China-Vietnam relations

The trip comes on the heels of the Vietnamese government's significant diplomatic upgrades with the United States and Japan.

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

The visit, which could take place later this month or early next, would come after U.S. President Joe Biden's visit to Hanoi last month.

The upgrade in ties was consistent with Hanoi's longstanding goal of building a network of relationships with the region and the world.

Vietnamese often speak of a long history of domination at Chinese hands, while Chinese youths are taught that Vietnamese territory was previously part of China.

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

The six-day friendship visit by the USS Ronald Reagan comes a year after Vietnam canceled a similar planned exchange.

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

The kidnapping, which coincided with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Vietnam last week, highlights the gaps in interests and perceptions between Washington and Hanoi.

In both China and Vietnam, the governments have deliberately tried to bury memories of their 1979 war.

Vietnam Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong's recent visit to Beijing was meant to assure China, but didn't signal any change in Hanoi's basic approach toward its northern neighbor.

In matters of national security and national interests, Vietnamese leaders are pragmatists.