A constructivist approach to Vietnam strategy amid U.S. – China geoeconomic rivalry: The case of BRI and IPEF

Abstract

The critical position of Southeast Asia in general and Vietnam in particular makes them the main “battlefield” of the U.S. – China influence rivalry in the Southeast Asia region. The balancing approach of Vietnam to the superpower rivalry, especially in the context of the United States and China's geo-economic rivalry in the region, is usually considered the “walking in the tightrope”. The approach of Vietnam is considered a balancing strategy to leverage the benefit from as well as to serve as a hedging strategy to counter any risk from both powers. However, this explanation does not capture the dynamic behind this strategy. Moreover, the ambiguous motivation such as “national interest” is not sufficient in elaborating the dynamic in Vietnam's unique foreign policy dynamic. As a result, this paper focuses on investigating what is the momentum of Vietnamese strategy through the case of rivalry between China and the United States in geoeconomic terms, specifically the clash between the Chinese Belt Road Initiatives (BRI) and US Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) in the region. By exploring Vietnam's approach through the lens of constructivism, the paper argues that the distinctive approach in Vietnam foreign policy in navigating the great power competition is heavily rooted in the nation's historic experience, identity, and regional norm. These findings show that Vietnam's behavior is not only determined by the national interest but also by the constructivist elements as mentioned above.