15.04.2023
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Thanh in Hanoi on Saturday (April 15). The United States views Vietnam as an important part of its regional strategy and seeks to use the country’s rivalry with China to expand its influence.
(Deutsche Welle Chinese website) US Secretary of State Blinken met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Thanh in Hanoi on Saturday (April 15) to discuss further deepening the relationship between the two countries.
“We hope to be able to elevate (the relationship between the two countries) to a higher level.” Blinken said after the meeting.
Blinken’s visit to Vietnam underscores the Biden administration’s efforts to strengthen ties with the Southeast Asian nation to counter China’s increasingly assertive posture in the region.
US-Vietnam relations make ‘extraordinary progress’
A State Department spokesman said both leaders expressed a commitment to a stronger partnership, with Blinken praising the “extraordinary progress” in the bilateral relationship and emphasizing the importance of human rights.
Pham Minh Thanh said that following the phone call between President Biden and Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong last month, the two countries “hope to further strengthen and further enhance our bilateral relationship to a new level.”
After Biden’s phone call with Nguyen Phu Trong, the two leaders may hold a bilateral meeting in July or hold other high-level US-Vietnamese meetings.
Combating Chinese Influence Together
As an important trading partner in Southeast Asia, Vietnam has always been wary of China’s military claims in the South China Sea and has welcomed Washington’s efforts to expand its influence in the region.
File photo: Hanoi International Defense Exhibition 2022
The United States views Vietnam as an important part of its regional strategy and seeks to use the country’s rivalry with China to expand its influence.
Vietnam, however, is wary of boosting ties with the U.S., fearing the potential impact on Vietnam’s relationship with China.
Developing allies in Southeast Asia to counter China and prevent any possible action by Beijing against Taiwan is a challenging endeavor for the United States, as countries in the region are reluctant to anger their powerful neighbors — not only does China have A powerful military, but also an important trading partner and source of investment.
As part of that effort, Blinken broke ground on the new $1.2 billion U.S. embassy in Hanoi, a sign of the administration’s commitment to improving relations between the two countries.
Blinken’s visit comes just two weeks before the 50th anniversary of the massive withdrawal of U.S. troops from Vietnam. This mass withdrawal was seen as a sign that the Vietnam War was entering its final phase.
(Associated Press, Reuters)
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15.12.2022