ABSTRACT
The EU and Japan share the notion of human rights and democracy as important parts of developing societies. To such extent both actors have used political or economic pressure on un-democratic, human rights violating regimes – a striking example being sanctions against Myanmar until 2011. This chapter focuses on how the two self-proclaimed advocates for universal values frames human rights and democracy in bilateral partnerships with Vietnam. The study suggests that competition with China, over a growing Vietnamese market and its geo-strategic location, holds implications for the EU and Japan in their quest for promoting democracy and human rights.
