The Shaping of Tô Lâm’s Foreign Policy: The evolution of Vietnam’s bamboo diplomacy

In this article, AVPI Fellow Dr Huong Le Thu examines how His Excellency Tô Lâm, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and President of Vietnam, is reshaping Vietnam’s foreign policy and its role in the region.

Using his historic opening keynote at the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue on 29 May 2026 as a focal point, she explores how the original principle of “bamboo diplomacy” is evolving into a more active, pragmatic and ambitious regional role for Vietnam.

This Fellow article offers timely insight for Australia and other partners seeking to understand how Vietnam’s external posture is likely to change under Tô Lâm’s leadership. Download the article below.

Feature image credit: The Vietnam News Agency (VNA)