In October 2024, Vietnamese President To Lam undertook a diplomatic tour of several countries, including Mongolia, Ireland, and France. This trip resulted in signing multiple agreements and partnerships across various fields. Subsequently, Vietnam and China finalized a set of trade and development agreements during a meeting between a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Le Quang, and Chinese President Xi Jinping on October 11, 2024, in Beijing. Meanwhile, Chinese Premier Li Qiang visited Vietnam for three days, concluding on October 14, 2024, at the invitation of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Contradictory Contexts:
These foreign policy maneuvers from Vietnam came amid various changes and determinants, which can be summarized as follows:
Chinese Harassment of Vietnamese Fishermen: Recently, tensions have risen between China and Vietnam due to China’s military activities in the South China Sea. The Vietnamese Foreign Ministry protested on October 2, 2024, regarding an assault on a Vietnamese fishing boat three days prior in disputed waters near the Paracel Islands, which resulted in injuries to several fishermen. A strong protest was lodged with the Chinese embassy in Hanoi, demanding that China respect Vietnam’s sovereignty, investigate the incident, and cease such actions. The Chinese Foreign Ministry claimed that Vietnamese boats were illegally fishing in Paracel waters without permission from the Beijing government, and asserted that Chinese authorities took measures to stop them.
Balancing Vietnam’s Foreign Relations: Vietnam follows a balanced foreign policy that aims to keep channels of communication open with both allies and adversaries, reflecting flexibility in its approach. This can be inferred from recent actions prior to October 2024—current moves are considered a continuation of those earlier maneuvers. Despite the ongoing conflict in the South China Sea, the Philippines and Vietnam signed a military maritime cooperation agreement at the end of August 2024. Cooperation has continued with both the United States and China; the Vietnamese President met with U.S. President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September 2024, where they emphasized the need to deepen bilateral relations. In August 2024, the Vietnamese President visited China to open a new chapter in bilateral relations, resulting in the signing of 16 cooperation documents across several economic, industrial, health, and technical fields. Notably, China was the first foreign destination for Lam’s tour two weeks after he assumed office.
Deepening Cooperation:
In light of numerous visits, meetings, and receptions where Vietnam was a key player, several key aspects related to these activities can be emphasized as follows:
Strengthening Bilateral Cooperation: The presidential tour and the choice of countries visited aimed to rejuvenate bilateral relations between Vietnam and those nations. It is worth noting the uniqueness of Vietnam’s relationships with the countries included in President Lam’s tour; Vietnam maintains solid ties with China despite some political and military tensions. China remains Vietnam’s largest trading partner and a vital source of imports for its manufacturing sector, with bilateral trade reaching $148 billion—an increase of 21% during the first three quarters of this year compared to the same period last year.
In terms of Mongolia, the total trade volume with Vietnam during the first seven months of this year (2024) reached approximately 65.5million,whileIrelandiscurrentlyVietnam′ssixth−largesttradingpartnerwithintheEuropeanUnion,withatotaltradevolumeof65.5million,whileIrelandiscurrentlyVietnam′ssixth−largesttradingpartnerwithintheEuropeanUnion,withatotaltradevolumeof2.7 billion in the same period. Ireland has 41 investment projects in Vietnam, valued at $44 million, ranking it 61st among 141 countries and regions investing in Vietnam.
Furthermore, cooperation at the local level is a unique feature of relations between Vietnam and France. To date, France is the only country where Vietnam has elevated its mechanism for local meetings to a conference level, held alternately in different localities in both countries every two to three years. The total trade volume between Vietnam and France reached $3.4 billion in the first eight months of this year, marking a 6.9% increase compared to the same period in 2023.
Thus, France is Vietnam’s fifth-largest European trading partner, with bilateral trade amounting to 4.8billionlastyearand4.8billionlastyearand3.4 billion in the first eight months of 2024, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Trade. Additionally, France is one of the largest providers of official development assistance to Vietnam in Europe.
Establishing Strategic Partnerships: One of the most significant outcomes from the meetings that the Vietnamese president held with his counterparts was the agreement to elevate relations to comprehensive strategic partnerships—aimed at achieving mutual interests and enhancing communication channels across various levels, as well as expanding collaboration in numerous fields such as defense, security, law enforcement, economics, commerce, investment, agriculture, science, transport, culture, sports, tourism, education, and the environment. This partnership particularly emphasized higher education with Ireland, while the strategic partnership with France elevated to a comprehensive partnership after 11 years.
Security Cooperation with France and Ireland: During the enhancement of relations with France, it became the first EU country to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership with Vietnam. Both sides reaffirmed that cooperation in security and defense is a core pillar of their partnership, and committed to implementing existing cooperation agreements effectively and holding a strategic dialogue soon while deepening cooperation in officer training and exchanging experiences in crime prevention and control. They pledged mutual support in global and regional security forums.
Similarly, with Ireland, both nations agreed to enhance political consultations, train UN peacekeeping forces in Vietnam, continue sharing experiences, and collaborate on combating organized crime, transnational crime, cyber threats, and mine clearance.
Participation in the Francophonie Summit: The Vietnamese president participated in the Francophonie Summit held in France in the first week of October 2024, marking Vietnam’s first participation in this summit. President Lam underscored the importance of multilateral diplomacy and the role that Francophone gathering mechanisms provide in serving as a platform for dialogue and assisting in resolving the issues of participating nations.
Participants expressed their readiness to collaborate with Vietnam, exchange experiences in social and economic development, enhance partnerships in various fields, and strengthen coordination on regional and international issues of common concern. Meanwhile, the Vietnamese President highlighted the attractive investment environment in his country, urging Francophone economies to deepen their engagement in the Vietnamese market. Notably, one of the key outcomes was the establishment of an agricultural cooperation agreement between Vietnam and Benin during this summit.
Addressing Trade and Investment Barriers: Discussions with the French side touched upon resolving trade and investment barriers. Vietnam requested the French Parliament to expedite ratification of the investment protection agreement between the EU and Vietnam, as well as for France to support Vietnam within the European Commission to lift the “yellow card” warning against Vietnamese seafood exports. The presidents of both countries encouraged businesses to fully utilize the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement.
During the Vietnamese President’s visit to Ireland, both sides agreed to maintain close coordination and maximize the benefits of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement. The Irish President urged his country’s companies to invest in Vietnam in areas where Ireland has strengths and align with Vietnam’s social and economic development directions, such as digital transformation, energy transition, and high-tech agriculture. They also pledged to consider Vietnam’s proposal to expedite the ratification process of the investment protection agreement between the EU and Vietnam.
Educational and Research Cooperation: This was particularly evident in the partnership with Ireland, as the presidential tour focused on increasing collaboration between universities and institutions in both countries to exchange expertise and build capacities in fields like agriculture and food. The tour included visits to several educational and training facilities and high-tech institutions, as well as meetings with Irish companies in areas such as semiconductors, high-tech agriculture, and energy infrastructure, keen on expanding investment and operations in Vietnam. Cooperation agreements in these educational and training areas were signed.
For instance, the CEO of Vietnamese technology firm FPT Corporation signed a cooperation memorandum with the head of the ADAPT Research Center at University College Dublin regarding developing a high-tech workforce in artificial intelligence, organizing workshops to exchange educational experiences, and providing PhD scholarships.
Agreement on Several Joint Projects: During the presidential visit to Mongolia, an agreement was reached to establish a joint project based on advanced technology in agriculture and livestock production to bolster food security efforts in Mongolia. Additionally, Vietnam expressed readiness to collaborate in workforce training in the information and technology sector.
In terms of cooperation with France, Vietnam wishes to strengthen collaboration with French companies in infrastructure, urban transport, railways, renewable energy, green hydrogen, digital economy, and circular economy. Both sides agreed to enhance cooperation in several of these fields, such as training and research in civil nuclear energy technology and expanding cooperation in satellite technology, mining, and others.
Coordination on Climate Change Mitigation: This was a reciprocal acknowledgment, as the Vietnamese side confirmed its participation in the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, scheduled for 2026. An agreement was made with Mongolia to conduct studies to find suitable tree species for cultivation in Mongolian soil as part of the Mongolian Million Trees campaign and to closely cooperate in contributing to global efforts to protect the environment, combat climate change, and prevent desertification. President Lam indicated that Vietnam would provide $500,000 in humanitarian aid.
On the other hand, President Lam thanked the Irish government for providing development assistance packages to Vietnam in areas such as climate change adaptation, livelihoods, humanitarian aid to address the consequences of bombs and mines, nutrition, higher education, and governance. Both sides welcomed the signing of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in transitioning to sustainable food systems. In this regard, President Macron praised Vietnam’s efforts to respond to climate change, commending its commitment to the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) and green transition initiatives. Both sides expressed their eagerness to deepen cooperation in this area and acknowledged collaboration in ocean-related issues, especially with France hosting the third United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice in June 2025, which would enhance their cooperation in sustainable fisheries.
Enhancing Diplomatic Cooperation: Close cooperation between Mongolia and Vietnam in international and regional organizations was praised. The Vietnamese side reaffirmed its commitment to continue supporting Mongolia’s efforts to become a dialogue partner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and participate in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum. Additionally, the visit to Ireland resulted in the opening of the Vietnamese embassy there, marking the beginning of a new chapter in bilateral relations. In France, both countries pledged to support each other in multilateral forums and international and regional organizations and support cooperation within ASEAN, the European Union, Francophonie, and the United Nations.
Easing Tensions with China: Alongside this Vietnamese presidential tour, Chinese President Xi Jinping received Le Quang, a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and a member of its permanent secretariat, in Beijing on October 11, as previously mentioned. Both parties affirmed their intention to strengthen bilateral relations and deepen high-level cooperation within the framework of their cooperative diplomacy.
During the visit of the Chinese State Councilor to Vietnam, about ten cooperative agreements were signed across various trade, economic, developmental, agricultural, and electronic payment sectors, as well as connections through a railway network between the two countries. The Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister, Tran Hong Ha, hosted leaders from the China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) and the 16th Bureau Group of China Railway Limited (CRCC16) in Hanoi to benefit from their expertise and seek to implement smart transport infrastructure projects between their nations.
Multiple Significances:
These intensified and rapid diplomatic maneuvers carry various implications and may lead to potential ramifications, which can be summarized as follows:
Priority on Economic and Developmental Interests: The primary motivation behind most of these Vietnamese maneuvers has been to maximize economic interests and gains, foster investment opportunities, and enhance trade exchanges, even amid rising political and military tensions, as seen with China.
Seeking Technological Expertise: The cooperation agreements signed by Vietnam with various countries have centered on exchanging knowledge in technology, advanced techniques, and artificial intelligence. Vietnam has aimed to benefit from nations with established status in this field, particularly Ireland, which is regarded as “Europe’s Silicon Valley.”
Investing in the Shift of Some Nations towards Asia: This is reflected in the benefits gained from France’s interest in the Asian region, as well as Ireland’s global strategy directed towards Asia and the Pacific by 2025, along with attention to Russia’s role in Asia. This enhances the opportunities for diversifying partnerships towards strengthening Vietnam’s interests and position. Notably, Vietnam has achieved establishing a comprehensive strategic partnership with eight major nations, successfully upgrading its partnership with France during this recent presidential tour, making it the first EU country to have such a relationship with Vietnam, alongside the United States, China, India, South Korea, Japan, Russia, and Australia.
Opportunities for Peacebuilding with China: By leveraging the gains from signed agreements and exploiting promising opportunities for trade and investment cooperation, introducing joint developmental projects, enhancing communication, ensuring continuity in supply chains, and improving rail connectivity between Vietnam and China.
Additionally, strengthening relations between the Vietnamese and Chinese Communist Parties, which hold a unique bond for both, and striving to build a Vietnamese-Chinese community with a shared future in alignment with principles of friendly neighborhood relations, comprehensive cooperation, lasting stability, and peaceful resolution of disputes, especially in light of Xi’s call to deepen the dialogue mechanism in defense and security cooperation and coordinate to celebrate next year’s 75th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations, stands as a priority of neighborly diplomacy for China.
In conclusion, Vietnam’s foreign policy persists in adhering to the principle of bamboo diplomacy, which reflects a tendency towards multilateralism in forming alliances and flexibility to maximize interests and seek peaceful resolutions to disputes, all while remaining vigilant of national security threats and not compromising on these considerations, aiming to enhance its position as a regional and international actor and partner. However, the effectiveness of this approach continues to hinge on the potential clash of interests between contradictory allies, which will reveal the extent of Vietnam’s commitment to this flexible and balanced approach, as well as its ability to avoid compromising its security and peace amid geopolitical developments in its regional surroundings.
