By Francesco Guarascio

HANOI, Dec 10 (Reuters) – Chinese firms are expanding in Vietnam, leading investment inflows and sending record shipments to Hanoi in defiance of U.S. calls for decoupling, as the Communist neighbours beef up ties.

Recent steps that Hanoi had long resisted on security grounds include sensitive tech contracts for Chinese telecoms firms Huawei and ZTE; approval of Chinese loans for high-speed rail links; and Chinese-made COMAC planes cleared by regulators ‍for a leading airline.

Hanoi’s overtures to Beijing may reflect its long-standing policy of balancing foreign ties after pledges made to Washington in trade talks, said Alexander Vuving of the Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies.

But if the trend continues, Vietnam “may become a ‘torn country’ rather than a

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