Australia and Vietnam have elevated their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the highest level in Hanoi’s diplomatic taxonomy, pledging a broad expansion of security and economic ties.
The long-expected move was announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh in Canberra this morning, following the close of this week’s special Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Melbourne. “Australia and Vietnam are enduring friends, and now even closer partners,” Albanese posted on X (formerly Twitter).
In a joint statement, the two countries said that their friendship and cooperation were “underpinned by complementary economies, converging interests and deep people-to-people ties.” In upgrading their relationship, it added, “our two Governments undertake to continue to develop all aspects of our relationship and commit to take forward our elevated partnership while respecting international law and each other’s sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and political systems.”
This upgrade elevates Australia to the same level occupied by China, Russia, India, South Korea, Japan, and the United States. While the designation is mostly important as a signaling mechanism, the 38-point joint statement outlined a range of areas in which the two nations plan to expand cooperation, including defense, trade and investment, people-to-people ties, climate and green energy, and digital technology. Australia and Vietnam also pledged to “reinforce[e] regional and international cooperation,” expressing their concerns about the growing tension in the South China Sea, where Chinese and Philippine vessels once again collided this week.
The upgrade was perhaps the most significant development to emerge from the host of bilateral meetings that took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit, which also saw Australia establish a Comprehensive Partnership with Laos.
The prospect of an upgrade has been discussed openly by Vietnamese and Australian officials since 2020, when Australia’s then Foreign Minister Marise Payne suggested it to her Vietnamese counterpart Pham Binh Minh in November 2020. Indeed, there was some suggestion that the upgrade might have been announced during Albanese’s visit to Hanoi in June, which marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
While it was not unexpected, the move caps off a busy year in Vietnamese diplomacy, which saw a broader elevation of relations with its closest economic and security partners. In September, the country established a CSP with the United States, skipping over the “strategic partnership” level, followed by an upgrade with Japan in November. Hanoi is reportedly also considering upgrading its relationships with Singapore and Indonesia to the same level.
In December, too, Vietnam finally caved in to Chinese coaxing and joined Beijing’s “community of common destiny” – the highest level in its own diplomatic hierarchy. This flurry of diplomatic activity is an apt expression of Vietnam’s omnidirectional foreign policy, which since the end of the Cold War has adroitly handled its fraught relationship with China while building constructive relationships with a diverse range of foreign partners.