A recent visit by a Vietnamese military delegation to North Korea has raised questions about the extent of security cooperation between the two communist countries, amid heightened concerns about weakened sanctions monitoring and the DPRK’s arms exports to Russia.

But while the two sides appear keen to boost ties as they prepare to mark 75 years of diplomatic relations, Hanoi is unlikely to take any actions that would significantly damage relations with its most important partners — the U.S. and China.

Rather, Vietnam will likely maintain its “bamboo diplomacy” approach that balances relations between the