Sitting in silence or standing in protests: endogenous dynamics behind Vietnam foreign policy and the 2014 oil rig crisis

Figures & data

Table 1. Different political agents in the VCP and their foreign policy preferences.

Types of political agents in the VCP	Members	Foreign policy outlook	Policy preference in the SCS	Pragmatism within policy
Ideological Conservative	Party’s officials and the MOD	China is an important ideological ally	Ignore minor conflicts to preserve Sino-Vietnam comradeship. Keep protests low-key	Acknowledge China’s superiority to preserve Vietnam’s independence
Nationalist Revisionist	Government officials and the MOFA	China’s territorial ambitions are biggest challenge to Vietnam. Seek non- communist support.	Make the issue public and advocate for international support to deter Beijing’s ambition	Endorse indirect balancing but resist formal alliances or collusion against China