Politics & Power Quote by Nguyen Xuan Phuc

“Peaceful and friendly” is diplomatic velvet: soft enough to soothe, firm enough to conceal steel. Coming from Nguyen Xuan Phuc, a senior Vietnamese politician formed in the postwar state and governing amid great-power competition, the line reads less like personal belief than strategic positioning. It’s aimed outward, a reassurance to investors, tourists, and middle powers that Vietnam is stable, predictable, and open for business. It’s also aimed upward at Washington, Beijing, Tokyo, and Brussels: Vietnam wants partnerships without being drafted into anyone’s crusade.

The key phrase is the second clause. “Respects the sovereignty of other nations” is a classic Southeast Asian code word: non-interference. It signals continuity with the region’s diplomatic ethic and Vietnam’s own long-standing insistence on autonomy after centuries of foreign domination. The subtext is almost audible: we won’t lecture you about your politics; don’t you lecture us about ours. Human rights pressure, regime-change rhetoric, and “values-based” foreign policy all get quietly pushed to the margins.

Context sharpens the message. Vietnam’s security anxieties are real, especially in the South China Sea, where “sovereignty” is not a philosophical concept but a map dispute with ships attached. So the sentence doubles as a mirror held up to others: we respect borders; do you? It’s an invitation and a warning delivered in the same breath, designed to keep Vietnam in the sweet spot of modern statecraft - integrated enough to prosper, guarded enough to endure.