Facing China's rise : the emerging US-Vietnam partnership in the South China Sea.

• Main Author: Zou, Yu.
• Other Authors: Li Ming Jiang
• Format: Theses and Dissertations
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences::Political science
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/53210
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The US and Vietnam have accelerated their relations recently, especially in the security front. The thesis maintains that the Washington-Hanoi partnership emerges because they have overlapping strategic interests in balancing against China. Although China is developing peacefully, the US and Vietnam perceive China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea as a threat to their national interests. With its reengagement into Asia, the US aims to contain a potential naval hegemon and ensure American leadership in Asia-Pacific region. Hanoi’s balance strategyis driven by it growingperception of China as a threat to its territory rights and economic interests in the South China Sea. Hanoi’s move is also encouraged by its domestic nationalism and American new enthusiasm in Asia-Pacific. In the interdependent era, the US-Vietnam partnership does not mean their strong economic ties and institutional dialogues with China would be severed. Rather, these factors could constrain states from returning to Cold War-style military confrontation. The pressure of external balancing is catalyzing China to adopt an accommodating strategy towards Vietnam and the US, thereby the triangle of China-US-Vietnam will remain stable and the regional stability is foreseeable.