The Diplomat | Author
Khang Vu
Khang Vu is a doctoral candidate in the Political Science Department at Boston College.
Khang Vu is a doctoral candidate in the Political Science Department at Boston College, where he focuses on East Asian security. He is also a regular contributor to the Lowy Institute’s blog The Interpreter. He received his master’s degree from Dartmouth College in 2019 and his other writings have appeared in International Security, War on the Rocks, The National Interest, East Asia Forum, Fulcrum, to name a few. Follow him on Twitter or LinkedIn.
January 25, 2023
Why Vietnam’s Political Shake-Up Will Not Affect Its Foreign Policy
By Khang Vu
Two structural constraints, one international and one domestic, ensure a high degree of continuity in Hanoi's external relations.
December 16, 2022
How Vietnam Can Balance Against China, on Land and at Sea
By Khang Vu
Vietnam’s proximity to China and lack of strategic depth limit its options in forming security partnerships with other great powers.
November 17, 2022
Why the Current Stall in US-Vietnam Relations is Necessary for Vietnam’s Security
By Khang Vu
As has been the case for much of history, stable, manageable relations with China form the foundation of the country's foreign policy.
September 09, 2022
Why Vietnam Should Not Go Nuclear
By Khang Vu
Pursuing a nuclear deterrent against Chinese aggression would undermine the country's international reputation and destabilize relations with Beijing.
August 24, 2022
To Guarantee Its Survival, Vietnam Needs to Look West
By Khang Vu
The South China Sea matters to Vietnam’s economic development, but its land borders are the key to its long-term security.
July 22, 2022
Why Vietnam Should be Worried About Laos’ Economic Crisis
By Khang Vu
The country's travails could deepen China's influence and destabilize the longstanding alliance between Hanoi and Vientiane.
April 05, 2022
Why Vietnam Holds the Trump Card in the US-Vietnam Partnership
By Khang Vu
Hanoi enjoys considerable leverage as a frontline state in Washington's strategic competition with Beijing.
March 01, 2022
Why the Russia-Ukraine War is Not the Same as the Sino-Vietnamese War of 1979
By Khang Vu
Vietnam's alliance with the Soviet Union put limits on how far China could go. Those limits don't exist in the current situation.
August 25, 2021
China’s Wedge Strategy Towards the US-Vietnam Partnership
By Khang Vu
Through a variety of measures, Beijing is seeking to reinforce Vietnam’s neutrality in the competition between the superpowers.
June 03, 2021
Why There Is No Gulf Between Chinese and Vietnamese Alliance Policies: A Response
By Khang Vu
National security interests and ideological values are key to understanding Chinese and Vietnamese alliance policies.
May 18, 2021
Do China and Vietnam Have Similar Alliance Policies?
By Khang Vu
Despite obvious areas of friction between China and Vietnam, their alliance policies are more similar than is often acknowledged.
December 21, 2020
Vietnam’s Sole Military Ally
By Khang Vu
The country's longstanding ties with its neighbor Laos constitute an alliance in everything but name.
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