Walking a Tightrope Once More: Vietnam’s Strategic Alignment Toward the United States and Its China Dilemma

Walking a Tightrope Once More: Vietnam’s Strategic Alignment Toward the United States and Its China Dilemma

This paper analyzes Vietnam’s evolving policy toward the United States in the context of strategic competition between China and the United States. As a rising and trusted partner within Washington’s broader strategy to manage China’s rise, Vietnam has garnered significant attention from both superpowers. As both the United States and China expect Hanoi to take clear stances on certain issues, Vietnam’s traditional strategy of hedging is becoming increasingly untenable. Instead, the country has gradually adopted a posture of strategic alignment with the United States. In this paper, strategic alignment refers to policy choices made by small and middle powers that are dictated primarily by their national interests. For Vietnam, these choices include diplomatic deference, concessional economic commitments, selective security cooperation, and support for US global governance initiatives. As US–China rivalry continues to intensify under the second Trump administration, Vietnam’s approach and strategic alignment with the United States are unlikely to change drastically. However, this alignment may deepen Hanoi’s“China dilemma”in which its cooperation with the United States risks being perceived as contrary to China’s interests.