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 and a 2023-2024 Hans J. Morgenthau pre-doctoral fellow at the University of Notre Dame. He is also a regular contributor to the Lowy Institute’s blog The Interpreter. Khang received his master’s degree from Dartmouth College in 2019 and 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. Follow him on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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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.
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.