The Integration of Maritime Economic Development and the Protection of Sovereignty over Vietnam’s Southwestern Seas and Islands (17th–19th Centuries)

Abstract

Vietnam’s maritime and island territories are inseparable from its national sovereignty, vital for economic sustainability, international engagement, and national defense. The southwestern maritime region holds particular strategic significance. The 17th-century expansion of maritime trade, combined with forward-thinking maritime policies, enabled the Nguyễn lords and later the Nguyễn dynasty to assert, secure, and expand their maritime sovereignty. This article presents a conceptual framework for understanding how maritime economic development was integrated with national defense strategies to safeguard Vietnam’s sovereignty in the southwestern seas and islands during the 17th–19th centuries.