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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

November 21, 2023

What Vietnam Can Learn from the Stalemate in Ukraine

By Khang Vu

The stagnant state of the conflict is likely to make Hanoi even warier of relying on its security partnership with Washington.

October 19, 2023

Chinese Leader’s Visit Reflects Vietnam’s ‘Omnidirectional’ Foreign Policy

By Khang Vu

China's paramount leader Xi Jinping will reportedly soon make a state visit to Vietnam, just weeks after U.S. President Joe Biden.

September 22, 2023

The Limits of the North Korea-Russia Security Partnership

By Khang Vu

Just how far can Moscow and Pyongyang's revived “militant unity” go?

September 11, 2023

Overcoming Differences, Looking to the Future: The Next Step for the US-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

By Khang Vu

Despite the significant upgrade to its relationship with the United States, China will continue to loom large in Vietnam's calculations.

August 15, 2023

Can an Upgraded US Partnership Help Vietnam Escape China’s Orbit?

By Khang Vu

Recent history shows the dangers in seeking to escape the gravitational pull of its northern neighbor.

July 07, 2023

Why Vietnam’s Naval Bases Do Not Change the Dynamic of Vietnam-China Relations

By Khang Vu

While allowing foreign navies to call at its ports supports Vietnam's omnidirectional foreign policy, its relationship with China remains the most important variable.

May 10, 2023

What Role Does Ideology Play in Vietnam’s Foreign Policy?

By Khang Vu

Communist ideology is an important factor in the making of Hanoi's foreign policy, but it is far from the only one.

April 28, 2023

What Vietnam Needs from America: Lessons from a Past Alliance

By Khang Vu

What Hanoi needs from its relationship with Washington depends overwhelmingly on the state of China-Vietnam relations.

April 19, 2023

The China Factor in Vietnam’s Multidirectional Foreign Policy

By Khang Vu

No matter how many international friends it has, Hanoi's international freedom of maneuver will be tightly constrained by China.

March 10, 2023

The Analytical Obsession With ‘Factions’ in Vietnamese Politics

By Khang Vu

There is little evidence that the country’s political landscape is divided into “pro-Chinese” and “pro-American” camps.

February 28, 2023

Why Vietnam’s UN Abstention on Ukraine Was a Rational Move

By Khang Vu

The country’s domestic political structure emphasizes continuity in foreign policy, and changes its stance only when there is a clear benefit in doing so.

February 22, 2023

Land Before Water: Why Vietnam’s Grand Strategy is Fundamentally Continental

By Khang Vu

Despite limited past operations in littoral waters, the country's strategic attention has been overwhelmingly directed at land-based threats.