U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Hanoi on his first visit to Vietnam since becoming the top U.S. diplomat and he met Saturday with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh as they discussed strengthening ties between the two nations.
Blinken’s visit to Vietnam is part of the Biden administration’s campaign to counter China’s increasing influence in the region.
He met with other top officials that included Vietnamese General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong as they talked about upgrading diplomatic and security connections.
"For President [Joe] Biden, for Washington, this is one of the most dynamic and one of the most important relationships we’ve had," Blinken said at a news conference after a full slate of engagements in Hanoi.
"It has had a remarkable trajectory over the last couple of decades. Our conviction is that it can and will grow even stronger," said Blinken.
It is not clear when an upgrade of formal ties could happen, although Blinken expressed hope it could happen "in the weeks and months ahead."
Blinken noted to reporters that security is the top priority and he pointed out Washington is finalizing the shipment of a third naval cutter to support Vietnam's coast guard.
Washington and U.S. defense firms have emphasized they would like to bolster their military supplies to Vietnam, which currently is mostly limited to coast guard ships and training aircraft, as the country aims to diversify from its main supplier, Russia.
Military deals with the U.S. face myriad challenges, though, because Washington's lawmakers could block arms sales over human rights issues. Additionally, analysts point out that U.S. weapons are expensive, they risk triggering Chinese reactions, and they might be difficult to integrate with Vietnam's legacy weapons.
The U.S. is building a $1.2 billion embassy compound in Hanoi, a move intended to show a U.S. commitment to improving ties with the Southeast Asian trading partner.
Nguyen Khac Giang, a visiting fellow at the Vietnam Studies Program of the ISEAS research organization in Singapore, said it is an extremely important trip by Blinken to Hanoi. “It will be a very strong boost for an upgrade to a higher bilateral relationship between Vietnam and Washington.”
“I don't think they will announce the strategic partnership when Blinken is in Hanoi,” Nguyen said. “But I think his visit might be a formation for potential Biden’s visit to Hanoi or the General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s visit to Washington, and probably, that moment the bilateral relation might be upgraded.”
Vietnam has a delicate balance to maintain, however, and does not want to antagonize its powerful neighbor, China, while building up a relationship with the U.S.
Blinken’s visit to Vietnam comes just two weeks after the 50th anniversary of former U.S. President Richard Nixon’s administration’s withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from Vietnam, marking the end of the Vietnam War.
VOA’s Mandarin Service contributed to this report, and some information was provided by The Associated Press and Reuters.
