Contextually, in terms of the global geopolitical churning, Vietnam elevating its 'Comprehensive Partnership' signed in 2013 signed with the United States to that of "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership" is a "Critical Development at a Critical Time" as US President Biden asserted in Hanoi on signing the 'Vietnam-United States Comprehensive Strategic Partnership" on September 10, 2023.
'Comprehensive Strategic Partnerships' are signed by two Nations when both have reached a stage of implicit 'Strategic Trust' in each other and share strategic convergences on prevailing security environments. Therefore, it can be assumed that Vietnam and United States have reached that stage.
Analytically, dispensing recount of detailed provisions already covered in global media, a perceptional analysis of this momentous strategic development follows below.
Geopolitically, the United States has assiduously engaged Vietnam strategically and politically for a decade, witnessed by US Presidents and Secretaries of State and Defense visits. Vietnam as a critical factor in US foreign and security policy formulations has figured prominently.
Vietnam's strategic significance in US geopolitical calculus has emerged with greater salience post-2013 when China under new President Xi Jinping adopted aggressive take-over of South China Sea, with Vietnam targeted.
South China Sea is strategically vital for United States national security interests and also of critical interest for economic survival of US foremost Allies in Pacific---Japan and South Korea.
South China Sea is strategically dominated by Vietnam's elongated configuration, straddling it all the way from China to the Gulf of Thailand. Vietnam also shares a s conflictual land-border with China's Southern under-belly.
Historically, it needs to be recalled that Vietnam heroically at different stages since 1940 has stalemated in wars Major Powers of today ranging from United States, France Japan and Communist China. In 1979, Vietnam Border Guards defeated two- Chinese Divisions attack on Vietnam's Northern land borders.
Vietnam could shave signed the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement with United States a decade back. But Vietnam with an aggressive and overbearing China with occupation of Vietnam Islands in South China Sea, perforce, had to follow a 'China Hedging' strategy.
Then what has made Vietnam depart from its China-Hedging strategy and opt for what is implicitly a 'strategic insurance' with the United States?
Contextual turbulent and polarized security environment in Indo Pacific, it seems has nudged Vietnam towards a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the United States.
In global perceptions the United States is still the predominant power in Indo Pacific and will prevail over China in any unfolding conflict with China, which the strategic community assesses is inevitable.
Therefore, Vietnam moving out of China's shadow, brings to Vietnam an existential 'insurance' against the China Threat tentative presently but with potential to become substantial. Vietnam, as the contents of the Agreement indicate will now have access to US advanced S&T inputs and also sizeable US FDI in critical and emerging technologies.
Vietnam will now doubly be the recipient of similar inputs from US Allies in Indo Pacific, namely, Japan, South Korea and Australia.
Vietnam will thus doubly gain in terms of its 'capacity building' of Vietnam's National Power as it faces China.
The United States is a geopolitical, strategic and geoeconomic gainer with an "Irredoubtable" Vietnam having reposed 'Strategic Trust' in the predominant Power in the Indo Pacific.
Concluding, in an overall analysis, for both Vietnam and United States, it is a 'Win-Win' development, both geopolitically and geoeconomically.
Above all, the signing of the Comprehensive Stategic Agreement between Vietnam and the United States, former inveterate enemies, is a powerful signal to China wherein Vietnam, despite ideological affinity with China, has opted to repose "Strategic Trust" in the United States at a time when extreme polarization exists in the Indo Pacific between United States and China.
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