U.S.-Vietnam maritime security cooperation in the South China Sea: From the Obama administration to the current Biden administration

Abstract

U.S.-Vietnam security cooperation deserves scrutiny as tensions in the South China Sea continue to grow, especially with China’s growing aggressiveness and the Sino-American intensified rivalry. With a view to studying maritime ties between Hanoi and Washington, the article focuses on increased security and defense cooperation between the U.S. and Vietnam, with particular emphasis on the South China Sea issue under three consecutive U.S. presidents, namely Barack Obama (2009–2017), Donald Trump (2017–2021), and Joe Biden (2021-Present). By examining the trajectory of bilateral security relations, the article specifies that since the Obama administration, the U.S.-Vietnam partnership has not only been institutionalized but also achieved significant progress. The positive trend, which has arguably stemmed from growing convergence on mutual interests and shared concerns over the China threat in the South China Sea, is expected to considerably fuel the momentum of U.S.-Vietnam relations in the years to come, regardless of roadblocks on their cooperation.

Keywords

• U.S.-Vietnam security ties
• the South China Sea
• maritime cooperation