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Bac Pham
SCMP Contributor
Bac Pham has been reporting in Vietnam for nearly 20 years, working for numerous local and foreign publications including The Straits Times, The Guardian and The Diplomat. He has worked for Deutsche Presse-Agentur since 2008.
Hanoi’s new leadership is doubling down on ‘bamboo diplomacy’ to navigate choppy geopolitical currents and protect economic gains.
Russia requires mainly artillery shells for its war in Ukraine and could sell other weapons to its clients, analysts say.
The South China Sea dispute between China and Vietnam is not expected to become a sticking point during Xi’s meetings in Hanoi.
The US and Vietnam are expected to upgrade their partnership but there are limits to their ties, according to analysts.
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The port call marks the third visit of a US aircraft carrier to Vietnam since the end of the Vietnam war, amid rising tensions in the South China Sea.
A strategic partnership with US would ‘help Vietnam improve its diplomatic position’ but analysts say Vietnam has long been nervous about provoking China.
Blinken’s trip is part of US efforts to upgrade diplomatic relations with Vietnam, which has been hesitant to formally upgrade ties over fears of alienating Beijing.
Vietnamese community in Ukraine back war effort, while those in Russia have sought to distance themselves from conflict despite support.
Vietnam is likely to continue its pragmatic balancing act between the two powers, and remain a reliable partner to all, say analysts.
US Vice-President Kamala Harris said Washington wants a strategic partnership with Hanoi but even as Vietnam pushes back against Beijing’s claims in the South China Sea, experts say it’d be loathe to provoke its neighbour.
As the erstwhile enemies seek to deepen bilateral defence ties to tackle issues relating to the South China Sea, they are also expected to cooperate in identifying and recovering the remains of thousands of Vietnamese soldiers.
Ex-intelligence agent Pham Minh Chinh was a dark horse candidate to head the government, observers say, but they expect him to maintain good ties with Washington while not excessively alienating Beijing.
A resurgence of coronavirus in the country served to dampen proceedings, after Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong was re-elected for an ‘unprecedented’ third term.
The harsh jail terms given to three journalists this week, including prominent activist Pham Chi Dung, are just the latest in a string of sentences handed out to critics.
Analysts say China is likely to test Vietnam through maritime provocations if the energy ventures go ahead.
Robert O’Brien is expected to meet Vietnam’s PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc and national security officials in the Philippines, as part of a move aimed at cementing Trump’s legacy of countering Beijing in Asia, analysts say.
The US signed an agreement with Vietnam to assist its fishing vessels against intimidation, but it’s unlikely to extend to military support at sea.
The April 3 collision between vessels from China and Vietnam has upped the ante over discussions on a code of conduct in the waters, analysts say.
The US has identified former foe Vietnam as a strategic partner in the resource-rich waterway, most of which is claimed by China.
Defence White Papers by Malaysia and Vietnam went under the radar at first – but criticisms of Beijing’s actions in the South China Sea are slowly surfacing.
Retired baker Chau Van Kham has been sentenced to 12 years for ‘terrorist activities against the state’ in a trial that human rights campaigners say is part of a wave of repression.
Among the mourning are Nguyen Dinh Gia, 57, who received a call warning of his son’s death and asking for his sympathy.
American producers wrestling with the US-China trade war are being forced to offload meat and fruit at knockdown prices in countries such as Vietnam. Shoppers are delighted but local farmers are struggling to compete.
The country ranks ahead of Thailand and Indonesia in English proficiency, even though a government initiative to make all students learn the language has fallen short.
Some 2 million civilians and 1.1 million North Vietnamese and Viet Cong fighters were killed in fighting between 1954 and 1975.
Trump’s trade war is boosting Vietnam by driving Chinese firms south, but the rising labour costs this has caused are a mixed blessing. What’s more, a greater Chinese presence could put Vietnam in Washington’s crosshairs.
Nguyen Phu Trong is the head of the Communist Party, the country’s president, and the head of its military – sound familiar?
