Vietnam's Strategy Research Articles

How regime legitimation influences Vietnam's strategy toward US–China strategic rivalry

Abstract Vietnam has tried to maintain a delicate balance between the United States and China by pursuing a hedging strategy. In a shifting strategic environment marked by structural uncertainty caused by the rise of China, weaker Southeast Asian states like Vietnam are projecting a non-alignment posture. However, this rational behavior is not the product of systemic factors alone but also certain domestic political dynamics. We argue that regime legitimation – how the Vietnam Communist Party seeks to generate and sustain internal and external legitimacy – weighs heavily on Vietnam's strategy toward US–China competition. In particular, three legitimation strategies employed by the Vietnam Communist Party – performance-based legitimation, nationalism-based legitimation vis-à-vis China, and defensive legitimation vis-à-vis “hostile forces” – produce dynamics that ensure Hanoi does not get inadvertently pulled into the orbit of either Beijing or Washington. Theoretically, this article contributes to the literature on domestic determinants of foreign policy with a focus on regime legitimation. Empirically, we seek to supplement the discussion on the salience and relevance of domestic politics in informing Southeast Asian states' strategic calculation amid great-power competition.

Analisis Respon Vietnam dalam Menghadapi Kebijakan Illegal Fishing Indonesia di Zona Ekonomi Eksklusif Perairan Natuna

This design/research on Vietnam's response to the IUU Fishing Indonesia "Sink the Vessels" policy which has sunk 272 Vietnamese vessels from 2014-2018, with the aim of providing an understanding of Vietnam's strategy in maintaining its relationship with Indonesia and the reasons why Vietnam responded to the policy it is not aggressive. This study uses defensive realism approach through four assumptions from Jeffrey W. Taliaferro. The method used is a qualitative research model that is descriptive in nature with literature study data collection techniques through the collection of data and information and reliable sources. The results show that based on the four basic assumptions of Taliaferro realism, namely Vietnam experiences a security dilemma that is not focused on Indonesia, the existence of complex water conflicts in the region, Vietnam's military capabilities under Indonesia and Vietnam's domestic politics which have a tendency to maintain good relations with Indonesia.

Vietnam: riding the Chinese tide

ABSTRACTVietnam's perception of China is nuanced and complex, a mixture of challenge and opportunity. Given its geographic proximity and overwhelming power, China represents a permanent strategic challenge Vietnam cannot escape. However, the two countries are partners in the defence of socialist ideals and communist rule. These circumstances have clearly shaped Vietnam's China policy, which is a mixture of cooperation and struggle. Vietnam's strategy is not about confronting China directly but finding a way to live with and benefit from its power.

Strategy and Evolution of Vietnam's China Policy: A Changing Mixture of Pathways

This article examines Vietnam's strategy toward China since 1990. The study suggests that Vietnam's China policy has been informed by a changing mix of four different pathways, whose salience depends on the interplay of interest and balance of power among China, America, ASEAN, and Vietnam's two grand strategic camps and supreme leader.

North Vietnam's Strategy for Survival. By Jon M. Van Dyke. With a Foreword by Edwin O. Reischauer. (Palo Alto, Calif.: Pacific Books, 1972. Pp. 336. $10.95.)

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North Vietnam's Strategy for Survival

North Vietnam's Strategy for Survival North Vietnam's Strategy for Survival. By Jon M. Van Dyke. Foreword by Edwin O. Reischauer. Palo Alto, Calif.: Pacific Books. 1972. 336 pp. Maps. Index. $10.50. Dennis J. Duncanson Dennis J. Duncanson Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar International Affairs, Volume 49, Issue 2, April 1973, Pages 299–300, https://doi.org/10.2307/2614094 Published: 01 April 1973

North Vietnam's Strategy for Survival, by Jon M. Van Dyke

North Vietnam's Strategy for Survival, <i>by Jon M. Van Dyke</i>