Is Vietnam Torn Between Land and Sea in Its Defense?

“Is Vietnam Torn Between Land and Sea in Its Defense?” is a new OpEd written by Dr. Alex Vuving for The Diplomat.

According to Vuving, “The choice between maritime and continental orientations is a key question for Vietnam’s grand strategy, but it is misleading when the question is about Vietnam’s defense strategy.”

In the article, he elaborates on these two orientations and states that: “Land and sea define the geography and history of Vietnam, but the land-sea binary does not define real strategic choices in Vietnam’s national defense, nor does it pose a genuine dilemma for Vietnam’s strategists. There is a mutual relationship between defense strategy and grand strategy, but the connection must not be mechanical.”

Alexander L. Vuving is a professor at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies. The views expressed in this article are his own and do not reflect those of DKI APCSS, the U.S. Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.