ABSTRACT
The power rivalry between the United States and China is a direct result of the rapid expansion of China's economic, military and political power and the refocusing of US interest, and consequently, also power, to the Indo-Pacific. This chapter explores that in addition to the power rivalry between the two giants, the dynamics that include the rise of patriotism and the crisis of Communist Party rule in Vietnam. It discusses the evolution of Vietnamese politics since doi moi era, followed by a discussion of the impact of the South China Sea (SCS) dispute on relations among Vietnam, China and the United States and a look at how Vietnam is dealing with the conflict. The chapter examines Vietnam's responses to the rise of China and the US rebalances. The crisis of Vietnam's Communist Party (VCP) rule is a long-term, but direct, consequence of the evolution of the party-state since doi moi, the launch of a large-scale reform programme in 1986.
