The European Union and Vietnam quietly pulled off a major diplomatic upgrade on Thursday, elevating their relationship to a “comprehensive strategic partnership” — Hanoi’s highest level of foreign ties — amid growing anxiety over global trade disruptions and Washington’s escalating tariff regime.
The move puts the EU in the same top-tier diplomatic bracket as the United States, China and Russia, signalling Brussels’ ambitions to deepen its footprint in Southeast Asia’s booming manufacturing hub.
