Vietnam has long practiced ‘bamboo diplomacy’—a doctrine that keeps the door open to all nations without committing to any single bloc.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) and Vietnam President To Lam attend a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People at The Great Hall Of The People on Aug. 19, 2024 in Beijing, China. Andres Martinez Casares-Pool/Getty Images
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News Analysis
The meeting between Vietnamese Communist Party leader To Lam and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping shows Hanoi still views Beijing as a primary partner, but an analyst said that the Chinese regime’s growing economic ties and maritime “salami-slicing” tactics give it leverage to gradually erode Vietnam’s sovereignty.

