'Bamboo Diplomacy' refers to Vietnam's diplomatic style under the leadership of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Nguyen Phu Trong. The term "bamboo diplomacy" first emerged in the speech of the secretary-general during the 29th dip...
'Bamboo Diplomacy' refers to Vietnam's diplomatic style under the leadership of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Nguyen Phu Trong. The term "bamboo diplomacy" first emerged in the speech of the secretary-general during the 29th diplomatic conference on August 22, 2016. It is believed to have originated from Vietnam's diplomatic practices developed over more than 70 years under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Since then, Vietnam has successfully applied this policy in various fields, particularly in managing its relations with major powers. Vietnam and China are neighboring countries with a long history of interaction. Since the normalization of diplomatic relations, their ties have experienced rapid development and achieved significant results. However, there are still unresolved conflicts and tensions between the two countries regarding the East Sea (South China Sea) dispute. In 2014, China illegally brought an HD981 oil drilling ship into Vietnam's territorial waters with the support of frigates, which had a highly detrimental impact on bilateral relations. Since then, maritime conflicts between the two countries have continued to occur frequently. The Vietnam-China conflict not only affects regional security but also reflects the competition among major powers. Many scholars believe that Vietnam, under significant pressure from China, is adjusting its foreign policy to strike a balance in response to China's power. Nonetheless, Vietnam's approach is characterized by a multilateral foreign policy, aimed at avoiding entanglement in the competition between major powers. This study examines Vietnam's "bamboo diplomacy" and its application in managing relations with major powers, particularly China and the USA.