The president of United States, Joe Bidensaid Tuesday that he will travel to Vietnam “soon” as part of an effort to improve ties with Hanoi as Washington seeks to counter Chinese influence in the region.
“I’m going to Vietnam soon because Vietnam wants to change our relationship and become a partner,” Biden said during a speech in New Mexico.
“We find ourselves in a situation where all these changes in the world occur at a time when we have an opportunity (…) to change the dynamic», he added.
The United States and Vietnam have increasingly close trade ties, while sharing concern about the growing strength of China in the region.
The frictions between Beijing and the countries of Southeast Asia, in particular vietnam and philippineshave been on the rise for years due to China’s maritime claims in the South China Sea.
Washington and Hanoi They pledged in April to improve diplomatic relations when US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stopped in Vietnam on his way to a G7 foreign ministers meeting in Japan.
“We believe this is an auspicious time to elevate our current partnership,” Blinken told reporters during his visit.
He south china seaLong a center of tension between China and Vietnam, it is seen as a tinderbox, with many fearing that a miscalculation or an accident could lead to a military conflict.
