4 b
Strategic Vision vol. 4, no. 21 (June, 2015)
Diversifying Ties Vietnam seeks to forge new relations to balance growing security challenges Ramses Amer
photo: Brock A. Taylor The crew of the USS McCain are greeted by their counterparts in Vietnam. Military interaction between the two countries has increased in recent years.
A
s Vietnam celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon and the end of the war with America, it can also look back at forty years of dramatic changes in its foreign relations, and in particular its relations with the major powers. Since the end of the Cold War, Vietnam has normalized, expanded, and deepened its collaboration with
Today, Vietnam cooperates extensively with major powers such as the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Russia, India, Japan, and the United States. This is a remarkable turnaround compared to the developments from World War II onward, when Vietnam had to endure almost continuous military conflicts with foreign countries: First against France, then the United States, and after a short-lived period
regional and global powers. It joined and has become an active member in the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN). Vietnam has also integrated globally, notably through the United Nations system.
of peace, conflicts with both Cambodia and China in the late 1970s, namely the three Indochina Conflicts. It was only after the end of the Cold War in Asia with the resolution of the Cambodian Conflict and the
Dr. Ramses Amer is an associate professor of peace and conflict research and an associate fellow at the Institute for Security and Development Policy. He can be reached for comment at ramses_a@163.com.