The ROK has Begun to “Pay the Vietnamese Bills”

The ROK has Begun to “Pay the Vietnamese Bills”

On February 7, 2023 a very significant event occurred, in the author’s opinion. The Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of Nguyen Thi Thanh, a Vietnamese woman seeking compensation from the ROK government. Nguyen claimed that she lost five family members and suffered gunshot wounds herself when members of the Republic of Korea’s 2nd…

Vietnam Sees a Shared Future with China

Vietnam Sees a Shared Future with China

The resignation of Vietnam’s President Nguyen Xuan Phuc a fortnight ago had an inevitability about it. The media was rife with speculation for weeks implicating Phuc’s close family members in corruption scandals.  Several dozen officials, including two deputy prime ministers, were earlier removed from their positions in major scandals of price fixing and kickbacks for…

Vietnam’s Outgoing Envoy to India Shared Some Insight Into His Country’s Multipolar Strategy

Vietnam’s Outgoing Envoy to India Shared Some Insight Into His Country’s Multipolar Strategy

Vietnamese-Indian relations remain an important axis of South-South cooperation that deserves to be followed more closely by intrepid observers going forward since these two states are crucial regional nodes of the emerging new Non-Aligned Movement (“Neo-NAM”) that’ll come to play a greater role in the future. Vietnam doesn’t usually come to mind right away when…

Is Vietnamese-Israeli Defense Cooperation Facing Problems?

Is Vietnamese-Israeli Defense Cooperation Facing Problems?

On July 12, Israel and Vietnam marked the 29th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and emphasized in official statements that there is great potential for the further development of economic and diplomatic cooperation that could bring significant benefits to both sides. Vietnam, as you know, is a member of the Association of Southeast…

The Russian Spy Chief’s Interview Adds Credence to Moscow’s Balancing Intentions

The Russian Spy Chief’s Interview Adds Credence to Moscow’s Balancing Intentions

TASS reported on some key excerpts from his latest media appearance where he not only denied that his country has any “main adversaries” like during the Soviet era, but also proposed more cooperation and even a partnership with the CIA in order to fight terrorism and work more closely together on other issues of shared…

US vs. China: Where does Vietnam Stand?

US vs. China: Where does Vietnam Stand?

As tensions continue to mount between Washington and Beijing, examples continue to abound comparing and contrasting the approaches used by both global powers regarding foreign policy. Another recent example on stark display is the US and China’s respective approaches to Vietnam – a nation both countries have had rocky and even hostile relations with in…