Vietnam and Thailand forge strategic ties to boost trade, reduce reliance on China

Vietnam and Thailand’s upgraded partnership aims to boost trade to US$25 billion by 2030, reflecting Hanoi’s tiered diplomacy approach

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Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra (left) shakes hands with To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, on May 16. Photo: AP

Published: 3:00pm, 25 May 2025

Vietnam and Thailand have upgraded their ties to the highest level of diplomatic cooperation – a move that analysts say reflects Hanoi’s strategy of deepening regional ties even as it quietly ranks its partners’ strategic weight using a “two-tiered stratification system”.

The new Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), formalised during Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s visit to Hanoi last Friday, places Thailand among a growing list of countries with which Vietnam has strengthened its diplomatic framework in recent years.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said the CSP was “a symbolic milestone” and “a strategic commitment, affirming a breakthrough in the content and depth of cooperation”.

A joint statement following the meeting said both sides would work to raise bilateral trade to US$25 billion by 2030, with priority given to clean energy, the digital economy and hi-tech agriculture.

Thai government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub added that the upgraded ties would also bolster collaboration on political and security issues, particularly in combating transnational crime and drug trafficking.

Since signing its first CSP with China in 2008, Vietnam has formed partnerships with several countries, including the US, Russia, India, Singapore, Malaysia and Japan, with the last 10 agreements made since 2022.

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