence, self-reliant and international integration. Responding to Thanh Nien , Professor Ryo Hinata-Yamaguchi (Tokyo University, Japan) commented: "Vietnam's bamboo diplomacy has helped Vietnam defend itself against regional powers and Vietnam flexibly achieve a number of national interests". Of course, every historical period poses new challenges, including challenges to Vietnam's foreign policy. As Professor Ryo Hinata-Yamaguchi mentioned: "Vietnam will have to face a number of urgent dilemmas as the power competition between major powers increases." Such are the challenges, but Vietnam's foreign policy itself contains the foundation to respond to the above-mentioned challenges and has in fact been effective over the past many years.

Affirming position

Consistent with its diplomatic policy, Vietnam has affirmed its contributions to the international community. In October 2022, Vietnam was elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 term. At that time, Vietnam was unanimously supported by members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as the sole candidate of ASEAN for this position; and at the same time, it was also the sole Asian candidate of the Francophone Community.

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Increasingly improving international status

Vietnam continues to implement a multilateral foreign policy. This is specifically demonstrated through many recent foreign visits by Vietnamese leaders to Laos, to the UK to attend the coronation of King Charles III, and to attend the expanded G7 Summit in Japan. At the same time, Vietnam welcomed leaders of many countries such as South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, etc. Vietnam-Russia relations are also developing positively through high-level dialogues, with special emphasis on measures to expand economic and trade cooperation. Therefore, Vietnam has been trying to reach out in many foreign policy directions while still keeping the country's economic interests as one of the priorities. Vietnam has participated in strategic dialogues with many important partners in Europe and Asia, thereby increasingly enhancing its international position.

Associate Professor Ekaterina Koldunova

(Faculty of Asian and African Studies, Moscow State Institute of International Relations - MGIMO, Russia)

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Commenting on the above results when answering Thanh Nien, Mr. Carl O. Schuster (currently teaching at the University of Hawaii - Pacific on international relations and history) emphasized that joining the United Nations Human Rights Council has marked the increasing importance of Vietnam in Asian issues. This is the second time Vietnam has been elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council. In the first time participating (term 2014 - 2016), Vietnam promoted initiatives that showed its mark, highly appreciated by the international community such as participating in the Core Group at the Human Rights Council on "Climate Change and Human Rights", directly authoring a number of resolutions adopted by the Human Rights Council by consensus on the impact of climate change on vulnerable groups (women, children, etc.). All affirm the results that Vietnam has achieved with its own diplomatic identity, which cannot be called generally bamboo diplomacy, but must be called precisely: Vietnamese bamboo diplomacy .

Thanhnien.vn