US President Joe Biden yesterday opened a brief visit to Vietnam by telling the country’s leadership that the two nations have a chance to shape the Indo-Pacific region for decades to come.
Vietnam is elevating relations with the US to the level of a comprehensive strategic partner, which a top Biden adviser said represents Vietnam’s highest tier of international partnership.
Biden welcomed the move and said he hoped progress could be made on climate, the economy and other issues during his 24-hour visit to Hanoi.
Photo: EPA-EFE
“We can trace a 50-year arc of progress between our nations from conflict to normalization to this new elevated status,” Biden said as he and Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong announced the new relationship status at party headquarters.
Trong pledged that his country would work hard to implement the agreement.
“Only then can we say it is a success,” he said.
Biden earlier yesterday during a separate appearance with Trong described the US and Vietnam as “critical partners at what I would argue is a very critical time.”
Elevating the US to the same status as Russia and China suggests that Vietnam wants to hedge its friendships as US and European companies look for alternatives to Chinese factories.
With China’s economic slowdown and President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) consolidation of political power, Biden sees an opportunity to bring more nations — including Vietnam and Cambodia — into the US’ orbit.
Biden was welcomed with a pomp-filled ceremony outside the mustard-colored Presidential Palace. Scores of schoolchildren lined the steps waving small US and Vietnam flags and Biden watched from an elevated review stand as high-stepping members of the military marched past.
Both expressed happiness over seeing each other again after last meeting about eight years ago in Washington, said Biden, who was then was vice president.
Trong sought to flatter Biden, who faces persistent questions at home about being 80 years old and running for re-election next year.
“You have nary aged a day, and I would say you look even better than before,” Trong said. “I would say every feature of you Mr President is complementing your image.”
Biden chuckled.
Earlier, US Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer said that the elevated status represents Vietnam’s highest tier of international partnership.
“It’s important to make clear that this is more than words,” Finer told reporters aboard Biden’s flight to Hanoi. “In a system like Vietnam, it’s a signal to their entire government, their entire bureaucracy about the depth and cooperation and alignment with another country that is possible.”
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