India–Vietnam Strategic Cooperation in Shaping Regional Responses to China in the Indo-Pacific

The Indo-Pacific is increasingly marked by strategic rivalry and maritime coercion, placing pressure on the regional order and on States seeking to preserve strategic autonomy without entering formal alliances. Within this context, India and Vietnam have steadily expanded their strategic partnership, especially since the elevation of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2016. This article explores how concerns over China’s assertiveness affect India–Vietnam cooperation. How did India intensify strategic cooperation with trusted partners, such as Vietnam, particularly, after the Galwan crisis? This article argues that the bilateral relationship is understood best as a form of soft balancing, embedded within Vietnam’s broader hedging strategy.