Thayer Consultancy Background Briefing:

ABN # 65 648 097 123

Australia-Vietnam Defence
Cooperation
Carlyle A. Thayer
September 6, 2009

[client name deleted]:

Nong Duc Manh, Secretary General of the Vietnam Communist Party will visit Australia next
week. I would like your assessment of defence cooperation between Canberra and Hanoi.
Question 1. How do you assess Australia’s military role in the Asia-Pacific region?
Answer: The Australian Defence Force is one of the most modern and capable military forces
in Southeast Asia. It is modest in size, however. Australia’s past commanding military
predominance has been eroded in recent decades, especially by Singapore and to a lesser
extent Malaysia. Australia is bound by the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA), along
with New Zealand and the United Kingdom, to come to the defence of Malaysia and
Singapore should they face external aggression. An Australian senior air force officer heads
the operational component of the FPDA, namely the Integrated Areas Defence System.
Australia regularly participates in multilateral military exercises with other FPDA members
Australia has a defence treaty with Indonesia and cooperates closely with the Philippines.

Australia has strong defence and security ties with Japan and South Korea. But Australian air
and naval forces are unlikely on the own to decisively affect the power balance in Northeast
Asia. Australian operations outside Southeast Asia are likely to be in coalition with other allies
and like-minded countries.

Australia’s most recent Defence White Paper outlines ambitious plans to increase defence
spending with the acquisition of twelve conventional submarines and large numbers of
advanced multi-role jet aircraft. At present, Australia is facing severe manpower shortages in
operating its Collins class conventional submarines in addition to repeated technical problems
with this new model.

Australia’s military footprint in the larger Asia-Pacific is enlarged by its alliance relationship
with the United States and the interoperability of their forces. Australian forces in Afghanistan
are designed a NATO partner. The provision of US intelligence and technology is a force
multiplier for Australia.

Question 2. How do you assess defence cooperation between Australia and Vietnam up to
now?

Answer: Australia first established defence relations with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in
1999 when both sides agreed to extend defence attaches. Australia has initiated a Defence
Cooperation Program (DCP) which has focused on small steps in areas that are not sensitive.
Both sides collaborate in military medical research, especially on malaria. Australia provides
assistance in English-language training with a particular focus on “train the trainer”, that is
assisting Vietnam’s own military instructors who teach English as a foreign language.

Australia makes its greatest impact in the provision of scholarships and funding for
professional military education and training (PME). Australia regularly hosts Vietnamese
officials at its staff college and senior officers course at the Australian Defence College.
Recently Vietnam has sent a student to attend the Australian Defence Force Academy. Under
 2

the DCP Australia also funds shorter term training courses for Vietnamese defence
personnel, mainly in Australia but also overseas. Since 1999, over 150 Vietnamese officers
have visited and studied in Australia under the DCP, including over forty officers who have
received a Masters degree and nearly thirty senior officers have attended the Australian
Defence College. Australia is probably the largest provider of this assistance to Vietnam.

Both Australia and Vietnam cooperate in counter-terrorism. Vietnamese special forces have
visited Australia and members of the Australian SAS will visit Vietnam later this year.

Australia and Vietnam defence relations also include high-level visits and since 2001 bilateral
defence cooperation talks. Defence and Foreign Affairs officials conduct an annual strategic
dialogue.

Australia would like to raise defence relations on a par with other ASEAN states but
recognizes that this will only take place at a pace comfortable to Vietnam. Australia has
offered assistance in peacekeeping but in all sensitive matters the Vietnamese have been
slow to take up this offer.

Question 3. Can Australia be of any assistance to Vietnam in dealing with the rising military
threats from China especially in the South China Sea where Hanoi and Beijing have
conflicting interests about the sovereignty on Spratlys and Paracels?

Answer: Australia’s Defence White Paper and its projected defence build up has been widely
read as a reaction to the rise of Chinese military power and lack of transparency with respect
to China’s strategic intentions. Australia and Vietnam share a convergence of strategic
interests, along with other countries such as the United States, in preventing China from
becoming the hegemonic power in Southeast Asia and East Asia. Australia and Vietnam can
coordinate their diplomatic and political efforts and at a defence level share strategic
assessments of China’s military capabilities. If Vietnam requested, Australia might be able to
provide niche training in technical areas to raise Vietnam’s overall capability. But Australia,
however, is unlikely to be involved in providing direct military support to Vietnam vis-à-vis
China. Any Australian military role with respect to China and the South China Sea is likely to
be in concert with allies.

Question 4. Can Vietnam benefit or profit from the recent tensions between Canberra and
Beijing?

Answer: The Australian Government has been at pains to quarantine friction in its relations
with China arising from the arrest of Rio Tinto executive Stern Hu on charges of commercial
espionage and issuing a visa to Uighur activist Rebiya Kadeer. The Australian Foreign
Minister has been at pains to stress the long-term nature of the relationship. Friction did not
prevent PetroChina from signing a 20-year deal with ExxonMobil valued at $50 billion for
liquefied natural gas from Gorgon project off the coast of Western Australia. This is reported
to be the largest Australian trade deal.

And Australia has joined the United States in issuing an invitation to the People’s Liberation
Army to join in combined small scale land and naval exercises in the future. Given these
developments Vietnam is best served by staying the course of maintaining good relations with
both China and Australia and not trying to make some short-term gain by playing on fleeting
differences. The larger strategic picture is how to adjust to China’s rise and how to contribute
to making China’s rise peaceful.
j
Thayer Consultancy Background Briefing:
ABN # 65 648 097 123
Australia-Vietnam Defence
Cooperation
Carlyle A. Thayer
August 4, 2009

[client name deleted]

QUESTION: Can you provide an assessment of General Hurley’s [Australia
Vice Chief of Defence] visit to Vietnam? What does he expect Vietnam to go
further? What does Vietnam expect from Australian Army in direct way, as
well as indirect way (a bridging role to be performed by Australia for Vietnam -
US military ties)?
ANSWER: Australia and Vietnam first established defence relations in 1999.
Australia and Vietnam have initiated a reciprocal Defence Cooperation
Program (DCP). Under the DCP over 150 Vietnamese officers have visited
and studied in Australia. Over forty Vietnamese officers have received a
Masters degree in Australia and nearly thirty senior officers have attended the
Australian Defence College.
In April 2001 Vietnam and Australia conducted their first Defence Cooperation
talks in Hanoi and these are now held annually.
Lt. Gen David Hurley, vice chief of the defence force, visited Hanoi to attend
the latest round of Defence Cooperation talks to plan for the future. Both sides
agree to step up the exchange of visits and defence cooperation in such
areas as training, military medicine, counter-terrorism, and border protection.
The two sides also agreed to exchange views on UN peacekeeping
operations.
Australia seeks three objectives: first, to promote mutual understanding of
each other’s defence establishments and how they operate; second, to raise
defence cooperation with Vietnam on a level similar to that of other ASEAN
members; and third, to promote Vietnam’s integration into the region in a way
that will contribute to security in Southeast Asia. Australia seeks to achieve
these objectives by conducting high-level dialogue, regular visits at all working
levels and training exchange programs. The ultimate outcome would be to
interact with the Vietnamese military at the operational level. Australia
recognizes, however, that these objectives can only be met gradually “at a
pace comfortable to all.”
Vietnam seeks direct benefits from the Defence Cooperation Program in the
form of English language training, the participation of its senior officers in
advanced professional military and education training courses and funding to
 2

attend a number of specialized seminars, workshops, conferences and short-

courses in Australia and overseas. Vietnam also seeks to gain knowledge
about military technology, defence intelligence collection and analysis, air
defence, the role of the special forces in counter-terrorism, and mine
countermeasures.
Australia’s Defence Cooperation Program provide Vietnam an opportunity to
interact in Australia with military officials from across the Asia-Pacific including
the United States. Through staff college and senior courses, Vietnam can gain
a valuable insight into the perspectives and experiences of senior military
officers in the Asia-Pacific. Such experience could be invaluable when
Vietnam decides to make a contribution to UN peacekeeping.
Australia is one of the top providers of military education and training for
Vietnamese officers. The defence relationship with Australia primarily reflects
the important role of the Ministry of National Defence and the Vietnam
People’s Army in Vietnam and its promotion of Vietnam’s integration with the
outside world. Vietnam can leverage this experience in its defence relations
with the United States and other countries.