Tokyo (VNA) – Vietnam's "bamboo diplomacy" showcases flexibility in the country's foreign relations, which is well-suited to the strategic environment and historical context, said a Japanese scholar.
During an interview recently granted to the Vietnam News Agency's correspondents in Japan, Director of the Regional Research Division at Japan's National Institute for Defence Studies under the Ministry of Defence Dr. Tomotaka Shoji made the comment on the term "bamboo diplomacy", which was presented by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the national diplomatic conference to realise the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress in late 2021.
Shoji said he believes that Vietnam's "bamboo diplomacy" is the logic to developing balanced relationships with countries, including the US, China and Japan. The diplomatic style of being "like a bamboo tree," as directed by Party chief Trong, adheres to Vietnam's traditional diplomatic style, conveyed and expressed in a fitting manner.
On the Vietnam-Japan relationship, he said Japan has always valued its ties with Vietnam, recognising its strategic importance as a pivotal point between Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia.
According to him, Japanese people feel a sense of closeness with Vietnamese people, and this closeness forms the foundation for cooperation between the two countries.
He also highlighted the growing economic partnership between the two countries./.
Australian expert hails Vietnam's bamboo diplomacy
Vietnam’s increasing middle-power status in the Asia-Pacific region has sparked interest on its successful foreign diplomacy, which is known as “bamboo diplomacy”, said Layton Pike, Co-founder of the Australia Vietnam Policy Institute (AVPI).