The fallacy of Vietnam’s bamboo diplomacy (Jackson Lopez – The Interpreter)

Vietnam’s tensile nonalignment is unsustainable. Even after a widely vaunted trade deal with the United States this month, the sharp contradictions that mire Vietnamese foreign policy remain. Many view Vietnam’s rapid economic development and growing diplomatic engagements with the United States as a sign of its rising status. Yet, contradictory attempts to appease both Washington and Beijing belie Hanoi’s outdated foreign policy – intent on political posturing while China continues its aggressive expansion in the South China Sea.

The fallacy of Vietnam’s bamboo diplomacy | Lowy Institute