Yale Global: Vietnam May Turn Threats into Opportunity

China’s aggression in the South China Sea poses an economic and security threat for nations with exclusive economic zones in that region along with their many trade partners. “To confront the danger, Vietnam openly begins cooperation with the Quad, ostensibly to manage the Covid-19 threat,” explains Nguyen Quang Dy, researcher, journalist and retired Vietnamese diplomat based in Hanoi. “Still, the United States, Japan, Australia and India formed the Quad in 2007 to confront China’s rising power.” The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue’s founding members have raised the possibility of expansion to Vietnam along with South Korea and New Zealand. While potential members pointedly resist antagonizing Asia’s largest economy with notions of containment, they do want to end the belligerence. A recent survey shows a majority of ASEAN respondents support the Quad for playing a role in regional security. Vietnam could also consider defense cooperation with a major power like the United States, cooperation agreements with other regional powers or an international court case over South China Sea territorial claims. – YaleGlobal

Read full story: https://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/vietnam-may-turn-threats-opportunity