Asia Sentinel

Asia Sentinel

Opinion

Has Vietnam’s Diplomacy Gained Influence but Lost Its Edge?

From Nguyễn Tấn Dũng to Tô Lâm

Jun 01, 2026
∙ Paid
By: Khanh Vu Duc
VNA/VNS Photo

Thirteen years ago, Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng walked onto the Shangri-La Dialogue stage and delivered one of the most consequential foreign-policy speeches by a Vietnamese leader in the post-Cold War era. He called for “strategic trust-building” while warning against attempts to change the status quo in the South China …

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