The Vietnam Studies Program

Apart from these socio-economic strengths, Vietnam is of considerable strategic importance due to its history and location. In view of its past history of either being colonized/occupied by or being overly dependent on bigger and stronger powers, Vietnam today pursues a multi-directional foreign policy which offers useful references for other countries. Vietnam is also a key player in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other ASEAN-centred regional architectures.

The Vietnam Studies Program has two key research thrusts. Firstly, it focuses on domestic issues such as Vietnam’s leadership renewal, political jostling and infighting, the anti-corruption campaign and socio-economic developments within the country. Secondly, it examines developments on the external front including Vietnam’s foreign policy orientation, relations with major powers, its ASEAN neighbours and regional organisations. Cambodia, which just concluded its July 2018 general elections, and its relations with Vietnam and the big powers also fall under the scope of the Vietnam Studies Program. Mekong development initiatives such as the Greater Mekong Sub-region funded by the Asian Development Bank and the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation led by China are further areas of interest as they draw attention to the role of outside powers and institutions and the responses of the Mekong countries to these external players.

To provide a flavour of the type of issues that the Vietnam Studies Program cover, we would like to present three articles written by our experts. These three articles cover separate but inter-related areas. The first article looks at Vietnam’s reactions to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) unveiled five years ago in 2013. Although it has welcomed the BRI, Vietnam remains cautious about the economic, political and strategic implications of this initiative for the country. This cautiousness is driven by a number of factors including Vietnam’s past history of being occupied by imperial China, its desire not to be over-reliant on any major power, the poor record and public perception of Chinese projects in Vietnam as well as the lingering distrust between Vietnam and China in the South China Sea. Therefore, while the BRI may seem to be offering abundant opportunities for growth and prosperity, there are challenges to be overcome if BRI projects are to achieve their intended outcomes in Vietnam.

The second article highlights the important role of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) in steering the country forward. The CPV plays a pervasive role in setting the direction and agenda for the country as had happened when Vietnam embarked on Doi Moi (renovation or economic reforms) in 1986. To further industrialize and modernize the country, the Party recognizes that the quality of its personnel matters the most. Hence, a key emphasis of the Party at the just concluded seventh plenum in May 2018 was on raising the quality of its personnel. Personnel management also has to be seen in the wider context of the anti-corruption drive launched by Vietnam’s General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Keeping corruption in check is crucial for the Party’s long-term legitimacy, thereby ensuring that it continues to play a leading role in Vietnam’s development.

The third article examines the growing number of Protestants in Vietnam which highlights the interesting nexus among religious revivalism, communism and capitalism. The rise of Protestantism among the Hmong ethnic minority in the rural areas is a means to alter the ethnic group’s marginal status in Vietnam. However, the unconverted Hmong see conversion as a betrayal of Hmong ethnicity. The situation is further complicated when local authorities intervene to persuade Protestant Hmong to discard their new found faith and return to their folk traditions. As a result, a large number of evangelized Hmong have migrated, partly to escape such interventions, and partly in the hope of escaping poverty. In the urban areas of Vietnam, the state also keeps a watchful eye over the Protestant community due to their ability to attract converts through dispensing of welfare services, their strong foreign links, and their call for greater religious freedom.

There is a common thread in these three articles, i.e., Vietnam is still a developing country that has to grapple with development challenges. Although the CPV remains influential, it has to deliver, like governments in other countries, socio-economic progress to ensure its legitimacy and ability to stay at the helm. At the same time, the CPV and the government of the day that it directs has to navigate an ever changing and challenging external environment. This is a constant challenge.

Liang Lye Fook, Senior Fellow and Co-ordinator of the Vietnam Studies Programme