Vietnam and the European Union have upgraded their diplomatic relationship to a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” aligning the EU with China, the United States and Russia as one of Vietnam’s highest-tier international partners. Vietnamese President Luong Cuong hailed the move as a “historical milestone” at a meeting in Hanoi with European Council President Antonio Costa, who stressed the partnership underscores Vietnam’s growing regional role and the need for reliable, predictable partners amid threats to the rules-based international order.
Costa, whose European Council comprises EU heads of state and the European Commission president, arrived in Hanoi on January 29 and was among the first foreign leaders to meet Communist Party chief To Lam after his re-election. Costa said the EU is committed to deepening ties with Vietnam, invoking “shared values and mutual goals” and noting 35 years of expanding cooperation.
Trade is central to the EU-Vietnam relationship. Vietnam is the EU’s largest trading partner in Southeast Asia; bilateral trade rose about 50% between 2019 and 2024 to roughly €67 billion ($79 billion), with data for the first ten months of 2025 showing continued growth of about 8.4% year-on-year. The upgraded partnership is expected to provide more regular channels for dialogue and cooperation across a broader agenda.
Analysts note Brussels came relatively late to this level of engagement: China, Russia, the US, Japan and Singapore have already established similar high-level ties with Vietnam. Experts say Hanoi deliberately seeks multiple comprehensive partnerships to avoid overdependence on a single power — a strategy often called “bamboo diplomacy” that emphasizes flexibility and independence. The US is Vietnam’s largest export market, China remains a close partner despite South China Sea tensions, and Russia supplies key military hardware.
Alfred Gerstl, an Indo-Pacific specialist at the University of Vienna, told DW that the new status is both symbolic and practical, opening opportunities for more sustained exchanges. Khac Giang Nguyen, a visiting fellow at ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute, argued that disruption in global trade — notably actions by the Trump administration — has pushed partners like the EU and Vietnam closer, as both have an interest in sustaining a rules-based trading system.
The EU-Vietnam joint statement outlines cooperation beyond trade, including work on critical raw materials, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, transport, and “secure and trusted communications infrastructure.” Both sides also pledged to enhance supply-chain resilience, and step up collaboration on security and defense.
Despite economic momentum, political tensions remain a recurring source of friction. The EU-Vietnam free trade agreement, in force since 2020, included expectations that Vietnam would allow independent trade unions. Rights groups and labor experts say genuinely independent unions still do not operate freely, and observers report increased repression of domestic critics since To Lam returned to power. A leaked 2023 Politburo directive warned of foreign-influenced “civil society” networks and independent unions as potential threats, fueling state controls.
Bill Hayton, an associate fellow at Chatham House, suggested Hanoi may view the upgraded ties as a way to blunt EU pressure for political reforms, believing the elevated relationship could reduce Brussels’ leverage on issues such as civil society space.
Another sensitive area is Vietnam’s stance on Russia and the war in Ukraine. Costa acknowledged differences on the conflict but said both sides agree on principles like independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty. Vietnam has prioritized maintaining relations with Russia, even when this risks displeasing Western partners; projects such as a planned nuclear power deal with Russia indicate Hanoi’s willingness to balance ties carefully. Observers expect the EU may press Vietnam to lean on Moscow, but Vietnam’s recent behavior suggests caution about taking sides.
Since formulating “bamboo diplomacy” in 2016, Vietnam has sought to avoid being drawn into great-power rivalries in the region while aggressively pursuing economic growth and expanding diplomatic outreach. The new Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the EU is a significant milestone for both parties: it cements deeper economic and strategic cooperation for Brussels and widens Hanoi’s room for maneuver — yet it is unlikely to alter Vietnam’s broader non-aligned approach.
Edited by: Darko Janjevic