Party General Secretary Tô Lâm speaks at Oxford University, the UK, in October, highlighting Việt Nam’s commitment to being a responsible global member. — Photo baochinhphu.vn

Quốc Huy

Việt Nam has entered a crucial phase of preparation for the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Việt Nam – a defining political event, slated for late January next year, that will set the country’s direction for the years ahead.

Amid discussions over the Congress’s draft policy documents, one phrase has stood out: strategic autonomy. Party officials say it marks a new stage in Việt Nam’s thinking about independence and self-reliance – not just the ability to remain independent, but the capacity to steer its own course in a fast-changing world.

For decades, independence and self-reliance have been a constant principle in Việt Nam’s political philosophy, and a guardrail for national policy. But for the first time, the new draft documents introduce the idea of strategic autonomy, expanding that principle to reflect the realities of globalisation and geopolitical competition.

In simple terms, if independence means avoiding dependence on any external power, strategic autonomy means having the strength and foresight to set one’s own direction amid global uncertainty.

That idea has become urgent. As great-power rivalries intensify, supply chains shift and new risks emerge – from energy shortages to cyber threats – nations without strategic autonomy risk being pulled into the orbit of stronger players.

Since taking office, Party General Secretary Tô Lâm has repeatedly emphasised the need to build what he calls "comprehensive strategic autonomy".

Speaking at a Party Central Committee meeting in October, he urged members to weave that concept into the 14th Congress documents, alongside reforms to boost innovation and economic efficiency.

Days later, addressing the first Congress of the Party Organisation of the Government for the 2025–2030 term, he called for Việt Nam to get ahead of the curve by combining the intelligence of its people with global knowledge, and to achieve a state of strategic autonomy for the good of the nation and its citizens.

In his view, autonomy is not limited to politics or national defence. It depends on deeper internal strength: a resilient economy, a capable scientific base, and a unified national spirit.

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has echoed that message on the global stage. At the ASEAN Future Forum in February, he described strategic autonomy as "the ability to shape one’s own path while staying open to the world".

Balancing in a volatile world

The call for autonomy comes at a time of shifting power balances. Trade wars, technology bans and competition in artificial intelligence and clean energy are redefining global relationships.

For Việt Nam, positioned at the crossroads of the Asia–Pacific, the challenge is complex. It maintains a comprehensive strategic partnership with the US while preserving its long-standing ties with China, its largest trading partner.

At the same time, it is deepening cooperation with the EU, Japan, India, South Korea, and others.

In that environment, strategic autonomy is not a choice but a necessity. Việt Nam’s foreign policy, Party officials say, remains rooted in independence, peace, friendship, and cooperation – to be, in their words, "a friend, a reliable partner, and a responsible member" of the international community.

During a lecture at Oxford University, the UK, in October, General Secretary Lâm reaffirmed that Việt Nam would never take sides in great-power rivalries. The country’s approach is to maintain balance – securing political, social and economic stability at home while promoting peace and cooperation abroad, and resolving differences through dialogue and international law.

"The legitimate interests of the people must come first," he said.

That, observers note, is Việt Nam’s definition of strategic autonomy in action: independent in thought, flexible in practice, and steady in principle.

Proof in practice

Recent years have tested that approach. When the US-China trade war disrupted global supply chains, Việt Nam sustained its position as a key manufacturing hub, thanks to its stable and balanced foreign policy.

When regional tensions flared, it stood firm on its principles of peace and international law, while strengthening defence cooperation with multiple partners – yet without joining any formal alliances.

As of October, Việt Nam has diplomatic ties with 195 countries, strategic partnerships with 10 and comprehensive partnerships with 17 – including all five permanent members of the UN Security Council and the G7.

Its list of comprehensive strategic partners now includes China, Russia, the US, Japan, India, the Republic of Korea, the UK, Australia, France, New Zealand, and several ASEAN neighbours.

At a foreign affairs conference last year, General Secretary Lâm summed up Việt Nam’s guiding principle: diplomacy must safeguard independence in strategic thinking while putting national interests first and contributing to global peace and cooperation.

That is the essence of strategic autonomy: independent but not isolated, integrated but not dependent.

Building the foundations

Analysts say achieving that goal will depend on three main pillars: economic strength, effective governance, and technological capability.

Dương Trung Ý, deputy director of the Hồ Chí Minh National Academy of Politics, notes that the draft documents highlight self-reliance, self-determination, self-confidence, self-strength, and self-pride as the foundation for Việt Nam’s future.

Economic autonomy, he says, remains the root of all others. As supply chains realign, Việt Nam’s task is to build an economy that is both independent and deeply integrated – combining domestic innovation and green transformation with stable participation in global markets.

Institutional autonomy requires transparent, adaptable governance that remains true to socialist principles while embracing reform and modernisation. And in the digital era, technological mastery will define whether Việt Nam can chart its own course.

The challenges are significant. The global landscape is uncertain, and Việt Nam’s economy is still dominated by small and medium-sized enterprises. But policymakers say that with sound strategy, stronger institutions and investment in knowledge and technology, the country can maintain its independence while growing more deeply connected to the world.

Strategic autonomy, as the Party’s draft documents describe it, is more than a foreign policy stance. It is a vision for development – to remain open to the world yet firmly in control of one’s own destiny.

For Việt Nam, that will be the clearest statement yet of where it intends to stand in an increasingly uncertain world. VNS