Vietnam and the Four Nos-How Chinese Actions in the South China Sea Inflluence Vietnam's Hedging Strategy

W hile the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam are aligned in ideology and historically have had close ties, their relationship has been fraught with tension. Recent PRC assertions regarding continuing flash points-most notably, territorial disputes in the South China Sea-strained relations between the two countries, leading to open protests against the PRC by Vietnamese citizens. These strains caused many in the United States to believe that a new opportunity existed to court Vietnam into higher levels of strategic partnership. Those dreams came to fruition in September 2023 when the United States and Vietnam upgraded their diplomatic relationship to a "comprehensive strategic partnership," on par with Vietnam's relationship with China and the highest level of partnership that Vietnam bestows. Yet Vietnam's military policy, known as the Four Nos, may still frustrate U.S. policy makers as they seek to fashion a security structure capable of balancing against Chinese