Dinh Nguyen Manh Quang , Nguyen Le Yen Linh

The UN Hanoi Convention against Cybercrime - a Manifestation of Vietnam's "Bamboo Diplomacy" in the Era of Digital Transformation

ЮГО-ВОСТОЧНАЯ АЗИЯ: АКТУАЛЬНЫЕ ПРОБЛЕМЫ РАЗВИТИЯ, 2026, №1(70), 211-219

 
Annotation: On October 25–26, 2025, in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, the opening ceremony for signature of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime (known as the Hanoi Convention) took place, marking a significant step forward in the global struggle against one of the most acute non-traditional security challenges facing the contemporary world. However, the significance of this event extends beyond the technical aspect of combating cybercrime; it also reflects profound shifts in the direction of Vietnam's foreign policy and represents an important episode for reassessing the country's current course on the international stage. The article examines Vietnam's role in the negotiation process of the Convention and the organization of its signing ceremony as a vivid manifestation of the «bamboo diplomacy» strategy, which facilitated the creation of conditions for developing a balanced international document that does not lean toward either side, while simultaneously preserving Vietnam's own strategic autonomy. This analysis reflects the evolution of the country's foreign policy in the context of global geopolitical changes, fulfilling the objective set by the XIII National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam: not only to participate in the activities of international institutions, but also to contribute to the «formation and development of multilateral mechanisms and the international political and economic order».

Keywords: Hanoi Convention, cybercrime, United Nations, Viet Nam, multilateral cooperation, bamboo policy