Despite its limited resources, Vietnam has supported many other nations worldwide in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, proving itself as a responsible member of the international community, especially when the country is holding the ASEAN Chairmanship 2020.

Vietnam continues to play a major role in the sub-region in beating COVID-19.
(Source: The Diplomat)

While being preoccupied with containing the coronavirus in its own territory – to some considerable success thus far – Vietnam has also made efforts to raise the ASEAN flag, Hoang Thi Ha, Lead Researcher (Political & Security Affairs) at the ASEAN Studies Centre, ISEAS Yusof-Ishak Institute, Singapore, wrote in an article posted on “The Diplomat”.

“It issued the ASEAN Chair’s statement on the outbreak on February 14, highlighting the urgency of the problem and committing to ASEAN’s collective response. The statement listed measures which, if implemented, could complement ASEAN member states’ national responses to the epidemic,” she wrote.

The “face mask diplomacy” could further boost Vietnam’s economy as well as its diplomatic standing in the region, Pennington added.

"Vietnam’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as its diplomacy amid crisis, will enable it to demonstrate its value-added to the world,” said Derek Grossman, a senior defense analyst at the US-based RAND Corporation.

Sharing Grossman’s view Prof. Alexander Vuving, at the Daniel K Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu, Hawaii, was quoted by David Hutt as saying in an article run by the “Asia Times” that: “The coronavirus pandemic has been a great opportunity for Vietnam to enhance its soft power, as it helped to broadcast Vietnam’s generous behavior toward the international community.”