YUSOF ISHAK INSTITUTE

APLN member Hoang Thi Ha co-wrote a paper with Pham Thi Phuong Thao on Vietnam’s Communist Party General Secretary To Lam’s foreign policy leadership, highlighting his pragmatic multi-alignment approach – maintaining close ties with China and Russia while engaging Washington and other major powers with equal vigour to advance national interests.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• Since assuming power in August 2024, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam has pursued bold reforms with great urgency, rapidly translating Party resolutions into concrete policy and action – an approach that shapes both domestic governance and Vietnam’s foreign relations.

• Under To Lam, foreign policy has been elevated from a “pioneering role” to a “crucial and regular task,” and recognised as one of four strategic pillars driving Vietnam’s “era of national rise”.

• To Lam has travelled overseas more extensively than any predecessor, visiting 16 countries and major multilateral organisations in his first year. By blending international representation, economic diplomacy, and strategic guidance in his foreign engagements, he projects himself as a pragmatic leader actively steering Vietnam’s foreign policy on the global stage.

• Economic diplomacy is central to To Lam’s foreign engagements, aimed at mobilising international resources for economic restructuring and technological upgrading. His visits have produced numerous bilateral agreements, engaged foreign business communities, and included policy speeches projecting Vietnam’s determination to become a developed high-income country by 2045.

• While preserving constructive relations with traditional partners China and Russia, To Lam has engaged Washington and other major powers with equal vigour, pursuing pragmatic multi-alignment to advance national interests. His proactive handling of trade tensions with US President Trump demonstrates a forward-leaning, risk-tolerant approach that seeks to preserve Vietnam’s agency in an increasingly fraught international environment.

Read the full article here.

Image: Wikimedia Commons