Vietnam seeks to balance between the U.S. and China: neither fully trusting nor completely distancing itself

Reuters cited the view of Gregory Poling, Southeast Asia expert at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, that Vietnam does not fully trust either the United States or China, yet still needs to cooperate with both. Poling said: "Under America's new 'revisionist' landscape, distancing oneself from China solely to attract U.S. investment or adopt U.S.-led standards is no longer seen as a viable option."

Lai Liangfu, senior fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, pointed out that Vietnam indeed has a trend toward moving closer to China, but this is more a tactical consideration aimed at securing tangible benefits. Vietnam cannot afford to ignore its relationship with the U.S., places high importance on economic and trade ties with America, and hopes to maintain positive interaction.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1862585458337792/

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