VIETNAM’S ROLE AS A MIDDLE POWER IN THE EVOLVING INDO-PACIFIC GEOPOLITICAL LANDSCAPE

Abstract

As the third decade of the twenty-first century unfolds, the Indo-Pacific region has emerged as a central stage for strategic competition among global powers. The rivalry between the United States and China exerts a particularly strong influence, directly shaping the political and security landscape of Southeast Asia as well as the broader Indo-Pacific. Against this backdrop, Vietnam’s critical location in the East Sea and Southeast Asia has elevated its prominence in United States foreign policy toward the region. Through a geopolitical perspective supported by qualitative analysis, this study explores Vietnam’s strategic importance in the United States’ approach to restraining China’s growing dominance in Southeast Asia. The findings indicate that Vietnam’s land-based proximity to southern China, combined with its rise as a middle-ranking power, positions it as an essential player within the region’s evolving security structure. Furthermore, Vietnam’s maritime geography along vital trade routes in the East Sea, paired with ongoing tensions with China over maritime sovereignty, underscores its status as a priority partner in United States engagement throughout Southeast Asia.