Vietnam Journal of Asian - African Studies

THE CHANGES IN AFRICA’S TRADE FRAMEWORK AFTER DONALD TRUMP’S RECIPROCAL TARIFFS

TRAN THI LAN HƯƠNG — 2026-01-14

The article analyzes the changes in Africa’s trade framework following U.S. President Donald Trump’s implementation of reciprocal tariffs in 2025. The analysis draws on three complementary theoretical frameworks–dependency theory, adaptive institutionalism, and a strategic interdependence lens to interpret how African states adjust to these shifts in great-power tariff policy. Drawing on recent trade practices between China and the United States in several key African countries, the author assesses the impacts of Trump’s reciprocal tariffs on selected African nations. Countries with deep economic ties to China, such as South Africa and Algeria, continue to face high tariffs, while those aligned with U.S. strategic interests or benefiting from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) enjoy significant tariff reductions. This dynamic has encouraged African nations to diversify their trade partners, strengthen intra-African trade through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and expand South–South cooperation with emerging economies. The article also examines U.S.–China competition in Africa, highlighting an emerging trend of strategic restructuring in which the United States seeks to strengthen its role in certain key sectors across the continent.

THE MIDDLE EAST AT THE CROSSROADS OF GREAT POWER COMPETITON AND REGIONAL AGENCY

VU THI THANH — 2026-01-14

The Middle East is undergoing a reconfiguration of its regional order driven by two simultaneous forces: strategic competition among great powers (the United States, China, and Russia), and proactive internal transformations led by regional actors. While external rivalries sustain patterns of confrontation and strategic ambiguity, domestic powers increasingly demonstrate the capacity to shape the rules, norms, and mechanisms of engagement through mediation, foreign policy diversification, and internal rebalancing. This article analyzes the interaction between these two vectors and argues that the contemporary Middle Eastern order is no longer governed by a model of absolute hegemony or classical balance of power. Instead, it is transitioning toward a "hybrid order" in which authority is flexibly distributed between external and internal actors. By employing the theoretical frameworks of regional order and post-hegemonic regionalism, the article contends that the process of "Middle Easternization of the Middle East", that is, the growing agency of regional powers is an irreversible trend despite ongoing conflicts of interest. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of order formation in a region long considered a geopolitical flashpoint of the international system.

LEGACY OF PRESIDENT HO CHI MINH AND INDIA–VIETNAM TIES

SONU TRIVEDI — 2026-01-14

Vietnam’s foreign policy and its engagement with India have been guided by President Ho Chi Minh’s ideas on nationalism and international solidarity. In this background, the paper highlights how Ho Chi Minh’s vision of South–South cooperation goes together with India’s commitment to multilateralism and regional stability. The author compares Ho Chi Minh with other contemporary world leaders including Indian leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. It argues that promoting Ho Chi Minh’s thought in the 21st century is a tribute to a strategic and normative framework for building a just, inclusive, and peaceful Indo-Pacific order. The paper also explores the legacy of Ho Chi Minh and his relevance to the evolving Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and Vietnam, focusing on defence, economic cooperation, cultural exchange, and multilateral engagements. Adopting a constructivist approach, the study interprets Ho Chi Minh’s principles of solidarity, independence, and self-reliance as normative forces shaping contemporary India–Vietnam relations. The analysis demonstrates how both nations embody his ideals through diplomacy, mutual respect, and the pursuit of shared prosperity in the Global South.

THE EVOLUTION OF VIETNAM’S FOREIGN POLICY THROUGH THE LENS OF HISTORICAL INSTITUTIONALISM

TRAN QUANG VU — 2026-01-14

Since 1986, amid the profound transformations following the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, Vietnam’s foreign policy has undergone a comprehensive recalibration to safeguard sovereignty and deepen international integration. This article investigates how Vietnam has maintained its core principles while demonstrating adaptability to regional and global changes. Drawing upon Historical Institutionalism (HI) and process-tracing methodology, it analyzes Party documents, policy archives, and scholarly literature to explain this trajectory. The study identifies two major phases: 1986–1995, a critical juncture of conversion, where independence and self-reliance were reinterpreted to legitimize multilateralism and the normalization of relations with ASEAN, China, and the United States; and 1995–present, a phase of layering, characterized by the gradual incorporation of new approaches such as omnidirectional, four-nos, and “bamboo diplomacy” within existing frameworks. The findings highlight that Vietnam’s foreign policy reflects both stability and innovation, a process of adaptive resilience that preserves strategic autonomy while embracing global change. This study contributes theoretically to understanding endogenous institutional evolution and empirically to explaining Vietnam’s diplomatic modernization, offering insights for small and middle powers seeking to reconcile tradition with adaptation in an uncertain international order.

RUSSIA–CHINA COOPERATION SINCE 2022: PROSPECTS AND IMPLICATIONS

TRAN BACH HIEU, LE AN HAI, NGUYEN MAI DUC HIEU — 2026-01-14

Since Russia launched its “special military operation” in Ukraine in 2022, Russia–China relations have become a focal point of international scholarly attention. This study seeks to examine how bilateral cooperation between the two powers has evolved, what factors sustain and shape it, and what implications it holds for regional actors, particularly Vietnam. Using a qualitative and comparative analytical approach based on secondary sources and official data from 2022 – 2025, the paper explores Russia–China cooperation across key domains – strategic, economic, and military–security – as well as their multilateral coordination within BRICS and the SCO. The findings suggest that while the partnership has deepened amid shared strategic interests and Western sanctions, structural asymmetries persist, with China increasingly dominant in the relationship. For Vietnam, the paper argues that a hedging strategy, soft balancing, and multilateral engagement are essential to maximize opportunities while mitigating potential risks in a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape.