Party General Secretary and State President To Lam reaffirmed and emphasised the central role played by ASEAN, stating clearly that Vietnam regards ASEAN as the most important strategic space, and that the Asia-Pacific regional security architecture should be led by ASEAN rather than becoming an arena for rivalry among major powers.
Prof. Mi Liang, Director of the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies at the Beijing Foreign Studies University of China. Photo: VNA
The keynote address by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and State President To Lam at the opening session of the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue on May 29 was among the most influential speeches delivered at the forum and generated strong resonance, a Chinese scholar has said.
In an interview granted to the Vietnamese News Agency’s correspondents in China, Prof. Mi Liang, Director of the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies at the Beijing Foreign Studies University of China, said the speech was positive and constructive, broadly reflecting the perspectives of most Southeast Asian countries.
His assessment of the world’s current challenges was objective, he said, noting that the international community is facing crises related to international order, development models, and strategic trust. These challenges, marked by selective application of international rules, growing unilateralism, the weaponisation of economic tools, the widening gap between development and security, and increasing mistrust among nations, have become root causes of current global instability, with particularly serious consequences for small- and medium-sized countries.
The top Vietnamese leader’s call for reconstructing the international order based on the UN Charter and international law closely aligns with the perceptions of many countries in the Global South and reflects the aspirations of most Southeast Asian and Asian nations, he noted.
According to the Chinese scholar, in his speech, Party General Secretary and State President To Lam reaffirmed and emphasised the central role played by ASEAN, stating clearly that Vietnam regards ASEAN as the most important strategic space, and that the Asia-Pacific regional security architecture should be led by ASEAN rather than becoming an arena for rivalry among major powers, the Chinese scholar said. The Vietnamese leader also called for inclusive regional security cooperation to prevent the region from “militarization”.
As a researcher, Mi highly valued the views expressed by General Secretary and State President To Lam. He said that as a regional intergovernmental organisation, ASEAN must remain independent and self-reliant, be respected, and be free from interference by any external power. Under international law, he noted, this is absolutely not a problem.
The expert noted that in his address, Party General Secretary and State President To Lam also elaborated on Vietnam’s “Four No's” defence policy, emphasising that sustainable security must be built on development and mutual trust rather than an arms race.
He said the policy is consistent with the positions of most peace-loving nations, the UN Charter, and the “Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence,” affirming that this principle stands on the right side of history.
He added that top leader To Lam also outlined Vietnam’s balanced diplomatic approach of “not taking sides while adhering to fundamental principles,” advocating common security through preventive diplomacy, emerging technology governance, and greater resilience in food, energy and data security.
Mi described the address as positive, constructive, independent and consistent with international law and reality, in line with Vietnam's interests, and reflected the aspirations of most Southeast Asian countries. He showed his belief that the speech is likely to shape directions for Vietnam’s foreign policy in the time to come.
Notably, the scholar also pointed to the Vietnamese leader’s response to a question from a Chinese delegate on the sidelines of the event, related to the Vietnam – China “3+3” strategic dialogue mechanism, which brings together officials responsible for foreign affairs, defence and public security. According to him, the mechanism carries significant practical value in strengthening bilateral ties while contributing to regional peace, stability, and cooperation. It reflects Vietnam’s policy of self-reliance and resilience, its commitment to international law, peace, and mutually beneficial cooperation, and underscores the importance Vietnam attaches to coordination and dialogue channels with China.
In the scholar’s view, the keynote address – the first presented by the Vietnamese leader at the Shangri-La Dialogue in his capacity as Vietnamese Party and State leader, signaled Vietnam’s evolution from a country that primarily follows established rules to one that actively contributes to shaping the regional agenda, using multilateral platforms to uphold “ASEAN’s centrality” and rally regional voices against unilateral pressure.
Assessing the potential contributions of Vietnam’s proposals to building an inclusive and sustainable regional security architecture, Mi said that the initiatives put forward by the Vietnamese leader at the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue will help reinforce ASEAN’s central role while promoting preventive diplomacy and the “3+3” mechanism. These proposals, he noted, offer a rules-based and non-confrontational approach that integrates development and security, providing a pathway toward a comprehensive and sustainable regional security architecture.
He observed that the Vietnamese leader’s vision at the dialogue covers non-traditional security areas such as rule reform, emerging technology governance, and societal resilience capacity. By linking security with sustainable development, climate change, and digital economy, his approach transcends the limitations of conventional military security and aligns with the holistic and systemic governance requirements of a sustainable security architecture.
The Chinese expert further emphasised that Vietnam’s policy of “non-alignment, not taking sides, and being autonomous yet responsible", together with its diplomatic practice, helps prevent the formation of rival blocs while fostering stability through institutional dialogue and multilateral platforms. In his view, this approach offers a practical pathway for the regional security architecture to evolve from a model of “balance of power” toward “rule-based collective governance.”/.