Chinese leader Xi Jinping recently paid an official visit to Vietnam, where he met with leaders of the ruling Communist Party in Hanoi. Xi praised relations between the 2 countries and promised to take them to the following level. Several business deals were signed during this visit, highlighting the importance of this visit considering the undeniable fact that the 2 countries will not be only neighbors but additionally share the identical political ideology. However, their relationship is more complicated than it seems.
Three months earlier, US President Joe Biden visited Vietnam, effectively elevating America’s relationship with the Southeast Asian country to a strategic partnership. A number of weeks ago, Japan followed suit. From this angle, Xi’s offer to Hanoi may not seem so compelling, nevertheless it represents certainly one of many efforts by major countries to woo Vietnam, a geopolitically essential nation contributing to the ability struggle within the Asia-Pacific region.
### 5 the reason why the US and China are questioning Vietnam
1. Common ideology, but different interests
Although Vietnam is a communist country, its relations with Beijing will not be necessarily friendly. Despite having cultural, philosophical and technological elements originating from China, Vietnam’s national identity has all the time been based on separation from China, not on its political domination. “Vietnam, like many Asian countries, has gained cultural, philosophical and technological capital from China, but its national identity has all the time been to be different from China and never to be politically dominated by China. Ideology doesn’t matter in Vietnam,” said political scientist Timur Fomenko, in line with RT.
2. Resistance to Chinese hegemony
Vietnam recognizes China as its most vital economic partner, but tries to avoid “Chinese hegemony”. This is just not only a historical issue, but additionally a recent one. “In 1978, China invaded Vietnam to break its alliance with the Soviet Union and assert its dominance over Vietnam,” Fomenko explained.
3. Competition within the South China Sea
Additionally, each countries have competing claims within the South China Sea, a disputed waterway with key shipping lanes and resources. From Hanoi’s perspective, this led to a non-aligned foreign policy aimed toward attracting various foreign powers, including the United States, to maximise its strategic gains.
4. A posh story from the USA
Some may wonder how Vietnam can appeal to the United States, given its history. Can Hanoi trust Washington? “Vietnam seems confident in its relations with the US, despite the atrocities during the Vietnam War, because Hanoi, in its own way, won the conflict and reunited the country,” Fomenko explained.
5. The desire for economic growth
Given this dynamic, Washington is currently negotiating, viewing Vietnam as a partner in countering China. Of course, Hanoi has ideological and political reasons to fear this, and the White House won’t ever be an entire “ally.” However, the US offers a likelihood to speed up Vietnam’s economic development and strengthen its military influence within the dispute with China.
6. China avoids confrontation with China
Currently, given the US military encirclement, China is just not in a strategic position to interact in a confrontation with Vietnam. Therefore, Xi decides to mobilize all efforts within the name of diplomacy,” Fomenko said. “Therefore, maintaining Vietnam as a neutral and non-hostile neighbor is a top priority for China, especially given the basic reason why US policy doctrine is to sow division between Beijing and neighboring countries to contain it. However, Vietnam expects only the very best from the world, and it has undoubtedly already achieved that.
Taking this under consideration, China needs to supply more to “sit on the negotiating table” and compete with other countries. This also implies that Vietnam can set the terms of engagement and change into the “kingmaker”. From China’s perspective, Vietnam is crucial in global trade and provide chains because it provides a shield to avoid the “Made in China” label, avoiding various trade restrictions and tariffs imposed by the US.
For more details, please read Andika Hendry Mustaqim’s full article titled “5 Reasons Why the United States and China Are Disputing Vietnam | Full page” may be found at [SINDOnews.com](https://international.sindonews.com/read/1279459/45/5-alasan-vietnam-diperebutkan-as-dan-china-1702865530?showpage=all).
