Countries can’t escape their history, and Vietnam is not an exception. It has a history of having fought wars both with the USA and China, two countries from which it tries to maintain cooperation while preserving strategic independence.

Vietnam is a socialist country and, for obvious reasons, enjoys a special political relationship with China. However, members of Vietnamese Politburo, far away from being open supporters of Beijing, they are quite pragmatic. China, despite the tensions over the South China Sea, represents the first trade partner for Vietnam, and hard facts can’t be ignored.