Research On Vietnam’s Hedging Strategy Towards China (2009-2021)

In recent years,the regional situation has become increasingly complex,which has directly impacted the strategic choices of neighboring countries.Existing research has found that Southeast Asian countries,as typical small and medium-sized countries,have inherent fragility and sensitivity.In order to achieve the dual goals of maximizing their own interests and reducing risks,these countries have exhibited a certain degree of hedging tendency in their foreign policies.That is,they attempt to balance the economic and security relationships with neighboring great powers to gain more benefits and greater autonomy without being suppressed by any one party.On this basis,this paper further selects Vietnam as a specific case,and analyzes the driving factors and specific manifestations of Vietnam’s hedging strategy towards China,which is of great significance for continuing to maintain friendly relations between China and Vietnam and carrying out active and effective peripheral diplomacy.The relationship between China and Vietnam is important and special,and is a typical reflection of the asymmetric interaction mode between small and medium-sized countries and large countries.As a result of China’s increasingly assertive initiatives to defend its rights in the South China Sea in recent years,Vietnam’s suspicions of China’s intentions have deepened.Against the backdrop of a two-tier game of international and domestic politics,Vietnam has pursued a two-pronged hedging strategy to deal with a dominant China.On the one hand,Vietnam continuously expands and deepens its economic and political relations with China,hoping to gain more benefits from China’s development.On the other hand,Vietnam faces unpredictable political and security risks brought about by China’s rise.Therefore,Vietnam participates in multilateral mechanisms such as ASEAN to regulate and constrain China’s behavior.Meanwhile,Vietnam actively develops economic,political,and military relations with countries such as the United States,Japan,and India outside the region,comprehensively balancing China’s influence to avoid potential threats to its national interests.The hedging strategy not only shows Vietnam’s desire for higher autonomy in international strategy but also demonstrates its firm stance on regional issues.In terms of policy objectives,Vietnam’s hedging strategy has enabled both China and Vietnam to achieve good results in economic and trade cooperation,providing a solid material basis for domestic development;by actively developing partnerships with key countries in the region and beyond,Vietnam has reduced its dependence on China and effectively mitigated risks and pressures on key issues;and to a certain extent,it has achieved economic diversification and diplomatic pluralism.However,this strategy is constrained by its own strength and the effectiveness and stability of external support.For some time to come,Vietnam will continue to pursue a hedging strategy against China,and its performance will be more proactive and aggressive.In view of this,China should explore potential opportunities for cooperation between the two countries,find more common ground to enhance mutual trust,improve Vietnam’s perception of the security threat of China’s rise,and push Vietnam’s hedging strategy towards China in a positive direction to create a favourable peripheral geopolitical environment for China’s development.