The Lessons of Ho Chi Minh's Diplomatic Thought for Vietnam amidst Current U.S.-China Competition

Drawing on former President Ho Chi Minh’s dictum that “Independence means being the master of one’s own affairs, allowing no interference,” this article examines three pillars of his diplomacy—independence and self-reliance, flexibility through the principle of “unchanging in the face of myriad changes,” (dĩ bất biến ứng vạn biến) and the balance of power—to propose an expanded framework of “soft balancing” suited to the contemporary context. Employing a comparative historical analysis (1945–1969 and 2000–2025), foreign policy analysis, and discourse analysis, the study cross-references archival materials with datasets on Sino–Soviet wartime aid and current U.S./China trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) flows. The findings indicate that the principle of autonomy has enabled Vietnam to maintain a “hedging” posture, thereby expanding its strategic space through multilateral diplomacy without compromising its independence. Theoretically, the paper contributes to the neorealist–neoliberal debate on small-state autonomy by integrating Ho Chi Minh’s pragmatic approach into contemporary international relations discourse. Practically, it offers policy recommendations aimed at strengthening Vietnam’s resilience amid intensifying great-power rivalry. Received: 12th May, 2025; Revised: 28th October, 2025; Accepted: 8th September, 2026