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Khang Vu

Khang Vu is a visiting scholar in the Political Science Department at Boston College.

Khang Vu is a visiting scholar in the Political Science Department at Boston College. He was a 2023-2024 Hans J. Morgenthau pre-doctoral fellow at the University of Notre Dame. Khang received his Ph.D. from Boston College in 2024 and his master’s degree from Dartmouth College in 2019. He is also a regular contributor to the Lowy Institute’s blog The Interpreter. His other writings have appeared in International Security, the Journal of Contemporary China, War on the Rocks, The National Interest, East Asia Forum, Fulcrum, to name a few. His expertise is in East Asian security, arms control, alliance politics, inter-Korean security issues, and Vietnam’s foreign policy. Follow him on X or LinkedIn.

Posts by Khang Vu

February 13, 2025

Vietnam’s ‘Era of National Rise’ and the Risk of Imperial Overreach: Lessons from 1975

By Khang Vu

Despite its growing prosperity and ambition, the country still has to tread a careful line between larger regional and global powers.

January 14, 2025

North Korea in 2025: Make Money Not War

By Khang Vu

A country on the precipice of war with its neighbors would not be selling arms and sending troops off to fight in a distant conflict.

December 24, 2024

How Much Risk Can Vietnam Run in the South China Sea?

By Khang Vu

If China lowers the threshold of what Vietnamese activities it deems acceptable, Vietnam will find it more difficult to maintain the balance between deferring and defying China.

October 28, 2024

Why Vietnam Doesn’t Have to Worry About the Outcome of the US Election

By Khang Vu

The country's omnidirectional foreign policy doctrine cushions it from changes in the domestic affairs of key partner states.

October 01, 2024

Historical Interpretations and Vietnam’s Diplomatic Balancing

By Khang Vu

Hanoi's interpretation of its painful history with the U.S. and China reflects its desire to maintain peaceful relations with the two powers.

August 21, 2024

With China Visit, Vietnam’s To Lam Reinforces Bilateral Political Trust

By Khang Vu

The new party chief's first overseas visit reflects the divergent positions that China and the United States occupy in Vietnam's foreign policy.

August 05, 2024

Why the US Could Regret Not Lifting Vietnam’s ‘Non-Market Economy’ Status

By Khang Vu

Hanoi hoped that its reclassification would help cement the two nation's new Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

July 22, 2024

Remembering Nguyen Phu Trong’s Foreign Policy Legacies

By Khang Vu

The late party chief adroitly balanced Vietnam's relationships with the major powers, while expanding its role on the international stage.

June 20, 2024

Putin’s Trip to Vietnam: The Next Phase of Major Power Competition

By Khang Vu

The Russian leader is just the latest major power leader to come to Hanoi bearing gifts and promises.

April 30, 2024

Why Vietnam Needs to Reevaluate its Weapons Procurement Strategy

By Khang Vu

Growing concerns over a Chinese-funded canal project in Cambodia underscore the need for a shift from maritime to continental security.

April 05, 2024

Why the US Should Cooperate More Closely With Vietnam’s Public Security Ministry

By Khang Vu

Small arms procurements for internal security agencies could be a step toward more substantial purchases of U.S. hardware for Vietnam's military.

March 15, 2024

Vietnam and the Art of Choosing

By Khang Vu

Far from "refusing to choose" in its foreign relations, the country has been canny at deciding when – and where – to partner with more powerful countries.