When Vietnam starts the process of picking its new leadership this month, the Communist Party is set for a tense behind-the-scenes debate: Opt for officials who want to preserve ties with neighbor China, or for those who would steer the country closer to the United States.
The once-in-five-years political transition comes as the country finds itself balancing its Communist loyalty and economic dependence on China with increasing concern about that nation's behavior over islands they both claim in the South China Sea. The tension has seen Vietnam gravitate toward the U.S., with the warming of military ties and Vietnam's involvement in the U.S.-led Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact.
So far there's little public indication of who will end up in what post in the shuffling that will take place. The party congress is set to start Jan. 20.