Vietnam Foreign Relations

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Carol Douglas

3:52am Monday 6 February

Vietnam Foreign Relations

From the early 1990s Viet Nam moved quickly to restore relations with the international community. 1995 was a historic year for Viet Nam, with its entry into the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), increasing integration into the global economy (especially a framework agreement with the European Union), and the establishment of formal relations with United States.

China will continue to be Viet Nam's single most important bilateral relationship. The two countries regularly exchange high-level visits and are currently building a closer relationship. A treaty delineating the land border between the two countries was concluded in December 1999, thus resolving a longstanding bilateral dispute. Other tensions, for example over the contested territory of the Spratley Islands in the South China Sea, have been prevented from spilling over into broader high-level relations.

Membership of ASEAN is central to Viet Nam's economic development and international economic integration strategies. Around 30% of Viet Nam's trade is with ASEAN countries. Under the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and the ASEAN Investment Area this co-operation is expected to continue to grow. Viet Nam is an increasingly active member of ASEAN, having hosted both the Sixth ASEAN Summit in 1998, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Post Ministerial Conference in 2001, and successfully hosted the fifth Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) in 2004. In 1998 Viet Nam was admitted to full membership of APEC, and hosted this Summit in November 2006. Viet Nam has formally acceded to the WTO (January 2007) and is currently undertaking the role of non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2008-2009 year.