Rappler Talk: What do close Philippines-Vietnam ties mean for the Asia-Pacific?

MANILA, Philippines — On June 1, during Vietnamese President To Lam’s state visit to the Philippines, Hanoi and Manila announced the elevation of ties to an Enhanced Strategic Partnership. It is the first of its kind for both countries. Vietnam is the Philippines’ only strategic partner or enhanced strategic partner in Southeast Asia.

But in the context of a world that many have accurately called fragmented or turbulent, what does this mean exactly? To help us better understand the dynamics between Vietnam and the Philippines and how this possibly affects the region and the rest of the world, Rappler speaks to Minh Phuong Vu, a PhD candidate at the Department of International Relations of the Australian National University.

Mihn’s research focuses on the evolution of Vietnam’s foreign policy, territorial disputes in the South China Sea, and Southeast Asian security and alignment tendencies. She also recently attended the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore as a Young Leader, where Vietnamese President To Lam was keynote speaker.

Bookmark this page to watch the interview on June 4. – Rappler.com