Vietnam needs a new leader

Most Asian countries look on growing competition between America and China with trepidation. Vietnam sees opportunity. The country of 100m is friendly with both superpowers. And, because of its strategic location on China’s southern border and its 3,000km coastline, both are . Last year it was the only country to receive both Xi Jinping and Joe Biden on state visits. It marked this by upgrading its ties with America, which has supplied Vietnam with coastguard vessels, to the same status it affords China and Russia.This is an adroit balancing act, from which the country stands to gain both politically and economically. America’s effort to decouple its economy from China’s is leading foreign investors in China to move some of their And Vietnam is benefiting more from this form of de-risking (known as “China +1”) than any other Asian country.