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

Tóm tắt

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.