General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong will be remembered for two important contributions to Vietnam’s foreign relations: international recognition of the role of the party General Secretary and the Vietnam Communist Party in international relations.

Carlyle A. Thayer, Emeritus Professor at Universaity of New South Wales Canberra at the Australian Defence Force Academy, remarked on the passing of Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV).

It’s the achievements of the “bamboo diplomacy” that he pioneered over the past years, said Thayer. 

The art of “bamboo diplomacy” or balanced foreign policy will be one of the most influential approaches in his legacy.

In the most powerful position for 13 years, the Party Chief steered the country’s foreign policy under a reasonable and well-rounded strategy known as “bamboo diplomacy” which stands for Vietnam’s resilience and adaptability in a challenging geopolitical environment.

This strategy allows Vietnam to maintain strong political and economic ties with the superpowers. 

“Vietnam’s diplomacy is characterized as soft and wise, yet persistent, and resolute,” Trong said at the National Congress on External Relations in 2021. In other words, bamboo diplomacy describes the nation’s independent approach to foreign relations: strong and flexible like bamboo, but not inclined towards any superpower.

It is distinguished by its adaptability and creativity in the face of all obstacles to ensure national independence and the happiness of the populace. This ideology was first introduced by President Ho Chi Minh as one of the political frameworks during the war. Since the ideology provided “the right path of independence, international accommodationism, and multilateralism,” it is therefore essential to the state’s growth and political survival.  

Under Trong’s leadership, Vietnam-US relations were elevated to the highest diplomatic status, a comprehensive strategic partnership. He hosted both US President Joe Biden and China’s President Xi Jinping in Hanoi, showcasing Vietnam’s balanced approach. The US embassy in Vietnam lauded him as a “visionary leader who for decades served as a bridge between Vietnam and the United States of America.” 

Professor Thayer explained his remarks that in the past, particularly during the Cold War and the years immediately after, that Western liberal democracies did not recognize the role of the party leader in socialist states in their formal state-to-state relations. There was no counterpart; high-level foreign policy was conducted at the head of state or government level. There was no basis for party-to-party relations.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong broke new ground in 2013 when he became the first party leader from Vietnam to visit the UK and be received by the British Prime Minister. In 2015, General Secretary Trong made ground-breaking visits to the US and Japan, where he was received, respectively, by the US President and Japanese Prime Minister.

It is notable that the 2015 Joint Statement between President Obama and the General Secretary contained the following wording “Both countries affirm their continued pursuit of a deepened, sustained, and substantive relationship on the basis of respect for… each other’s political systems.”

“The above precedent set the stage for General Secretary Trong to invite and receive foreign heads of state and government to visit Vietnam,” said Prof. Thayer. For example, General Secretary Trong received President Biden in September 2023; their Joint Statement included the phrase “The leaders underscored the fundamental principles guiding Vietnam – US relations, including respect for each other’s political system…” Biden and Trong also “pledged to further promote relations between the two countries’ political parties and legislative bodies, including by encouraging dialogue and discussion between these bodies on priorities and each country’s practical experiences.” 

Prof. Thayer went on to say that Vietnam’s foreign policy has been an outstanding success given the polarization and fragmentation of the international system due to major power rivalry and hostilities in Ukraine.

During General Secretary Trong’s tenure, Vietnam was elected for the second time to the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member for the 2020-21 term with 192 votes in favor out of 193 cast.

When Trong became General Secretary in 2011, Vietnam had only one comprehensive strategic partner, China. Under Trong’s leadership, Vietnam has added six new partners in this category: Russia, India, the Republic of Korea, the United States, Japan, and Australia.

Within the past year, the General Secretary has received the Presidents of the United States, China, and the Russian Federation – Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, and Vladimir Putin.

“By practicing ‘bamboo diplomacy’, General Secretary Trong has managed to maintain Vietnam’s independence and self-reliance without aligning with one major power against another,” Prof. Thayer pointed out. 

Richard D. McClellan, the Vietnam country director at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, said: “Hosting the leaders of China, the US, and Russia, Vietnam navigates a polarized world with strategic finesse.”

Meanwhile, Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Sandeep Arya said General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s bamboo diplomacy is well thought out and a wise step to guide the foreign policy of Vietnam.

“I think it has really played an important role because Vietnam’s emergence in the global arena is very well recognized,” Ambassador Arya said.

He said the bamboo diplomacy developed by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong is really a very important aspect of that principle.

There is a very steady path of that development and progress and I think what strikes me is his segregation of ideals and national interest as something which are sound solid and non-negotiable, according to Ambassador Arya.  

The approach or the tactics that Vietnam takes to implement principles or achieve those national interests are as flexible as the branches of bamboo, the ambassador pointed out.

“I think that comparison and that linkage with Vietnam’s own history and approach to the future is a very lasting vision of the General Secretary, which we as foreign diplomats notice and I as the Indian ambassador have been deeply impressed by,” noted Ambassador Arya.

In the context of a global complex and volatile period, the wisdom of leading and guiding a country’s foreign policy and international affairs is very important for all countries. General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s vision laid out in various speeches on the bamboo diplomacy, holds great significance for Vietnam. He reiterated this at the National Diplomatic Conference in December last year and has developed it over the last 10 years.

Richard D. McClellan, Vietnam country director at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, said Vietnam’s notion of “bamboo diplomacy” affirms its delicate balance in international relations more broadly. The bamboo metaphor, which was first used by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in 2016, symbolizes Vietnam’s approach, which is flexible, adaptable to changing circumstances, and steadfastly committed to peace and the national interest.

Taken together, these values uphold Vietnam’s resolve to pursue mutually beneficial partnerships while maintaining its independence and non-alignment in international affairs.

“Without much fanfare, Vietnam has artfully circumnavigated perhaps one of the biggest challenges in diplomacy today: the need to choose sides,” the expert said.

Richard D. McClellan called this “a feat worth noting” and explained that the design of Vietnam’s modern foreign policy is deeply rooted in its historical experiences. The country has endured invasions and wars for centuries, ranging from Chinese domination, French colonization, to the war against American troops. Its worldview has been profoundly shaped by these experiences. Vietnam bases its international relations on the tenet that nothing should threaten its sovereignty and independence. 

“Since Nguyen Phu Trong was first elected the Party’s General Secretary, Vietnam has been one of the best-performing economies in the region,” Prof. Thayer said in commenting on the country’s foreign policy performance.

Ambassador Arya said General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has left a vast legacy on Vietnam’s national growth, national progress, and national development over the last few decades. “I think his vision, wisdom, and overall direction and guidance for the growth of the country has been well laid out and developed over the last few decades.”

The achievements of Vietnam in terms of economy, socioeconomic development, national solidarity, and working together for the future are very widely respected and recognized around the world.

On the economic front, Prof. Thayer said Vietnam successfully weathered the Covid-19 pandemic has resumed high growth, and continues to attract large amounts of foreign investment. For example, Vietnam attained an average GDP growth rate of 6.17% during Trong’s first term (2011-2015) and 6.27% in his second term (2016-2020). Due to a slowdown in the global and Chinese economies, Vietnam’s GDP averaged a growth rate of 5.2% for 2021-2023l

Under General Secretary Trong's leadership, Vietnam has made significant strides in the battle against corruption. For example, Transparency International ranks countries annually on a scale ranging from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean) to produce a Perceptions of Corruption Index (PCI). Vietnam’s PCI score rose from 2.7 in 2010 (ranked 127 out of 175 states surveyed) to 31 in 2015 (111/168) at the end of General Secretary Trong’s first term in office, to 36 in 2020 (104/180) at the end of Trong’s second term, and to 39 in 2021 (87/180) when Trong was elected for a third term. Vietnam received a PCI score of 41 in 2023, placing it 83rd out of 180 countries

In addition, Vietnam’s foreign policy has been an outstanding success given the polarization and fragmentation of the international system due to major power rivalry and hostilities in Ukraine. 

Zachary Abuza, Professor of National Security Strategy at the US National War College in Washington, called “bamboo diplomacy” Vietnam’s studious neutrality, enshrined in collectively drafted policy, including the 2019 Defense White Book.

On the impact of this foreign policy, Abuza said Vietnam is home to key investors namely South Korea, Japan, Singapore, and China. At the same time, the US and Europe are key export markets, and the country continues to benefit from supply chain diversification away from  China and remains part of the southern China supply chain.