Vietnam and Malaysia’s Policies on Foreign Affairs and Maritime Delimitation

Abstract

Both located in Southeast Asia, Vietnam and Malaysia have a good and trustworthy traditional relationship. Although the relationship between the two countries has experienced many ups and downs, and there have even been times of political and diplomatic disagreements related to some regional issues, Vietnam, following its revolutionary and scientific foreign policy perspective, has fundamentally changed Malaysia’s perception, among others therein, on these issues, thereby dispelling its suspicions, improving bilateral cooperation, establishing a Strategic Partnership in 2015 and upgrading to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2024. Vietnam-Malaysia partnership in general and their cooperation on maritime delimitation in particular have basically been going smoothly despite many difficulties that have prolonged the negotiation process on maritime delimitation between the two countries.