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In this New World Disorder, you need Vietnam’s bamboo diplomacy
With the US resembling Russia and China as an imperialist bully, more countries should emulate Vietnam and bend with the geopolitical winds to avoid snapping.
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In dealing with the world, the country’s late leader Nguyen Phu Trong said Vietnam needs “strong roots, stout trunk, and flexible branches".
PHOTO: UNSPLASH
Andreas Kluth
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I observe international affairs from Washington, capital of a superpower which used to be the world’s more-or-less benevolent hegemon, but which is now groping for a different role as a potential imperialist carving up the planet into spheres of influence.
But what if you’re looking back at us in Washington from the capital of a non-major (if not “small”) power? A place, say, like Hanoi, Jakarta, New Delhi, Pretoria, Abuja, Brasilia or Mexico City – or indeed Copenhagen, Ottawa or Panama City?
