Communist Party-ruled Vietnam has skillfully advanced its diplomatic relations with major global powers, including historical rivals China and the United States, through its proactive pursuit of “bamboo diplomacy” since 2021, effectively navigating the escalating tensions in the international arena.
In recent years, Vietnam has elevated its partnerships with key nations, placing significant emphasis on collaborations with the United States, China, India, South Korea, and Russia, the latter being a long-standing supplier of military equipment to Vietnam.
Vietnam, recognized as a regional manufacturing powerhouse and a crucial player in global supply chains, has strategically employed the metaphor of the bamboo plant to articulate its foreign policy. Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, in 2021, characterized Vietnam’s diplomatic strategy as having “strong roots, stout trunk, and flexible branches” — an approach that emphasizes building more friendships and reducing adversaries for a robust and adaptable foreign policy stance.