Vietnam urged to sharpen flexible and selective foreign policy

Vietnam should make its foreign policy more flexible, focused and resilient as international conditions shift rapidly, according to views presented at a recent workshop in Hà Nội and reported by vietnamnews.vn.

The discussion examined Vietnam’s diplomatic direction and regional position after four decades of Đổi mới, the country’s Renewal process. Professor Hoàng Khắc Nam, a senior lecturer in the Department of Politics and International Studies at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities under Việt Nam National University Hà Nội, said domestic reform and foreign-policy thinking had developed in close connection with one another.

In his assessment, diplomacy has played an important role in Vietnam’s development. The next stage, however, will require the country to respond with greater agility while remaining anchored to its established principles.

Flexibility with a clear purpose

Nam argued that flexibility should be applied more extensively than in the past. That does not mean abandoning principles, but using a better reading of political, economic and security developments at home and overseas to decide when and how Vietnam should adjust its approach.

He also called for greater selectivity. Rather than spreading diplomatic efforts evenly, Vietnam should concentrate on initiatives that produce the strongest results, have lasting value or create a meaningful impact.

Adaptation, he said, depends first on accurate judgement. If the country understands changes in its domestic and international environment correctly, it can alter its policies in ways that fit the circumstances instead of reacting too late.

That approach would favour early engagement over crisis management. Nam said Vietnam should work with several countries and regional organisations rather than attempting to handle challenges alone. Cooperation, in this view, is part of preparedness rather than a response reserved for emergencies.

Resilience and strategic independence

The scholars also linked foreign-policy independence to the strength of Vietnam’s economy and institutions. Nam identified resilience as important not only to economic stability, where external pressures are especially significant, but also to political, security and, to some extent, cultural affairs.

Greater resilience would give Vietnam more room to preserve its independence, maintain strategic autonomy and diversify its relationships. The aim is not to withdraw from international engagement, but to avoid becoming excessively vulnerable to developments beyond the country’s control.

Nam said Vietnam should continue a gradual path from regional participation to wider global involvement. The country joined ASEAN in 1995, entered the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in 1998 and became a member of the World Trade Organization in 2007. Those steps illustrate how its international engagement expanded from its immediate neighbourhood to broader regional and global institutions.

He recommended maintaining a balance in relations with major powers, with cooperation based on mutual benefit. ASEAN, regional bodies and international organisations outside the region should remain important supports for Vietnam’s strategic autonomy, he said.

More deliberate use of partnerships

Professor Carl Thayer, from New South Wales University in Australia, also argued for a more targeted form of Vietnam’s “bamboo diplomacy”. He said the country could make more effective use of its 42 comprehensive strategic partners and 17 free trade agreements.

Thayer’s recommendation would also involve replacing uncertainty with clearer signals in foreign policy. More explicit communication, he said, could help Vietnam avoid depending too heavily on any one major power while preserving room to work with a wide range of partners.

He described Vietnam’s security outlook after 40 years of Đổi mới as broader than its earlier emphasis on traditional security concerns. Science, technology and the global economy now form part of a comprehensive security picture, while independence, self-reliance, territorial integrity and non-alignment remain central principles.

To preserve that autonomy in a more complicated international environment, Thayer advised Vietnam to retain its “four noes” defence policy, uphold the UN Charter and continue its commitment to diversification and multilateralisation.

He also pointed to technology diplomacy as an area requiring high-level attention, particularly in relation to digitisation. Clearer policies in this field, he said, would help ensure that international cooperation and technological development deliver the greatest benefit for Vietnam.

Together, the recommendations present adaptation not as a departure from Vietnam’s established foreign-policy direction, but as a way of applying its principles more effectively in changing regional and global conditions.