VIETNAM–UNITED STATES DEFENSE COOPERATION IN ADDRESSING THE SOUTH CHINA SEA ISSUE (1995–2025)

Abstract: This article examines the evolution of Vietnam–United States defense cooperation from 1995 to 2025, with a particular focus on its role in addressing maritime security challenges and sovereignty disputes in the South China Sea. Using a qualitative methodology combined with an institutional–historical approach, the study divides bilateral defense cooperation into three major phases and assesses their strategic implications for regional stability. Within the theoretical frameworks of strategic hedging and defense diplomacy, the article analyzes how Vietnam and the United States have utilized defense cooperation as a means to balance great-power competition while safeguarding national interests and reinforcing a rules-based maritime order. The findings contribute to broader scholarly debates on defense diplomacy, small-state strategy, and security governance in the Indo-Pacific region.