Exclusive: Vietnam’s Top Leader Says Stronger China Ties Bolster Regional Peace, Security
By Greg Torode
SINGAPORE, May 30 (Reuters) – Vietnam’s most powerful leader in decades has said that stronger relations with its giant neighbor and territorial rival China would benefit regional peace and security, even as Hanoi keeps close ties with the United States and presses claims in the South China Sea.
“We do not pick sides,” Communist Party General Secretary and President To Lam told Reuters late on Friday in his first interview with an international media outlet since taking on both roles. He argued that there is no contradiction between seeking closer ties with Beijing and resolving the simmering territorial disputes across the waterway known in Vietnam as the East Sea.
“If we can maintain good relations and dialogue, then all disagreements can be resolved,” Lam said through an interpreter. “Having good relations with China, safeguarding our sovereignty and settlement of issues in the East Sea are mutually reinforcing, not mutually exclusive.”
Lam reiterated Vietnam’s longstanding position that disputes should be settled on the basis of international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. His remarks come as Vietnam asserts claims to all of the Chinese‑occupied Paracel Islands and the entire Spratly archipelago — positions that overlap with those of the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, making the strategic trade route an increasingly volatile flashpoint.
The 68‑year‑old leader, who rose from the internal security apparatus, is moving swiftly to raise Vietnam’s diplomatic profile. He is pursuing an ambitious “bamboo diplomacy” — flexible enough to bend, strong enough to withstand winds from Beijing, Washington and other major powers — while overseeing an aggressive high‑growth economic agenda.
“We do not approach our relations with major powers through the prism of security,” Lam said, reflecting Hanoi’s traditional desire to avoid being forced into alignment. “We need good relations with major countries so that we can jointly address essential, important issues.”
Lam’s consolidation of the party chief and presidency gives him a mandate rare in Vietnam’s collective leadership system. Regional diplomats say they are closely watching whether this concentration of authority tilts the one‑party state toward greater authoritarianism — or simply enables faster, more decisive policymaking.
Speaking days after delivering the keynote address at Asia’s largest defense gathering, the Shangri‑La Dialogue in Singapore, Lam told an audience of defense ministers, military officials and academics that the world faces three interlocking crises: erosion of international rules and law, a crisis of development models including slowing growth and climate change, and a crisis of trust among nations.
“The three crises confronting our world today are not inevitable realities that we are bound to accept,” he said, calling for reinforcing international law, building inclusive and sustainable growth drivers, and promoting dialogue and transparency.
Sitting in a hotel function room after the speech, dressed in a shirt‑sleeves and burgundy tie, Lam told Reuters that his leadership recognizes Vietnam’s growth targets — achieving developed, high‑income status by 2045, with 10% GDP growth this year and double‑digit gains in the years ahead — are “ambitious and highly challenging” but within reach.
“It is true that when this target was first formulated, we had not yet encountered some of the difficulties we face today,” he said, adding that the country has anticipated some headwinds and learned from others’ experiences. When asked whether the impact of the Iran crisis and other global headwinds might force a revision, Lam was firm: “Our answer is clear: we will not adjust this objective downward. We believe there is no alternative path. If we fail to achieve this target, we will fall short of the broader development aspirations we have set for our country.”
Analysts note that Lam’s bold diplomacy and domestic economic drive are being tested by the same geopolitical currents he aims to navigate — from U.S.‑China strategic competition to territorial tensions in the South China Sea. His ability to keep Vietnam on a steady course will likely define his legacy.
(Reporting by Greg Torode in Singapore; additional reporting by Francesco Guarascio in Hanoi; editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)