Recently, making full use of situational developments in the region and world, particularly territorial disputes related to Vietnam’s sovereignty in the East Sea (South China Sea), some Western countries-based press and media as well as websites posted articles and reports on the internet distorting the Vietnamese Party and State’s foreign policy.
Additionally, a number of individuals and groups acted as “patriots” or “fighters for human rights and democracy” wrote articles and spread them on social networks, claiming that Vietnam is treading a tightrope in relations with major powers. They argued that Vietnam must “escape” from China and enter into military alliance with a major military power so as to maintain its sovereignty over the seas and islands. They also criticized Vietnam’s defense policy “Three Nos” (no military coalition, no military allies, no foreign military bases in the country), saying that the country with this policy is “tying” itself up.
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Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and representatives in a joint photo at the 29th APEC Ministerial Meeting (AMM). Source: VNA |
To fight back the afore wrong views, this article focuses discussion on the socio-political context of Vietnam’s foreign policy, difficulties and obstacles the country has overcome to maintain current broadened relations with the rest of the world, and the nature of the Vietnamese Party and State’s foreign policy.
The socio-political background of Vietnam’s foreign policy
Studying the country’s history, one can realize the main reason why Vietnam has undergone many wars against foreign invaders and should always have pursued a friendly policy with other countries, particularly its neighbors. This is because Vietnam is located in a very important geopolitical region of the world.
Vietnam is on the shore of the East Sea and has more than 3,200km of coastline. As the East Sea connects the Pacific to the Indian, it has been playing a crucial role for ages in transporting goods between the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Japan, Korea and China. At present, more than 90% of the world commercial goods are transported by sea and 45% of this amount goes through the East Sea. The amount of oil and liquidized gas transported through the sea is 15 times larger than that through the Panama.
According to experts, the East Sea has a good reserve of methane hydrate, a type of fuel that is more valuable than oil and is expected to replace oil in the near future. The seabed also contains various natural minerals, such as titan, wolfram, brome, ore, copper and rare earth. These are basic reasons why major powers are interested and engaged in the sea, the Vietnamese nation has to respond smartly to the competition among major powers in the sea in order to maintain a peaceful regional environment facilitating the country’s development.
Vietnam’s great endeavor to promote foreign relations
After the national liberation war, the nation faced the US comprehensive embargo against the country from 1975-94. Moreover, the country had to engage in two wars to protect its Southwestern borderline and Northern borderline from 1978-89.
The fall of the former Soviet Union and socialist countries in Eastern Europe at the turn of the 1980s and 1990s drove the country into an even more difficult state. The country lost both strong political support and significant economic assistance from these former socialist countries.
In that context, Vietnam still persistently pursued its own policies on national development and defense. Particularly, the nation entered into a comprehensive renewal following the Resolution of the 6th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam in 1986. 1995 marked the normalization of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the US. Since then, Vietnam has expanded its relations with many countries in the world as well as actively joined multilateral mechanisms. So far, Vietnam has established strategic partnerships with 12 countries and comprehensive partnerships with several other countries, particularly the US.
As the country has been so active in promoting bilateral relations with other countries around the world and participating in multilateral forums, its status has been raised in the international arena. Vietnam has been elected to a number of international organizations, particularly its non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council in the 2014-16 term.
The bilateral relations between Vietnam and China have experienced ups and downs over the past years, due to unsolved issues relating to the East Sea (South China Sea). Nevertheless, Vietnam has persistently pursued its policy on peaceful settlements of any disputes with other countries. So the country has done its best to coordinate with China and other involved countries to maintain a peaceful environment in the region.
Regarding the bilateral relations between Vietnam and China, leaders of the two countries signed an agreement on six basic principles guiding the settlement of maritime issues between Vietnam and China.
Under the agreement, the relationship between the two countries should follow the motto “Friendly neighborliness, comprehensive cooperation, long-term stability and looking towards the future” and the spirit of “Good neighbors, good friends, good comrades and good partners” while handling maritime issues through negotiations and friendly consultations.
Both sides should attempt to find basic long-term solutions for settling disputes related to maritime issues based on respect for legal evidence and other relevant factors such as the history and stance of each side, according to the agreement.
During the process of negotiating maritime issues, both sides should conform to agreements and the consensus reached by the senior leaders of the two countries and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties on the East Sea (DOC). While resolving maritime disputes involving other countries, both sides should also consult with those countries, the agreement says.
It also states that, while looking for a basic, long-term approach for settling maritime issues in the spirit of mutual respect and equal and mutually beneficial treatment, both sides should discuss interim and temporary solutions, including research and negotiations on joint development in the sea, without impacting each side's stance or policies.
The two sides should address maritime issues incrementally and speed up the demarcation of territorial waters off the Tonkin Gulf, in addition to discussing co-operation in developing these waters. Both sides should also foster co-operation in less sensitive fields including marine environmental protection, sea science research, search and rescue operations and natural disaster mitigation and prevention.
The agreement also noted that the two sides should alternately hold biannual meetings between the heads of Government-level border negotiation delegations and extraordinary meetings if necessary. The two sides have also agreed to establish a direct hotline between the government-level delegations to help with the timely resolution of maritime issues.
The agreement together with other documents signed by leaders of the two countries over the past years is an important law-binding ground for our country to firmly protect national sovereignty over the maritime territory while strengthening an equal relationship and neighboring friendship with China.
The nature of the foreign policy of Vietnam
Vietnam’s current foreign policy has been inherited from the nation’s peace-loving tradition in foreign relations on one hand; and it is continuously renovated in response to swift changes in the world, on the other hand. The report of the 12th National Party Congress states that the national interests are always placed above all in foreign relations. It also reads that the country always honors basic principles of international law; seeks equality and mutual benefits while pursuing its constant policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation and development, in all foreign relations; be active and proactive in international integration; be a friend, reliable partner and responsible member of the international community.
These viewpoints of the Party on foreign relations, clearly reflected not only on the report of the 12th National Party Congress, but also on other foreign affairs documents, have determined the nature of Vietnam’s foreign policy. First, Vietnam’s foreign policy serves the national interests and places the national interests above all. In other words, the Communist Party of Vietnam always takes the national interests as the criteria and objectives of the country’s foreign policy. Second, the country’s foreign policy is reflex and suitable based on the correct awareness of friends, partners and threats. The Resolution of the Eighth Meeting of the 12th Party Central Committee defines that any countries that honor Vietnam’s independence, sovereignty and are willing to establish and expand friendly, cooperative and equal relations of mutual interests with Vietnam will be the country’s friends and partners. On the contrary, any forces that have plots and attempts to undermine the country’s national construction and defense cause are the country’s threats and adversaries.
Regarding defense foreign relations, the Party considers that it is not suitable for Vietnam in contemporary times to join military alliances or to allow other countries to establish military bases in the country. In fact, Vietnam pursues the “Three Nots” defense policy: Not joining military alliances nor being a military ally of any countries, not allowing any countries to set up military bases in the country, and not relying on other countries to oppose a third party.
All the above arguments and clear evidence show that the Vietnamese Party and State’s foreign policy is based on the nation’s peace-loving tradition in foreign relations, and although it is flexible in response to changes in the region and world, it is consistent. Vietnam’s foreign policy is also a transparent, open, righteous political policy, which is understandable for anyone.
Written by Vong Duc
Translated by Thu Nguyen