Foreign relations of Vietnam

File:Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hanoi, 1928 (2) (37781035864).jpg

Foreign ministry in Hanoi

As of September 2025, Vietnam (officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam) maintains diplomatic relations with all 192 other member states of the UN, as well as with the State of Palestine and Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.

Since the end of the Vietnam War and the unification of Vietnam, Vietnam's foreign policy has reflected a tension between two choices: "to reject the Western-led world order and oppose Western influence, or to accept the Western-led world order and adapt Western influence." Over time, Vietnam has become more engaged in the international community. Vietnam has shifted from a fierce opponent of the United States to a friendlier relations. Vietnam has for decades has both kept close economic and political ties with China and consistently sought to deny Chinese regional dominance.

History

Monarchial Vietnam

In its early history, Vietnam tried to maintain good relations with its neighbours. From the Hồng Bàng dynasty to many feudal dynasties like the Ngô, Đinh, Anterior Lê, Lý, Trần, Lê, Tây Sơn and Nguyễn, Vietnam's main diplomatic relationships were with neighboring Imperial China, Kingdom of Champa, Khmer Empire, Lan Xang kingdom and Siam. Later trading relationship were established with European countries (such as through the Dutch East India Company) and Japan.

Cold War era and the two Vietnams

Following Japan's surrender, British and Chinese Nationalist forces entered Vietnam to supervise the disarmament of Japanese troops. Following the 1946 Ho–Sainteny Agreement, the communist-led Democratic Republic of Vietnam was recognized as a free state within the French Union. However, total war broke out later that year. The anti-communist State of Vietnam was established in 1949 under the Élysée Accords and recognized as an independent state associated with the French Union.

In January 1950, the People's Republic of China and the Soviet Union were the first two countries to recognize the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Meanwhile, the United States and other Western countries recognized the State of Vietnam. The colonial war and the civil war in Vietnam became internationalized and intertwined with the global Cold War.Template:Sfn The 1954 Geneva Accords temporarily divided the country into North Vietnam and South Vietnam.

File:North and south vietnam map.jpg

By 1966, South Vietnam had been recognized by about 60 states, while by 1972 North Vietnam had been recognized by 49 states.Template:Sfn

During the Vietnam War (1959–1975), North Vietnam tried to balance relations with its two major allies, the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China. In 1964, Zhou Enlai, worried about the escalation of U.S. forces in South Vietnam, made an informal agreement with the North. The agreement stipulated that if U.S. and South Vietnamese forces invaded North Vietnam, the Chinese would respond by loaning pilots to the North. During the invasion, Mao Zedong failed to send as many trained pilots as he promised. As a result, the North became more reliant on the Soviet Union for its defense.

By 1977, tension began to grow as Beijing increasingly viewed Vietnam as a potential Soviet instrument to encircle China. Meanwhile, Beijing's increasing support for Cambodia's Khmer Rouge sparked Vietnamese suspicions of China's motives.

Vietnamese-Chinese relations deteriorated significantly after Hanoi instituted a ban in March 1978 on private trade, a move that particularly affected the Sino-Vietnamese sector of the population. Following Vietnam's December 1978 invasion of Cambodia, China launched a retaliatory invasion of Vietnam's northern border region. Faced with severance of Chinese aid and strained international relations, Vietnam established even closer ties with the Soviet Union and its allies in the Comecon member states. Throughout the 1980s, Vietnam received nearly US$3 billion a year in economic and military aid from the Soviet Union and conducted most of its trade with the U.S.S.R. and Comecon countries. Soviet and Eastern bloc economic aid, however, ceased after the breakup of the Soviet Union.

International memberships

In 1951, both the State of Vietnam (SVN) and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) applied for United Nations membership. In 1952, the SVN, which would later continue as the Republic of Vietnam (RVN), was granted observer status in the UN General Assembly. The DRV and the Republic of South Vietnam gained observer status only in July 1975.

The Soviet Union in 1952 vetoed the SVN's admission to full UN membership. In 1957, the General Assembly twice reaffirmed that the RVN was fully qualified for membership and should be admitted, yet both attempts were again vetoed by the Soviet Union.Template:Sfn The Socialist Republic of Vietnam, unified in 1976, maintained a sole observer mission and was admitted as a full UN member in September 1977.

The State of Vietnam was admitted to several specialized agencies of the United Nations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the Universal Postal Union (UPU).Template:Sfn As the continuator of the State of Vietnam, the Republic of Vietnam maintained membership in these organizations and later joined the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), among others.Template:Sfn

Meanwhile, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was not a member of any of these organizations and only joined the WMO in August 1975 and the WHO in October 1975. After the reunification of Vietnam in 1976, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam substituted for or continued South Vietnam's membership in many organizations, while in other cases it joined as a new member state.Template:Sfn

Đổi mới reforms

Vietnam didn't begin to emerge from international isolation until it withdrew its troops from Cambodia in 1989. Within months of the 1991 Paris Agreements, Vietnam established diplomatic and economic relations with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states and also with most countries of Western Europe and Asia's Far East. China re-established full diplomatic ties with Vietnam in 1991. The two nations concluded a land border demarcation agreement in 1999. In 1995, the US and Vietnam re-established diplomatic ties. United States–Vietnam relations improved in August 1995, when both nations upgraded their liaison offices opened during January 1995 to embassy status, with the United States later opening a consulate general in Ho Chi Minh City, and Vietnam opening a consulate in San Francisco.

In 2001, Vietnam signed 16 free trade agreements.Template:Rp

Full diplomatic relations were restored with New Zealand who opened its embassy in Hanoi in 1995, while Vietnam established an embassy in Wellington in 2003. Pakistan reopened its embassy in Hanoi in October 2000. Vietnam also reopened its embassy in Islamabad in December 2005 and trade office in Karachi in November 2005.

In the past decade, Vietnam has recognized the importance of growing global economic interdependence and has made concerted efforts to adjust its foreign relations to reflect the evolving international economic and political situation in Southeast Asia. The country has begun to integrate itself into the regional and global economy by joining international organizations. Vietnam has stepped up its efforts to attract foreign capital from the West and regularize relations with the world financial system. In the 1990s, following the lifting of the US veto on multilateral loans to the country, Vietnam became a member of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the Asian Development Bank. The country has expanded trade with its East Asian neighbors as well as with countries in Western Europe and North America. Of particular significance was Vietnam's acceptance into ASEAN in July 1995. Vietnam joined the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC) in November 1998 and also hosted the ASEAN summit the following month. In 2005, Vietnam attended the inaugural East Asia Summit. Vietnam became a member of the World Trade Organization in November 2006.

Current issues

File:Quân đội duyệt binh ở Trường Sa.JPG

Vietnamese troops on Spratly Island

In 2011 the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, at the 11th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, released an official statement about Vietnam's foreign policy and a section of the statement stated: "Vietnam is a friend and reliable partner of all countries in the international community, actively taking part in international and regional cooperation processes. Deepen, stabilize and sustain established international relations. Develop relations with countries and territories in the world, as well as international organizations, while showing: respect for each other's independence; sovereignty and territorial integrity; non-interference in each other's international affairs; non-use or threat of force; settlement of disagreements and disputes by means of peaceful negotiations; mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit."

While Vietnam has remained relatively conflict-free since its Cambodia days, tensions have arisen in the past between Vietnam and its neighbors, especially in the case of China since both nations assert claims to the Spratly and Paracel Islands - the two archipelagos in a potentially oil-rich area of the South China Sea. Conflicting claims have produced over the years small scale armed altercations in the area. In 1988, more than 70 Vietnamese troops were killed during a confrontation with Chinese forces, when China occupied several islands under Vietnamese control in the Spratly Islands. China's assertion of control over the Spratly Islands and the entire South China Sea has elicited concern from Vietnam and its Southeast Asia neighbors. The territorial border between the two countries is being definitively mapped pursuant to a Land Border Agreement signed in December 1999, and an Agreement on Borders in the Gulf of Tonkin signed in December 2000. Vietnam and Russia declared a strategic partnership in March 2001 during the first visit ever to Hanoi of a Russian head of state, largely as an attempt to counterbalance China's growing profile in Southeast Asia.

Disputes – international: maritime boundary with Cambodia not defined; involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly - Paracel Islands with the People's Republic of China (PRC), Malaysia, Philippines, and possibly Brunei; maritime boundary with Thailand resolved in August 1997; maritime boundary dispute with the PRC in the Gulf of Tonkin resolved in 2000; Paracel Islands occupied by the PRC since 1974; offshore islands and sections of boundary with Cambodia are in dispute; agreement on land border with the People's Republic of China was signed in December 1999.

Illicit drugs: minor producer of opium poppy with 21 km² cultivated in 1999, capable of producing 11 metric tons of opium; probably minor transit point for Southeast Asian heroin destined for the US and Europe; growing opium/heroin addiction; possible small-scale heroin production.

Diplomatic relations

List of countries which Vietnam maintains diplomatic relations with:

File:Diplomatic relations of Vietnam.svg
#	Country	Date
1	China	Template:Dts
2	Russia	Template:Dts
3	North Korea	Template:Dts
4	Czech Republic	Template:Dts
5	Hungary	Template:Dts
6	Romania	Template:Dts
7	Poland	Template:Dts
8	Bulgaria	Template:Dts
9	Albania	Template:Dts
10	Mongolia	Template:Dts
11	Indonesia	Template:Dts
12	Serbia	Template:Dts
13	Guinea	Template:Dts
14	Mali	Template:Dts
15	Cuba	Template:Dts
16	Morocco	Template:Dts
17	Democratic Republic of the Congo	Template:Dts
18	Laos	Template:Dts
19	Algeria	Template:Dts
20	Egypt	Template:Dts
21	Yemen	Template:Dts
22	Republic of the Congo	Template:Dts
23	Tanzania	Template:Dts
24	Mauritania	Template:Dts
25	Ghana	Template:Dts
26	Syria	Template:Dts
27	Cambodia	Template:Dts
28	Iraq	Template:Dts
29	Sweden	Template:Dts
30	Sudan	Template:Dts
31	Senegal	Template:Dts
32	Somalia	Template:Dts
33	Sri Lanka	Template:Dts
34	Chile	Template:Dts
35	Switzerland	Template:Dts
36	Denmark	Template:Dts
37	Norway	Template:Dts
38	India	Template:Dts
39	Cameroon	Template:Dts
40	Equatorial Guinea	Template:Dts
41	Zambia	Template:Dts
42	Pakistan	Template:Dts
43	Austria	Template:Dts
44	Tunisia	Template:Dts
45	Madagascar	Template:Dts
46	Finland	Template:Dts
47	Uganda	Template:Dts
48	Bangladesh	Template:Dts
49	Australia	Template:Dts
50	Benin	Template:Dts
51	Belgium	Template:Dts
52	Italy	Template:Dts
53	Malaysia	Template:Dts
54	Netherlands	Template:Dts
55	France	Template:Dts
56	Burundi	Template:Dts
57	Singapore	Template:Dts
58	Iran	Template:Dts
59	Iceland	Template:Dts
60	Canada	Template:Dts
61	United Kingdom	Template:Dts
62	Japan	Template:Dts
63	Guinea-Bissau	Template:Dts
64	Argentina	Template:Dts
65	Gambia	Template:Dts
66	Luxembourg	Template:Dts
67	Burkina Faso	Template:Dts
68	Malta	Template:Dts
69	Afghanistan	Template:Dts
70	Gabon	Template:Dts
71	Togo	Template:Dts
72	Niger	Template:Dts
73	Libya	Template:Dts
74	Greece	Template:Dts
75	Guyana	Template:Dts
76	Nepal	Template:Dts
77	Mexico	Template:Dts
78	Myanmar	Template:Dts
79	Maldives	Template:Dts
80	New Zealand	Template:Dts
81	Mozambique	Template:Dts
82	Portugal	Template:Dts
83	Cape Verde	Template:Dts
84	Panama	Template:Dts
85	Germany	Template:Dts
86	Rwanda	Template:Dts
87	Ivory Coast	Template:Dts
88	Angola	Template:Dts
89	Cyprus	Template:Dts
90	Jamaica	Template:Dts
91	Kuwait	Template:Dts
92	Ethiopia	Template:Dts
93	Costa Rica	Template:Dts
94	Nigeria	Template:Dts
95	Philippines	Template:Dts
96	Thailand	Template:Dts
97	São Tomé and Príncipe	Template:Dts
98	Spain	Template:Dts
99	Turkey	Template:Dts
100	Sierra Leone	Template:Dts
101	Colombia	Template:Dts
—	Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic	Template:Dts
102	Grenada	Template:Dts
103	Seychelles	Template:Dts
104	Nicaragua	Template:Dts
105	Ecuador	Template:Dts
106	Jordan	Template:Dts
107	Lebanon	Template:Dts
108	Zimbabwe	Template:Dts
109	Chad	Template:Dts
110	Vanuatu	Template:Dts
111	Bolivia	Template:Dts
—	Template:Country data State of Palestine	Template:Dts
112	Brazil	Template:Dts
113	Papua New Guinea	Template:Dts
114	Venezuela	Template:Dts
115	Namibia	Template:Dts
116	Djibouti	Template:Dts
117	Uzbekistan	Template:Dts
118	Ukraine	Template:Dts
119	Belarus	Template:Dts
120	Latvia	Template:Dts
121	Estonia	Template:Dts
122	Brunei	Template:Dts
123	Lithuania	Template:Dts
124	Kyrgyzstan	Template:Dts
125	Oman	Template:Dts
126	Moldova	Template:Dts
127	Kazakhstan	Template:Dts
128	Template:Country data Georgia	Template:Dts
129	Marshall Islands	Template:Dts
130	Armenia	Template:Dts
131	Tajikistan	Template:Dts
132	Turkmenistan	Template:Dts
133	Azerbaijan	Template:Dts
134	South Korea	Template:Dts
135	Slovakia	Template:Dts
136	Guatemala	Template:Dts
137	Qatar	Template:Dts
138	Fiji	Template:Dts
139	Israel	Template:Dts
140	Eritrea	Template:Dts
141	United Arab Emirates	Template:Dts
142	Uruguay	Template:Dts
143	South Africa	Template:Dts
144	Samoa	Template:Dts
145	Mauritius	Template:Dts
146	Slovenia	Template:Dts
147	Template:Country data North Macedonia	Template:Dts
148	Croatia	Template:Dts
149	Peru	Template:Dts
150	Belize	Template:Dts
151	Bahrain	Template:Dts
152	Paraguay	Template:Dts
153	United States	Template:Dts
154	Barbados	Template:Dts
155	Federated States of Micronesia	Template:Dts
156	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Template:Dts
157	Kenya	Template:Dts
158	Bosnia and Herzegovina	Template:Dts
159	Ireland	Template:Dts
160	Solomon Islands	Template:Dts
161	Haiti	Template:Dts
162	Suriname	Template:Dts
163	Lesotho	Template:Dts
164	Saudi Arabia	Template:Dts
165	Timor-Leste	Template:Dts
166	Honduras	Template:Dts
167	Dominican Republic	Template:Dts
168	Nauru	Template:Dts
169	Montenegro	Template:Dts
170	Andorra	Template:Dts
171	San Marino	Template:Dts
172	Monaco	Template:Dts
173	Liechtenstein	Template:Dts
174	Palau	Template:Dts
175	Central African Republic	Template:Dts
176	Botswana	Template:Dts
177	El Salvador	Template:Dts
178	Bhutan	Template:Dts
179	Eswatini	Template:Dts
180	Dominica	Template:Dts
181	Saint Kitts and Nevis	Template:Dts
182	Antigua and Barbuda	Template:Dts
183	Kiribati	Template:Dts
184	Comoros	Template:Dts
185	Liberia	Template:Dts
186	Saint Lucia	Template:Dts
187	South Sudan	Template:Dts
—	Cook Islands	Template:Dts
188	Bahamas	Template:Dts
189	Trinidad and Tobago	Template:Dts
190	Tonga	Template:Dts
191	Malawi	Template:Dts
192	Tuvalu	Template:Dts

Bilateral relations

Africa

Country	Formal relations began	Notes
Algeria		See Algeria–Vietnam relations Algeria has an embassy in Hanoi. Vietnam has an embassy in Algiers.
Angola		See Angola–Vietnam relations Angola has an embassy in Hanoi. Vietnam has an embassy in Luanda.
Kenya	21 December 1995	See Kenya–Vietnam relations Kenya is accredited to Vietnam through its embassy in Bangkok, Thailand. Vietnam's embassy in Tanzania is accredited to Kenya.
Libya	15 March 1975	See Libya–Vietnam relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 15 March 1975. Libya has an embassy in Hanoi. Vietnam is accredited to Libya from its embassy in Cairo, Egypt.
Tanzania	14 February 1965	See Tanzania–Vietnam relations

Americas

Country	Formal relations began	Notes
Argentina	1973-10-25	Since December 1996, Argentina has an embassy in Hanoi. Since January 1995, Vietnam has an embassy in Buenos Aires. Argentine Ministry of Foreign Relations: list of bilateral treaties with Vietnam (in Spanish only) Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Argentina
Canada	1973-08-21	See Canada–Vietnam relations Canada maintains an embassy in Hanoi and a consulate general in Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam has an embassy in Ottawa and a consulate general in Vancouver.
Chile		See Chile–Vietnam relations Chile has an embassy in Hanoi. Vietnam has an embassy in Santiago.
Cuba	1960-12-02	See Cuba–Vietnam relations Cuba has an embassy in Hanoi. Vietnam has an embassy in Havana.
Guyana	19 April 1975	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 19 April 1975. Economic and commercial relations are very limited.
Mexico	1975-07-15	See Mexico–Vietnam relations Mexico has an embassy in Hanoi. Vietnam has an embassy in Mexico City.
Panama	28 August 1975	Panama has an embassy in Hanoi and a consulate-general in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam is accredited to Panama from its embassy in Mexico City, Mexico.
Paraguay	30 May 1995	Paraguay is accredited to Vietnam from embassy in Tokyo, Japan. Vietnam is accredited to Paraguay from its embassy in Buenos Aíres, Argentina.
Peru		See Peru–Vietnam relations Peru has an embassy in Hanoi. Vietnam is accredited to Peru from its embassy in Brasília, Brazil.
United States	1995-07-11	See United States–Vietnam relations United States has an embassy in Hanoi and a consulate-general in Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam has an embassy in Washington, D.C., and consulates-general in Houston, New York City and San Francisco.
Uruguay		See Uruguay–Vietnam relations Uruguay has an embassy in Hanoi. Vietnam is accredited to Uruguay from its embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Venezuela	1989-12-18	See Venezuela–Vietnam relations Vietnam has an embassy in Caracas and Venezuela an embassy in Hanoi. Though bilateral trade was $11.7 million in 2007 relations show "great potential". Over the past ten years, the two countries have witnessed new developments in various fields, including politics, economics, culture and society, particularly in the oil and gas industry. Vietnamese President Nguyễn Minh Triết arrived in Caracas on 18 November for a two-day official visit on an invitation from Hugo Chávez. Triet hailed Vietnam's friendship with Venezuela as he sought to focus on tying up oil and gas deals, including a joint development fund. He said that "We (Vietnamese) are grateful for the support and solidarity that they (Venezuelans) have offered us until now." Triết said. Since Hugo Chávez's visit to Vietnam in 2006, his government stepped up bilateral relations with the country, which also included a visit by the Communist Party general secretary, Nông Đức Mạnh in 2007. Petróleos de Venezuela and Petrovietnam also announced a number of joint projects since the 2006 visit, including Petrovietnam's was given a concession in the Orinoco basin and an agreement to transport Venezuelan oil to Vietnam, where the two would together build an oil refinery that Vietnam lacks. On the 2006 visit, Chávez praised Vietnam's revolutionary history as he attacked the United States for its "imperialist" crimes in the Vietnam War. On the 2008 visit Triết returned similar comments as he lauded a group of Venezuelans who captured a US soldier during the Vietnam war in an unsuccessful bid to prevent the execution of a Vietnamese revolutionary. The two leaders also signed a deal for a $200 million joint fund and 15 cooperation projects. In March 2008 an agreement was signed to cooperate in tourism between Vietnam and Venezuela. President Nguyễn Minh Triết received the PDVSA's vice president Asdrubal Chavez and stated that oil and gas cooperation would become a typical example of their multi-faceted cooperation. In 2009 the Venezuelan government approved $46.5 million for an agricultural development project with Vietnam.

Asia

Country	Formal relations began	Notes
Afghanistan	16 September 1974	Vietnam had an embassy in Kabul from 1978 to 1992.
Armenia	14 July 1992	Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Vietnam were established on 14 July 1992. Vietnam is represented in Armenia through its embassy in Moscow, Russia. Armenia has an embassy in Hanoi.
Bangladesh	2 November 1973	See Bangladesh–Vietnam relations
Brunei	29 February 1992	See Brunei–Vietnam relations Brunei has an embassy in Hanoi, and Vietnam has an embassy in Bandar Seri Begawan.
Cambodia	24 June 1967	See Cambodia–Vietnam relations Since the 1990s, relations between these nations have been improving. Both countries are members of multilateral regional organizations ASEAN and the Mekong–Ganga Cooperation. Both have opened and developed cross-border trade and sought to relax visa regulations to that end. Both governments have set official targets of increasing bilateral trade by 27% to US$2.3 billion by 2010 and to $6.5 billion by 2015. Vietnam exported US$1.2 billion worth of goods to Cambodia in 2007. While Cambodia is only the 16th largest importer of Vietnamese goods, Vietnam is Cambodia's third-largest export market. Cambodia has an embassy in Hanoi and a consulate-general in Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam has an embassy in Phnom Penh and consulates-general in Battambang and Sihanoukville.
China	960 (Song) 18 January 1950 (PRC)	See China–Vietnam relations File:Belt and Road Initiative participant map.svg Countries which signed cooperation documents related to the Belt and Road Initiative After both sides resumed trade links in 1991, growth in bilateral trade has increased from US$32 million in 1991 to almost $7.2 billion by 2004. Both governments have set the target of increasing trade volume to US$10 billion by 2010. Vietnam's exports to China include crude oil, coal, coffee and food, while China exports pharmaceuticals, machinery, petroleum, fertilizers and automobile parts to Vietnam. China has become Vietnam's second-largest trading partner and the largest source of imports. Both nations are working to establish an "economic corridor" from China's Yunnan to Vietnam's northern provinces and cities, and similar economic zones in the Gulf of Tonkin and connecting the Nanning of Guangxi province, Lang Son province, Hanoi, Haiphong and Quang Ninh province of Vietnam. Air and sea transport as well as railway have been opened between the two countries, so have the 7 pairs of national-level ports in the frontier provinces and regions of the two countries. Both sides have also launched joint ventures such as the Thai Nguyen Steel Complex, which produces hundreds of thousands of tonnes of steel products. China has an embassy in Hanoi and a consulates-general in Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam has an embassy in Beijing and consulates-general in Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Kunming, Nanning and Shanghai.
India	7/1/1972	See India–Vietnam relations India and Vietnam are members of the Mekong–Ganga Cooperation, created to develop to enhance close ties between India and nations of Southeast Asia. Vietnam has supported India's bid to become a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council and join the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). In the 2003 joint declaration, India and Vietnam envisaged creating an "Arc of Advantage and Prosperity" in Southeast Asia; to this end, Vietnam has backed a more important relationship and role between India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its negotiation of an Indo-ASEAN free trade agreement. India and Vietnam have also built strategic partnerships, including extensive cooperation on developing nuclear power, enhancing regional security and fighting terrorism, transnational crime and drug trafficking.
Indonesia	30 December 1955	See Indonesia–Vietnam relations Vietnam and Indonesia are both members of (ASEAN), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. President Megawati Sukarnoputri of Indonesia visited Vietnam in June 2003. At this time the two countries signed a "Declaration on the Framework of Friendly and Comprehensive Cooperation Entering the 21st Century". In May 2005 President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia visited Vietnam. In the December of the same year festivities were organized in the respective capital cities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties. Due to the ongoing South China Sea disputes, both Vietnam and Indonesia has supported a restraint in militarizing the issue. China claims the EEZ of the Natuna Island of Indonesia, while it also claims most of the South China Sea including the Vietnam-claimed Paracel and Spratly islands.
Iran	4 August 1973	See Iran–Vietnam relations
Iraq	10 July 1968	See Iraq–Vietnam relations Since December 1969, Iraq has an embassy in Hanoi. Vietnam is accredited to Iraq from its embassy in Tehran, Iran.
Israel	12 July 1993	See Israel–Vietnam relations Since December 1993, Israel has an embassy in Hanoi. Vietnam has an embassy in Tel Aviv. See also History of the Jews in Vietnam Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Israel
Japan	1605 (Tokugawa shogunate) 21 September 1973	See Japan-Vietnam relations Lord Nguyễn Hoàng started to send national letter to Tokugawa Ieyasu to invite Japanese merchant to come to Hội An in 1605 Prince Cường Để exiled in Japan in 1905 Việt Nam Duy Tân Hội (Vietnam Modernization Association) created in 1904 by Phan Bội Châu, The Vietnamese nationalist who wished to bring his people to Japan to study through Đông Du Movement Empire of Japan invaded French Indochina in 1940 Surrender of Japan in 1945 Both nation established relation on 21 September 1973 Following 23 October 1991 Final Act of the International Paris Conference on Cambodia among the Cambodian parties, Indonesia (as co-chair with France), and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, Japan promptly established diplomatic relations and ended economic restrictions with Cambodia and Vietnam. In November 1992, Tokyo offered Vietnam US$370 million in aid. Japan also took a leading role in peacekeeping activities in Cambodia. Japan's Akashi Yasushi, UN Undersecretary General for Disarmament, was head of the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia, and Japan pledged US$3 million and even sent approximately 2,000 personnel, including members of the SDF, to participate directly in maintaining the peace. Despite the loss of a Japanese peacekeeper killed in an ambush, the force remained in Cambodia until the Cambodians were able to elect and install a government. Japan is the single biggest country donor to Vietnam. It has pledged US$890 million in aid for the country this year, or 6.5 percent higher than the 2006 level of $US 835.6 million.
Laos	5/9/1962	See Laos-Vietnam relations Although Vietnam's historical record of leadership in the revolution and its military power and proximity will not cease to exist, Laos struck out ahead of Vietnam with its New Economic Mechanism to introduce market mechanisms into its economy. In so doing, Laos has opened the door to rapprochement with Thailand and China at some expense to its special dependence on Vietnam. Laos might have reached the same point of normalization in following Vietnam's economic and diplomatic change, but by moving ahead resolutely and responding to Thai and Chinese gestures, Laos has broadened its range of donors, trading partners, and investors independent of Vietnam's attempts to accomplish the same goal. Thus, Vietnam remains in the shadows as a mentor and emergency ally, and the tutelage of Laos has shifted dramatically to development banks and international entrepreneurs. Laos has an embassy in Hanoi and a consulates-general in Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam has an embassy in Vientiane and consulates-general in Luang Prabang, Pakse and Savannakhet
Malaysia	30 March 1973	See Malaysia-Vietnam relations Vietnam has an embassy in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia has an embassy in Hanoi and consulate-general in Ho Chi Minh City.
Mongolia	1280 (Yuan dynasty) 17 November 1954	See Mongolia–Vietnam relations The countries signed a Friendship and Cooperation Treaty in 1961, renewed it in 1979, and signed a new one in 1995. On 13 January 2003, the countries signed an 8-point cooperative document committing to cooperation between the two governments and their legislative bodies, replacing an earlier document signed in 1998. There have been 13 sessions of the Vietnam-Mongolia inter-governmental committee on cooperation in trade, economics and sci-tech, with the next to be held in Ulaanbaatar in 2010. On 25 May 2004 in Ulaanbaatar, the countries signed agreements on railway transport and scientific and technological cooperation. Other agreements have covered areas such as plant protection and quarantine regulations, customs, health and education.
Myanmar	28 May 1975	See Myanmar-Vietnam relations Myanmar has an embassy in Hanoi. Vietnam has an embassy in Yangon.
North Korea	1226 (Goryeo) 31 January 1950	See North Korea–Vietnam relations Prince Lý Long Tường of the Lý dynasty fled and exiled in Kingdom of Goryeo in 1226 to avoid the execution of the Trần dynasty Both had some meetings when both of them sent envoys to pay tribute to China Empire. North Korea recognised Communist ally North Vietnam on 31 January 1950 In July 1957, President Ho Chi Minh visited North Korea North Korean leader Kim Il-sung visited North Vietnam in November–December 1958 and November 1964. In February 1961, the two governments concluded an agreement on scientific and technical cooperation. President Kim Il Sung sent some fighter squadron to North Vietnam to back up the North Vietnamese 921st and 923rd fighter squadrons defending Hanoi while Hanoi was bombed by The US air forces. From 1950 to 1960s, students from North Vietnam began studying in North Korea as early as the 1960s. Relations later declined due to investment and trade disputes in the 1990s and 2000s and emerging relationship between South Korea and Vietnam
Pakistan	8 November 1972	See Pakistan–Vietnam relations Pakistan opened its embassy in Hanoi in 1973. However, due to economic reasons, Pakistan closed the embassy in 1980. Vietnam also opened its embassy in Islamabad in 1978 and had to close it down in 1984 due to its own economic difficulty. Bilateral relations between Pakistan and Vietnam in recent years have considerably improved. Both countries' leaders expressed their willingness to strengthen their existing relations, not only in the political sphere but also in other areas such as trade and economics, and exchange more visits from one to another's country, including both high-ranking and working visits. Pakistan reopened its embassy in Hanoi in October 2000. Vietnam also reopened its embassy in Islamabad in December 2005 and trade office in Karachi in November 2005.
Philippines	12 July 1976	See Philippines–Vietnam relations Ever since the end of the Cold War relations between the Philippines and Vietnam has warmed rapidly. Today the Philippines and Vietnam are economic allies and have a free trade deal with each other. Both nations are a part of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). The Philippines and Vietnam have conducted joint military exercises together in the South China Sea and are trying to find ways to turn the Spratly Islands from an area of conflict to an area of cooperation. Vietnam is also sometimes called the only communist military ally of the Philippines. The Philippines and Vietnam are also monitoring China's expansion into the South China Sea making sure that China is no threat to either Philippine or Vietnamese islands in the South China Sea. The Philippines also imports a large amount of writing material, clothes and other products from Vietnam. In May 2009, The Philippines has inked an agreement with Vietnam to cooperate in the fight against crimes and ensuring social order. In January 2010, the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Vietnam bourse "for mutual collaboration and communication of information and experience" to facilitate the development and efficient operations of both securities markets. In 2012, Vietnam sent two military assets for a good will visit to the Philippines. Both Vietnam and the Philippines have the same stand on the South China Sea disputes, patronizing multilateral talks and international court rulings to solve the issue, tactics which China has avoided. In 2016, the Philippines strengthened its stand on the dispute through a court ruling in an international court not associated with UN and poised to create stronger relations with Vietnam for strategic defense and economic cooperation.
Qatar	8 February 1993	See Qatar–Vietnam relations Qatar has an embassy in Hanoi. Vietnam has an embassy in Doha.
Saudi Arabia		See Saudi Arabia–Vietnam relations Saudi Arabia has an embassy in Hanoi. Vietnam has an embassy in Riyadh.
Singapore	1 August 1973	See Singapore–Vietnam relations Singapore has an embassy in Hanoi. Vietnam has an embassy in Singapore.
South Korea	1226 (Goryeo) 22 December 1992	See South Korea–Vietnam relations History Prince Lý Long Tường of the Lý dynasty fled and exiled in Kingdom of Goryeo in 1226 to avoid the execution of the Trần dynasty Both had some meetings when both of them sent envoys to pay tribute to China Empire. South Korea recognised Capitalist ally South Vietnam President Park Chung Hee sent ROK troops to fight in Vietnam war in 1960s. The establishment of diplomatic relations between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Republic of Korea started on 22 December 1992. 1994 August Prime Minister Lee Young-deok 1996 November President Kim Young-sam 1998 December President Kim Dae-jung 2002 April Prime Minister Lee Han-dong 2004 October President Roh Moo-hyun 2006 January Speaker of National Assembly Kim Won-ki 2006 November President Roh Moo-hyun (APEC) 2008 April Speaker of National Assembly Lim Chae-jung 2009 May Presidential Envoy Lee Byung-suk 2009 October President Lee Myung-bak 2009 November Speaker of National Assembly Kim Hyong-o 2010 October President Lee Myung-bak 2013 January Speaker of National Assembly Kang Chang Hee 2013 September President Park Geun-hye(G20).
Taiwan	960 (Song) unofficial relation (Now)	see Taiwan–Vietnam relations Taiwan had full relation with former South Vietnam Taiwan–Vietnam relations are conducted on an unofficial level, as Hanoi adheres to a one-China policy and officially recognises the People's Republic of China only. However, this has not stopped bilateral visits and significant flows of migrants and investment capital between Taiwan and Vietnam. Taiwan has been the largest source of foreign direct investment in Vietnam since 2006. Both countries maintain representative offices; Taiwan is represented by branches of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, while Vietnam is represented by the Vietnam Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei.
Thailand	6/8/1976	See Thailand–Vietnam relations Thailand has an embassy in Hanoi and a consulate-general in Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam has an embassy in Bangkok and a consulate-general in Khon Kaen.
Turkey	1978	See Turkey–Vietnam relations Vietnam has an embassy in Ankara. Turkey has an embassy in Hanoi. Trade volume between the two countries was US$1.912 billion in 2015 (Viet exports/imports: 1.76/0.16 billion USD). There are direct flights from Istanbul to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City since 27 June 2016.
United Arab Emirates	1 August 1993	See United Arab Emirates–Vietnam relations United Arab Emirates has an embassy in Hanoi. Vietnam has an embassy in Abu Dhabi.

Europe

Country	Formal relations began	Notes
EU	1990	See Vietnam–European Union relations
Austria	1 December 1972	See Austria–Vietnam relations Austria has an embassy in Hanoi. Vietnam has an embassy in Vienna.
Belarus	24 January 1992	See Belarus–Vietnam relations Since 1997, Belarus has an embassy in Hanoi. Since November 2003, Vietnam has an embassy in Minsk.
Bulgaria	8 February 1950	See Bulgaria–Vietnam relations Bulgaria has an embassy in Hanoi. Vietnam has an embassy in Sofia. In 2006, the Bulgarian Government agreed to a healthcare cooperation plan with Vietnam. The two-year plan includes cooperation in many areas, mainly in public healthcare, inpatient and outpatient help, food security, medical education.
Czech Republic	2 February 1950 (as Czechoslovakia)	See Czech Republic–Vietnam relations The Czech Republic has an embassy in Hanoi. Vietnam has an embassy in Prague.
Denmark	25 November 1971	See Denmark–Vietnam relations Since 1 April 1994, Denmark has an embassy in Hanoi. Since 12 August 2000, Vietnam has an embassy in Copenhagen. There are around 8,500 Vietnamese living in Denmark. June 2002, Nguyễn Dy Niên, Vietnamese Foreign Minister, visited Denmark October 2004, Per Stig Møller Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs attended the 5th Asia–Europe Meeting in Hanoi March 2007, Ulrik Federspiel Secretary of State for Foreign Affair visited Vietnam Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Denmark
Finland		See Finland–Vietnam relations Finland has an embassy in Hanoi. Vietnam has an embassy in Helsinki.
France	12 April 1973	See France–Vietnam relations France has an embassy in Hanoi and a consulate-general in Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam has an embassy in Paris.
Germany	3 February 1955 (with East Germany and unified Germany) 23 September 1975 (with West Germany)	See Germany–Vietnam relations Germany has an embassy in Hanoi. Vietnam has an embassy in Berlin and a consulate-general in Frankfurt.
Greece	15 April 1975	See Greece–Vietnam relations Greece has an embassy in Hanoi. Vietnam has an embassy in Athens.
Holy See	No relation	See Holy See–Vietnam relations
Hungary	3 February 1950	See Hungary–Vietnam relations Hungary has an embassy in Hanoi. Vietnam has an embassy in Budapest.
Italy	23 March 1973	See Italy–Vietnam relations Italy has an embassy in Hanoi and a consulate-general in Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam has an embassy in Rome.
Luxembourg	15 November 1973	See Luxembourg–Vietnam relations Luxembourg is represented in Vietnam through its embassy in Beijing, China. Vietnam is represented in Luxembourg through its embassy in Brussels, Belgium.
Template:Country data North Macedonia	10 June 1994	The countries established diplomatic relations on 10 June 1994. North Macedonia is represented in Vietnam through its embassy in Beijing, China. Vietnam is represented in North Macedonia through its embassy in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Poland	4 February 1950	See Poland–Vietnam relations Poland has an embassy in Hanoi. Vietnam has an embassy in Warsaw.
Portugal	1 July 1975	In 2015 both countries are celebrating 500 years of relations, remembering 1515 when the Portuguese traveler Duarte Coelho, reached Cochinchina, Champa and Tonkin starting a long period of trading relations with the Portuguese established in Macau and in Malacca. Portugal is accredited to Vietnam from its embassy in Bangkok, Thailand and has honorary consulates both in Hanoi (31 Pho Duc Chinh, Truc Bach Ward, Ba Dinh District, Ha noi) and in Ho Chi Minh City (66/11 Pham Ngoc Thach, Q3, Ho Chi Minh) Vietnam is accredited to Portugal from its embassy in Paris, France.
Russia	30 January 1950 (as USSR) Russia (now)	See Russia–Vietnam relations USSR was an ally of Vietnam. On 30 January 1950 the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics established an embassy to North Vietnam. The USSR was traditionally one of Vietnam's strongest allies.
Serbia	10 March 1957 (as SFR Yugoslavia)	Serbia is represented in Vietnam through its embassy in Jakarta (Indonesia). Vietnam is represented in Serbia through its embassy in Bucharest (Romania). Vietnam supports Serbia in Kosovo issue. Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the relation with Vietnam Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the relation with Serbia
Slovakia	2/2/1950 (as Czechoslovakia)	See Slovakia–Vietnam relations Slovakia has an embassy in Hanoi. Vietnam has an embassy in Bratislava.
Spain	23 May 1977	See Spain–Vietnam relations Spain has an embassy in Hanoi. Vietnam has an embassy in Madrid.
Ukraine	23 January 1992	See Ukraine–Vietnam relations Ukraine has an embassy in Hanoi. Vietnam has an embassy in Kyiv.
United Kingdom	11 September 1973	See United Kingdom–Vietnam relations File:Foreign Secretary David Lammy at the ASEAN summit in MalaysiaImage 2025-07-11 at 13.38.54 (1) (54649270066).jpg Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bùi Thanh Sơn with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy in Kuala Lumpur, July 2025. Vietnam established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 11 September 1973. Vietnam maintains an embassy in London. The UK is accredited to Vietnam through its embassy in Hanoi, and a Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City. The UK occupied Southern Vietnam and Saigon from 1945–1946. Both countries share common membership of CPTPP, the United Nations, and the World Trade Organization. Bilaterally the two countries have a Double Taxation Agreement, a Free Trade Agreement, an Investment Agreement, and a Strategic Partnership.

Oceania

Country	Formal relations began	Notes
Australia	26 February 1973	See Australia–Vietnam relations Australian prime ministers Paul Keating and John Howard have visited Vietnam, in 1994 and 2006 respectively. In the fiscal year 2006–2007 Australia Overseas Development Aid was 81.5million A$. In 2006, the volume of bilateral trade was 4.75 US$ billion. Australia has an embassy in Hanoi and a consulate in Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam has an embassy in Canberra. Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs: VIETNAM – AUSTRALIA RELATIONS
New Zealand	19 June 1975	See New Zealand–Vietnam relations

See also

• List of diplomatic missions in Vietnam
• Visa requirements for Vietnamese citizens

Further reading

• Amer, Ramses. "Border conflicts between Cambodia and Vietnam." IBRU Boundary and Security Bulletin 5.2 (1997): 80-97 online.
• Brown, Frederick Z. "Rapprochement Between Vietnam and the United States." Contemporary Southeast Asia (2010): 317-342 online.
• Cuong, Nguyen Xuan, and Nguyen Thi Phuong Hoa. "Achievements and Problems in Vietnam: China Relations from 1991 to the Present." China Report 54.3 (2018): 306-324. online
• Gin, Christopher M. "How China Wins: A Case Study of the 1979 Sino-Vietnamese War" (Army Command And General Staff College Fort Leavenworth KS, 2015) online Template:Webarchive.
• Ha, Lam Thanh, and Nguyen Duc Phuc. "The US-China Trade War: Impact on Vietnam." (2019). online Template:Webarchive
• Hiep, Nguyen Quang. "Vietnam-China trade relations and the effects of the US-China trade war." Business and Economic Research 9.4 (2019): 1-11.
• Hood, Steven J. Dragons Entangled: Indochina and the China-Vietnam War (ME Sharpe, 1993).
• Leighton, Marian Kirsch. "Perspectives on the Vietnam-Cambodia border conflict." Asian Survey 18.5 (1978): 448–457. online
• Levinson, David, and Karen Christensen, eds. Encyclopedia of Modern Asia. (2002) vol 6.
• Morris, Stephen J. Why Vietnam invaded Cambodia: Political culture and the causes of war (Stanford University Press, 1999).
• Path, Kosal. "The Duality of Vietnam’s Deference and Resistance to China." Diplomacy & Statecraft 29.3 (2018): 499–521. online
• Thanh, Luong Ngoc. "Vietnam's Foreign Policy in the post-Cold War Era: Ideology and Reality." (PhD dissertation Hiroshima University 2013) online.
• Thayer, Carlyle A. "Vietnam in 2013: Domestic contestation and foreign policy success." Southeast Asian Affairs (2014): 355-372 online.
• Tran, Thi Bich, and Yoichiro Sato. "Vietnam's Post‐Cold War Hedging Strategy: A Changing Mix of Realist and Liberal Ingredients." Asian Politics & Policy 10.1 (2018): 73-99 online.
• Vuving, Alexander L. "Strategy and evolution of Vietnam's China policy: a changing mixture of pathways." Asian Survey 46.6 (2006): 805-824 online Template:Webarchive
• Westad, Odd Arne, and Sophie Quinn-Judge, eds. The third Indochina war: conflict between China, Vietnam and Cambodia, 1972-79 (Routledge, 2006).
• Womack, Brantly. "Asymmetry and systemic misperception: China, Vietnam and Cambodia during the 1970s." Journal of Strategic Studies 26.2 (2003): 92-119 online.

External links

• Template:Official
• Vietnam – US trade