Vietnam President Addresses International Order at Defense Summit

Vietnamese President To Lam said selective interpretation of international law is eroding global order during a keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue on Friday. The president identified three crises affecting the international community. The first centers on inconsistent application of international law, which he said creates pressure on smaller states through economic, technological, financial, and security channels.

Lam described a second crisis of strategic trust, where mutual suspicion can turn defensive actions into perceived provocations. He stated that declining trust risks escalation from differing interests into confrontation. The third crisis involves development models such as globalization and supply-chain integration, which face strain from rising public debt, slower growth, tariffs, and climate threats.

To Lam said Vietnam has used a pragmatic approach to maintain relations with both China and the United States while territorial disputes continue in the South China Sea. Shipping disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz have affected oil imports that supply about 85 percent of Vietnam's needs from the Middle East.

"The world can adapt to the fast-changing order, but it should do so through rules, self-restraint and dialogue—not coercion or the threat of force," he said.