Uneasy embrace: Vietnam's responses to the US Free and Open Indo-Pacific strategy amid US-China rivalry

Like many other small and middle powers, Vietnam is facing a strategic dilemma in the face of the U.S.-China rivalry. With the introduction of a vision for Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP), the US seeks to strengthen ties with its allies and partners in the region to preserve rules-based international order and to counter China's rise. Being positioned as the U.S. burgeoning like-minded partner in the regional security architecture, how Vietnam responds to the FOIP strategy, hence, merits consideration. This article argues that Vietnam has responded positively toward the FOIP strategy due to the high compatibility between some key tenets of this strategy and its national interests. However, rather than joining and supporting FOIP in a full-fledged way, Vietnam has chosen to work selectively in some issues with the US. More specifically, while Vietnam proactively embraces the economic dimension in FOIP, it still remains cautious about the security domain. The rationale behind Vietnam's hesitation to lend full support to this strategy is partially driven by China factor. In this article, China is addressed as a "brake," which can exert influence on the speed and scope of cooperation that Vietnam is willing to move forward with the US under FOIP strategy.