In an era of strongman diplomacy, To Lam’s Vietnam is not tilting toward Washington or Beijing. It is positioning itself to bargain with both — from a position of consolidated strength.

History and geography cast long shadows over Vietnam’s role in the South China Sea Dispute, with Hanoi having to thread the needle between two naval giants under a flag of ‘bamboo diplomacy.’

Despite leadership turnover in Vietnam and potentially the United States, the strategic and economic cooperation underpinning US-Vietnam relations remains locked in.

As the threat of COVID-19 wanes, Washington and Hanoi are set to pick up where they left off on deepening economic and security cooperation.

A President Biden would be unlikely to hit the ‘reset’ button in US-China relations, which suggests progress in Washington’s partnership with Hanoi.

As a country with a similar past, Vietnam’s historical experience offers Pyongyang a path back to the global mainstream.

The Asia Reassurance Initiative Act (ARIA) is the latest sign of a renaissance in US-Vietnam relations.

The Trump administration's protectionist roadmap has thrown a wrench into Vietnam's active efforts to achieve market status.