Public Diplomacy in Vietnam: National Interests and Identities in the Public Sphere

This book explores how Vietnam’s leadership conceptualises and conducts public diplomacy (PD) and offers a comparative analysis with regional powers. Drawing on social constructivism as its theoretical framework it investigates the rationale behind an authoritarian regime’s implementation of public diplomacy to contribute to a better understanding of the broader framework of foreign-domestic policy. This theoretical and practical exploration of Vietnam’s PD in cases of cultural diplomacy, South China Sea diplomacy and online activism situates it in the general academic and theoretical discussion on soft power. Key variables to the conceptualisation and conduct of Vietnam’s PD, namely national interest, national identity and changing information technologies, especially the Internet and social media, are also thoroughly investigated. With crosscutting themes ranging from politics and international relations to communication studies, it will appeal to students and scholars of identity politics, populism and nationalism.

Vu Lam is currently a visiting fellow at the Australian National University. He holds a PhD in international and political studies from the University of New South Wales and a Master of International Studies (Advanced) from the University of Queensland, Australia. His areas of interest include soft power, public diplomacy, cyber policy and public participation on social media.