Vietnam: Navigating a Rapidly Changing Economy, Society, and Political Order

Vietnam, like its giant neighbor China, is governed by a one-party police state that adheres to a socialist ideology. It emulated China in adopting a policy of economic reform in the 1980s and joining the World Trade Organization two decades later. But Vietnam has forged its own version of this model. It allows its citizens to use Facebook and Google, tolerates more open debate about policy issues, responds more positively to public protests as long as they do not directly challenge the party-state, and respects the autonomy of foreign and private enterprises. China’s aggressive reaction to Vietnam’s claims in the South China Sea has made the Vietnamese public more welcoming to the United States and pushed Hanoi into an informal security alignment with Washington. With contributions from over a dozen highly qualified experts, the book offers a comprehensive survey of Vietnam’s politics, economy, society, and foreign relations. It highlights the challenges of corruption, economic inequality, and environmental damage and calls for improvements in the higher education system so the country can benefit from the spillover effects of foreign direct investment and attract higher-tech manufacturing enterprises that want to invest outside China.