Vietnam Communist Party Central Committee Secretary General To Lam met with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun in Hanoi on Thursday. According to the Xinhua News Agency, Dong and his accompanying delegation attended a grand meeting organized on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam People’s Army. Vietnam places great importance on China’s support for its national liberation, independence, and socialist construction. It views friendly relations with China as a strategic priority in its foreign policy. Dong stated that the Chinese side values the traditional friendship between the two countries and two armies, and is ready to follow the guidance of the consensus reached by the top leaders of both countries, deepen practical cooperation in various fields including maritime security with the Vietnamese side, enhance strategic mutual trust between the two armies, promote the continuous development of mutual relations, and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability.[1]
In this meeting, relations based on friendship and mutual interests were emphasized, and steps towards cooperation in the fields of defense and security were aimed at maintaining regional stability. While China advances its relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, Vietnam has actively played a role in establishing balance and stability in the region by expanding its historical and geopolitical relations with China, one of the world’s major powers, into the fields of defense and security. Vietnam’s signing of the “U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Economic Dialogue (CSPED)” with the United States on June 25 and its agreements on security cooperation with China are indicative of Vietnam’s pursuit of a multilateral foreign policy. Vietnam aims to maintain mutual trust with China in the region while benefiting from U.S. technology. Thus, while Vietnam pursues a multilateral balancing strategy in line with its national interest protection goals, it has also taken on a key actor role in the Southeast Asia region.
The foreign policy strategy implemented by Vietnam, particularly in relation to ASEAN countries, is also significant in terms of regional cooperation and multilateralism. Vietnam’s neutrality towards both the USA and China has supported ASEAN’s neutral stance. Vietnam’s increase in cooperation with the US in areas such as defense and technology has paved the way for ASEAN countries to find areas where they can also work together with the US. Additionally, Vietnam has supported ASEAN in forming a strategy to maintain its neutrality in the ongoing China-US competition on the international stage. Vietnam has strengthened its economic ties with China while maintaining security cooperation with the United States. This approach has served as an example for ASEAN to adopt a similar policy. Thus, ASEAN has been able to develop strategic relations with the USA while not taking a stance against China. Especially in sensitive matters such as the South China Sea, maintaining a balanced stance has allowed ASEAN to foster constructive relations with both China and the USA. In this context, it is observed that Vietnam, which has taken on a leading role in maintaining regional power balances through multilateral diplomacy, holds an important position not only within ASEAN but also internationally.[2]
On April 11-12, 2024, the eighth Vietnam-China Border Defense Friendship Exchange was held under the co-chairmanship of Vietnamese Defense Minister General Phan Van Giang and his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun. At the end of the discussions, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed regarding the establishment of a telephone line between the Vietnam National Defense Ministry’s Naval Forces Service and the Southern Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army of China.[3]
This development indicates more constructive and peaceful relations between the two countries. This development fosters mutual trust, enhances border security cooperation, and facilitates constructive dialogue in tense situations. Additionally, in terms of developing security and defense cooperation with other countries in the region and providing confidence-building measures for the stability of regional peace, the China-Vietnam cooperation serves as an example.
Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun met with his Vietnamese counterpart Phan Van Giang in Beijing on August 20, 2024, and emphasized that the two armies need to accelerate their efforts to enhance the quality and efficiency of their cooperation. Dong stated that efforts should be made to maintain the momentum of cooperation in various areas, including personnel training, joint exercises, and international collaboration, while expanding new fields for more practical results.[4] This meeting, like other discussions, holds critical significance for the deepening of both Vietnam and regional security collaborations, ASEAN’s pursuit of more neutral and flexible policies with major powers, and the foundation of international balance and security policies. Additionally, as China’s influence in the Asia-Pacific region increases, similar agreements and discussions have contributed to the development and security of many countries in the region, such as ASEAN countries. Vietnam’s cooperation with the USA and Japan has paved the way for multilateral security agreements aimed at regional peace, leading to an increase in multilateral collaborations in the Asia-Pacific region.
In summary, the recent meeting between China and Vietnam, as a result of previous discussions, holds strategic importance in terms of deepening military cooperation and ensuring mutual trust between the two countries. Vietnam, which adopts the principle of neutrality, offers security-based cooperation with China, providing both regional stability and a diplomatic approach to resolving potential tensions. China-Vietnam collaborations significantly contribute to balancing power dynamics within ASEAN and fostering stability between major powers. Vietnam’s cooperation with China and its simultaneous establishment of strategic ties with the USA have enabled it to maintain regional stability and protect its national interests through multilateral diplomacy. Thus, Vietnam has positioned itself as a balancing force among the great powers.
[1] “Vietnam’s party general secretary meets Chinese defence minister amid high level of political mutual trust”, Global Times, https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202412/1325481.shtml, (Accessed date: 12.20.2024).
[2] Ibid.
[3] “The eight Vietnam-China Border Defence Friendship Exchange concluded successfully”, Socialist Rebublic of Vietnam, Ministery of National Defence, https://mod.gov.vn/en/event/detail?current=true&urile=wcm:path:/mod/sa-mod-en/sa-en-news/sa-en-news-rela/the-eighth-vietnam-china-border-defense-friendship-exchange-concluded-successfully, (Accessed date: 12.20.2024).
[4] “Chinese defence minister meets Vietnamese counterpart”, Xinhua News Agency, https://english.news.cn/20240820/404afd7760a449feb99933917ac01aa0/c.html, (Accessed date: 12.20.2024).
