Nguyen Cong Tung 阮功松

Assistant Professor, Tongji University, Shanghai
Deputy Editor #PIR Pluriversal International Relations
Former PostDoc @AcadSinica PhD Alumni @nccu1927

[Nguyen Cong Tung 阮功松 @drumtung]

New in Foreign Policy Analysis 🚨
China–Vietnam ties are more stable than they “should” be.
This paper shows how relational power—expectations, restraint, and long-term stability—explains why.

https://t.co/86Ken10Tk6

[Cambridge University Press - Politics @CUP_PoliSci]

New Cambridge Element, Decolonizing Security in East Asia by Chih-yu Shih @cyshih3, Chiung-Chiu Huang and Yih-Jye Hwang, out now! Read for free for the next 2 weeks at
https://t.co/x95yucxp9r
#cambridgeelements #politics

[Nguyen Cong Tung 阮功松 @drumtung]

A Genealogy of International Relations in Asia is now available for pre-order! The volume offers fresh perspectives on the evolution of IR knowledge in Asia. Thrilled to contribute a chapter to this project.

https://t.co/8BKd4IZzR2

[Young Chul Cho @YoungChulCho]

Relational Voices in International Studies: Rethinking Theory and Method Through Relationality https://t.co/U18mKjFEGb

[Nguyen Cong Tung 阮功松 @drumtung]

@YoungChulCho Professor, thank you very much for sharing. I'm happy cuz this piece has finally been out since our last conference in Taichung in 2023.

[Nguyen Cong Tung 阮功松 @drumtung]

@PierreGrosser Thank you for sharing my research. Hope you enjoy reading it!

[Nguyen Cong Tung 阮功松 @drumtung]

New research out on @SEAsiaResearch
In this piece, I ask: How did the idea of the ‘international’ travel to Vietnam? And what does the discipline of ‘International Studies/International Relations’ look like in the country today?

https://t.co/xQvAKC3StI

[Nguyen Cong Tung 阮功松 @drumtung]

New article~
Is Vietnam really a middle power or is “middle-power Vietnam” itself a contested role?
Drawing on role theory, my new article on Contemporary Politics examines how Vietnam’s middle-power identity is produced.

https://t.co/pgpDrhEDJ2

[Nguyen Cong Tung 阮功松 @drumtung]

It’s 2023, not 2022 😍

[Nguyen Cong Tung 阮功松 @drumtung]

Love and hate. Alignment and resistance. Vietnam-China relations have always been both.

Have a look at my 2022 article at @cpcs_journal on how “Chineseness” in premodern Vietnam still informs Hanoi’s thinking today:

https://t.co/1bfANlLa0d

[Nguyen Cong Tung 阮功松 @drumtung]

This piece is now FREE ACCESS! https://t.co/jxwM0ecS8d

[Nguyen Cong Tung 阮功松 @drumtung]

Walking a Tightrope ONCE MORE…
How has Trump’s return shaped Vietnam’s approach to US-China rivalry?
Check out my latest in @IssuesStudies !
https://t.co/jxwM0ecS8d

[Nguyen Cong Tung 阮功松 @drumtung]

Small and middle powers must therefore prioritize strategic autonomy. This means avoiding excessive dependence on any single great power. At the same time, states can pursue selective alignment where opportunities emerge.

[Nguyen Cong Tung 阮功松 @drumtung]

Here is the corrected abstract and link to download: https://t.co/is2Ct8oFFY

[Nguyen Cong Tung 阮功松 @drumtung]

Finally, what does Trump 2.0 mean for the Global South? My new article argues that the changing global order creates both risks and opportunities for smaller states.

[Nguyen Cong Tung 阮功松 @drumtung]

3. Regionalization of global supply chains
Tariffs and technological competition are fragmenting the global economy into regional blocs. Three emerging production hubs are forming:
🇺🇸 North American supply chains
🇪🇺 European manufacturing networks
🇨🇳 East Asian production systems

[Nguyen Cong Tung 阮功松 @drumtung]

2. (continued) Meanwhile, regional institutions such as ASEAN, the EU, and BRICS are gaining greater relevance in global governance.

[Nguyen Cong Tung 阮功松 @drumtung]

2. Decentralization of the global security architecture
Trump’s pressure on NATO and allies is pushing countries toward strategic autonomy.
Europe is increasing defense spending and reconsidering long-term dependence on U.S. security guarantees.

[Nguyen Cong Tung 阮功松 @drumtung]

1. The “East Rising, West Declining” dynamic
Trump’s transactional diplomacy and unilateral policies have eroded trust in U.S. leadership.
This creates political space for China and other Global South actors.

[Nguyen Cong Tung 阮功松 @drumtung]

In this new article, I argue that Trump’s return to power is accelerating three structural shifts in the global order.

[Nguyen Cong Tung 阮功松 @drumtung]

My new article examines how Donald Trump’s return to the White House is accelerating structural changes in the global order.

Is the disruption we see today about one leader—or deeper shifts in global power?

[Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA) Journal @FPA_Jrnl]

🚨NEW ARTICLE🚨
Nguyen (2026) explains how, despite a contentious history and context, Vietnam attaches importance to its bilateral relationship with China, using a relational power framework, providing three propositions to explain these interactions.
https://t.co/frh91No6A9