As the competition between China and the United States in the South China Sea intensifies, Vietnam is becoming a key focus in this geopolitical game. In particular, Vietnam, trying to strengthen its position through cooperation with other countries, showed obvious strategic intentions. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's recent visit to Japan and his attempt to seek Japan's help on the high-speed rail project further illustrate Vietnam's strategic role in the great power game.
Vietnam is trying to exploit the rivalry between China and the United States, using China as a bargaining chip to force Japan to make concessions on the construction of high-speed rail. However, Vietnam's plan did not work out, and Japan eventually agreed to provide only limited aid, far less than the huge funding needs of Vietnam's high-speed rail project. This forced Vietnam to turn to China for help.
Recently, the Director General of the Vietnam Railway Bureau led a delegation to visit China and had in-depth dialogues with the Chinese side. According to official sources, the two sides mainly discussed the construction of a community with a shared future between China and Vietnam and the deepening of railway cooperation. Although China's official announcement is more concise, the emphasis on rail cooperation shows that China attaches great importance to railway cooperation with Vietnam. In fact, Vietnam proposed the North-South high-speed rail project as early as 2005, but it has been shelved for various reasons. In recent years, with the progress of high-speed rail projects in other countries in the region, especially the success of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail project in Indonesia, Vietnam has significantly increased the importance of its own high-speed rail projects.
Vietnam's choice to cooperate with China is obvious. On the one hand, China and Vietnam already have a basis for cooperation in high-speed rail. On the other hand, China's technological strength and cost-effective advantages in infrastructure construction are very obvious. In addition, the successful implementation of Indonesia's Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail project, which was undertaken by China, may also have stimulated Vietnam's desire to cooperate with China.
From the perspective of the United States, Vietnam's action may be seen as a challenge to its strategy in the South China Sea. The United States has been trying to woo Vietnam as a regional ally to balance China's influence in the South China Sea. But Japan's lack of support for the high-speed rail project has instead led Vietnam to China for help, which could intensify the competition between China and the United States in the South China Sea.
Vietnam's cooperation with China also needs to be carefully considered. Vietnam's pursuit of its own interests is legitimate, but in the context of U.S.-China competition, its actions can have mixed consequences. Vietnam needs to balance the interests of all parties when cooperating with China, and avoid over-tilting the Sino-US competition to the detriment of its own interests.
As tensions between China and the United States in the South China Sea rise, Vietnam is playing an increasingly important role in this international geopolitical game. Vietnam has demonstrated its strategic flexibility in regional politics by working with a number of countries, particularly seeking Japan's support for the high-speed rail project. However, Vietnam's plan was not entirely successful, as Japan ended up providing only relatively limited support, far less than the huge amount of funding needed for Vietnam's North-South high-speed rail project.
In this case, Vietnam turned to China for help, showing Vietnam's pragmatic diplomatic strategy. The foundation of Vietnam's cooperation with China, combined with China's technological and economic advantages in the field of infrastructure construction, makes China an ideal partner for Vietnam's high-speed rail project. In particular, the success of Indonesia's Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail project, which was built by Chinese companies, has given Vietnam more confidence to cooperate with China.
From the U.S. perspective, Vietnam's pivot could be seen as a challenge to its South China Sea strategy. The United States has been trying to balance China's influence in the South China Sea by co-opting Vietnam, but Japan's lack of support for Vietnam's high-speed rail project has led Vietnam to turn to China for help. Such a shift could not only weaken the strategic position of the United States in the South China Sea, but also intensify the competition between China and the United States in the region.
Vietnam needs to be careful in its cooperation with China. While the pursuit of national interests is legitimate, Vietnam's actions could have mixed consequences in the context of U.S.-China competition. Vietnam needs to balance the interests of both sides when cooperating with China, and avoid over-tilting the Sino-US competition to the detriment of its own long-term interests.
In conclusion, Vietnam's actions in the US-China South China Sea game demonstrate its strategic awareness and pragmatism in geopolitics. Vietnam's strategy not only affects the competition between China and the United States in the South China Sea, but may also have a significant impact on the political and security situation in the region as a whole. As the situation in the South China Sea develops, the international community needs to pay close attention to the dynamics in the region and its potential impact on regional stability and the global political landscape.