The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI): Opportunities and Risks from Vietnamese Perspective

The goal of this research is to look at the Belt and Road Initiative's (BRI) goals, principles, and priorities, as well as criticisms and concerns. Another goal is to determine the Vietnamese government's best response to the BRI. Finally, the study looks at the Vietnamese viewpoint. Document review is used in conjunction with PESTELED analysis and EIU country risk model technique in this study. The study is focused on in-depth interviews with 38 top government leaders, researchers, and scholars by adopting the Delphi technique to determine major factors of risks and opportunities as well as obtain a clearer view on the Vietnamese perspective of the BRI. The main conclusion is that Vietnam's participation in the BRI could result in a variety of benefits and risks, including economic development, connectivity and integration, development finance, cooperation, coordination, trade facilitation, and people-to-people communication, as well as diplomatic and political risks, financial risks, environmental challenges, and job creation. Another conclusion is suggested that careful and case-by-case negotiation with China is needed for Vietnam to exploit the future benefits of BRI. There is a need to set up the strategy to mitigate the risk impacts, reduce the risk level, avoid risk, at last turn the risk into opportunities.