1) Vietnam has adopted a strategy of comprehensive security since the 1990s that emphasizes economic development over military force to ensure national security. 2) This strategy involves deepening Vietnam's integration into the global and regional economy through organizations like ASEAN, APEC, and WTO in order to attract investment and trade. 3) Maintaining good relations with both the U.S. and China is a key part of Vietnam's foreign policy to balance the influence of major powers and preserve its autonomy. Economic growth is seen as critical to improving Vietnam's position internationally.

1. A strategy for the
Twenty-First Century
Changing Worlds – David W. P. Elliott
Presented by Hang Nguyen

2. Background
1990s: proactive integration into the global and
regional economy
The changing Vietnamese evaluation of the
nature of the international system
Connection between Vietnam’s commitment to
deep integration
Diplomacy and national security

3. What kind of world order?
End of Cold War: uncertainty of world order (unipolar or
multipolar?)
Crisis of the socialist regimes: Soviet Union, Eastern
Europe
Movement for national independence: improving
people’s lives, democracy of working class in capitalist
countries
Great powers – Big countries
Superpower – Global power – Regional power
America’s role: ‘be at the center of every vital global

4. What kind of world order?
Perspectives:
The world was still fundamentally multipolar
Relationship between the great powers
Approach:
Accepting ‘rules of the game’
Accepting complicated and sensitive new issues
Soft borders, information borders, cyber space…
Transformation of ‘designated targets’ to ‘partners’
No relationship is pure cooperation or conflict
Beyond traditional term ‘enemy-alliance’

5. Vietnam’s position in the world
Importance of finding an international identity
Ultimate isolation of Vietnam by 1980s
Aid from China stopped
Assistance from Soviet and EE dried up
 look beyond ‘traditional friends’
Joined ASEAN (1995), AFTA and ASEM (1996), APEC
(1998), WTO (2006)
Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status by
U.S.
Nonpermanent member (Asian) of the UN Security
Council (2008-9)

6. Comprehensive Security
Collapse of Soviet Union & rise to unchallenged
supremacy by U.S.
China (socialist state) also accepted the idea.
Basic point: aims at preserving stability by emphasizing
socioeconomic development (economic forefront)
Downgrades the military component of national security
Defines the threats as largely stemming from failure to
develop
The defense of the regime from internal challenge has
become as important as defending the country from
external threats

7. Security and Economic Development
Increasing dominance of the ‘fear of falling behind’ as a
greater threat then ‘peaceful evolution’
The stress on economic strategy stands in contrast to
the relatively underdeveloped conceptualizing of military
security issues
Vietnam needs a ‘modernized military’, which requires
both financial resources and a sophisticated
technological base, which can be improved only be
economic growth.
Economic intelligence became an issue of cooperation
Third foundation of power (besides military and

8. Role of ‘Big countries’ and ‘Great
powers’
Role of big powers is important & sometimes decisive,
but role of small and middle-sized countries continues to
increase in deciding the fate of the world
‘golden opportunity’ for capitalist countries to redraw the
political map
‘One superpower – many great powers’  Vietnam
should focus on having good relations with all the great
powers
Vietnam has shown its proactivity and responsiveness in
the direction of a balance, and strives to achieve the
maximum benefit for Vietnam’s socioeconomic
development

9. Role of ‘Big countries’ and ‘Great
powers’
Relationship with United States:
Military dialogue
Normalization
U.S.’s alliances in Asia
Relationship with China:
‘friendly neighbors, comprehensive cooperation, long-
term stabilization, looking toward the future’
‘weapon of the weak’
‘solidarity, deference, balancing and enmeshment’
‘South China Sea’ instability

10. Vietnam and its neighbors
Two levels of regional concerns
China, Laos and Cambodia (invasion and occupation)
Southeast Asian region
ASEAN has lost cohesion and international influence
With Laos, Cambodia: “traditional friendship” (not with
China)
Vietnam is the second biggest investor in Laos

11. Military force and traditional security
First defense white paper 1998: the military and public
security forces are considered to be ‘the core of the
regime’
Political officer system was abandoned in 1982,
replaced by a system of “one person in command”.
Second defense white paper 2004: military force would
be the last option for Vietnam
Tenth Party Congress 2006: stress on nonmilitary
components of security and national defense.
Military as institution plays a minor role in contributing to
either the theoretical or policy dimensions of

12. Feasible Strategy?
Vietnamese adoption of the concept of comprehensive
security
The paramount goal of preserving regional and global
stability to facilitate economic development.
Territorial integrity: top priority on its relationship with its
neighbors
Achieve predominant influence in Laos and Cambodia
Neutralizing China’s overwhelming size and power
The politburo: commitment to reform and deep
integration, or conservative resistance to any change
that would rick the power and position of the current
elite?