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<article xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:ali="http://www.niso.org/schemas/ali/1.0/" article-type="research-article" dtd-version="1.2" xml:lang="en"><front><journal-meta><journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">The Russian Journal of Vietnamese Studies</journal-id><journal-title-group><journal-title xml:lang="en">The Russian Journal of Vietnamese Studies</journal-title><trans-title-group xml:lang="ru"><trans-title>Вьетнамские исследования</trans-title></trans-title-group></journal-title-group><issn publication-format="electronic">2618-9453</issn><publisher><publisher-name xml:lang="en">Institute of China and Contemporary Asia of the RAS</publisher-name></publisher></journal-meta><article-meta><article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">685709</article-id><article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.54631/VS.2025.92-685709</article-id><article-categories><subj-group subj-group-type="toc-heading" xml:lang="en"><subject>Foreign policy and inward political processes</subject></subj-group><subj-group subj-group-type="toc-heading" xml:lang="ru"><subject>Внешняя политика и внутриполитические процессы</subject></subj-group><subj-group subj-group-type="article-type"><subject>Research Article</subject></subj-group></article-categories><title-group><article-title xml:lang="en">Between two powers: Vietnam and the strategic balancing of Russia and China in the 21st century</article-title><trans-title-group xml:lang="ru"><trans-title>Между двумя державами: Вьетнам и стратегическое балансирование в отношениях с Россией и Китаем в 21 веке</trans-title></trans-title-group></title-group><contrib-group><contrib contrib-type="author"><contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">https://orcid.org/0009-0009-6366-4924</contrib-id><name-alternatives><name xml:lang="en"><surname>Ly</surname><given-names>Tuong Van</given-names></name><name xml:lang="ru"><surname>Ли</surname><given-names>Тыонг Ван</given-names></name></name-alternatives><address><country country="VN">Viet Nam</country></address><bio xml:lang="en"><p>Ph.D. (History), Vice Dean of Faculty of History, University of Social Sciences and Humanities</p></bio><bio xml:lang="ru"><p>Университет общественных и гуманитарных наук, к. и. н., зам. декана исторического факультета</p></bio><email>tuongvannly@ussh.edu.vn</email><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1"/></contrib><contrib contrib-type="author"><contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">https://orcid.org/0009-0002-4824-0671</contrib-id><name-alternatives><name xml:lang="en"><surname>Hoang</surname><given-names>Anh Tuan</given-names></name><name xml:lang="ru"><surname>Хоанг</surname><given-names>Ань Туан</given-names></name></name-alternatives><address><country country="VN">Viet Nam</country></address><bio xml:lang="en"><p>Ph.D. (History), Professor, Rector of University of Social Sciences and Humanities</p></bio><bio xml:lang="ru"><p>Университет общественных и гуманитарных наук, к. и. н., профессор, ректор</p></bio><email>tuan@ussh.edu.vn</email><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1"/></contrib></contrib-group><aff-alternatives id="aff1"><aff><institution xml:lang="en">Vietnam National University</institution></aff><aff><institution xml:lang="ru">Ханойский государственный университет</institution></aff></aff-alternatives><pub-date date-type="pub" iso-8601-date="2025-07-08" publication-format="electronic"><day>08</day><month>07</month><year>2025</year></pub-date><volume>9</volume><issue>2</issue><issue-title xml:lang="en"/><issue-title xml:lang="ru"/><fpage>6</fpage><lpage>17</lpage><history><date date-type="received" iso-8601-date="2025-06-24"><day>24</day><month>06</month><year>2025</year></date><date date-type="accepted" iso-8601-date="2025-06-30"><day>30</day><month>06</month><year>2025</year></date></history><permissions><copyright-statement xml:lang="en">Copyright ©; 2025, Ly T.V., Hoang A.T.</copyright-statement><copyright-statement xml:lang="ru">Copyright ©; 2025, Ли Т.В., Хоанг А.Т.</copyright-statement><copyright-year>2025</copyright-year><copyright-holder xml:lang="en">Ly T.V., Hoang A.T.</copyright-holder><copyright-holder xml:lang="ru">Ли Т.В., Хоанг А.Т.</copyright-holder><ali:free_to_read xmlns:ali="http://www.niso.org/schemas/ali/1.0/"/><license><ali:license_ref xmlns:ali="http://www.niso.org/schemas/ali/1.0/">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0</ali:license_ref></license></permissions><self-uri xlink:href="https://vietnamjournal.ru/2618-9453/article/view/685709">https://vietnamjournal.ru/2618-9453/article/view/685709</self-uri><abstract xml:lang="en"><p>In the context of intensifying competition for influence among major powers, especially between Russia and China, Vietnam has emerged as a key geopolitical actor in the Asia Pacific region in the early 21st century, gaining strategic importance in both countries’ policies. This study explores whether Vietnam, building on its Cold War experience, can continue to effectively balance relations with Russia and China. Employing a historical–political approach combined with international relations analysis grounded in realism and the balance of power theory, the paper examines Vietnam’s foreign policy adjustments in response to both cooperative and competitive dynamics in Russia – China relations.</p></abstract><trans-abstract xml:lang="ru"><p>В контексте усиливающейся конкуренции за влияние между крупными державами, особенно между Россией и Китаем, Вьетнам стал ключевым геополитическим игроком в Азиатско-Тихоокеанском регионе в начале 21 в., приобретя стратегическое значение в политике обеих стран. В статье анализируется, может ли Вьетнам, опираясь на свой опыт холодной войны, продолжать эффективно балансировать в отношениях с Россией и Китаем. Используя историко-политический подход в сочетании с анализом международных отношений, основанным на реализме и теории баланса сил, авторы рассматривают корректировку внешней политики Вьетнама в зависимости от динамики сотрудничества и конкуренции в отношениях между Россией и Китаем.</p></trans-abstract><kwd-group xml:lang="en"><kwd>Vietnam</kwd><kwd>strategic balancing</kwd><kwd>geopolitics</kwd><kwd>Vietnam, Russia, China relations</kwd></kwd-group><kwd-group xml:lang="ru"><kwd>Вьетнам</kwd><kwd>стратегическое балансирование</kwd><kwd>геополитика</kwd><kwd>отношения между Вьетнамом, Россией и Китаем</kwd></kwd-group><funding-group><award-group><funding-source><institution-wrap><institution xml:lang="en">VNU University of Social Sciences and Humanities</institution></institution-wrap><institution-wrap><institution xml:lang="ru">Ханойский государственный университет</institution></institution-wrap></funding-source><award-id>USSH-2025.07</award-id></award-group></funding-group></article-meta></front><body></body><back><ref-list><ref id="B1"><label>1.</label><mixed-citation>Baev, P.K. 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