The pandemic is expanding strategic competition between China and Vietnam from the South China Sea into the economy. Vietnam could see a boost to its economy as the COVID-19 crisis wears off and companies look to shift their operations out of China.
China is facing international backlash for stepping up its illegal claims in the South China Sea amid the coronavirus pandemic. Recent incidents and hostile rhetoric show that Beijing is using the situation to increase its aggression against Southeast Asian nations in the area.
ASEAN nations are increasing production of face masks and other medical equipment. By exporting them all over the world, Vietnam stands to make diplomatic and economic gains.
As Vietnam assumes the ASEAN chair for 2020, its geopolitics are increasingly defined by how it manages Chinese aggression in the South China Sea.
Two years ago, the European Commission warned Vietnam for not fulfilling its international obligations on tackling illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. Two years on, the country has made clear it will no longer tolerate rogue actors that threaten fish stocks.
Vietnam blocks cinemas from showing ‘Abominable’. As China wrestles control of the global cultural narrative, the decision will be the first of many.
China is trying to manipulate international dispute resolution mechanisms to sew confusion and further its economic interests in the South China Sea. Its diplomatic and military activities are pushing the region closer to the brink of conflict.
In 1967, few expected ASEAN to succeed. The bloc’s ability to put aside the differences of member states has been its greatest asset. It needs to remember this when addressing new challenges.
South Korea and Vietnam continue to work together, boosting the Vietnamese economy. At the same time, South Korean tourists flock to Vietnam. How closely are the two linked?
The Vietnamese government wants to facilitate the growth of a sharing economy. But it lags behind other ASEAN nations with regulations governing the peer-to-peer (P2P) industry.