US President Joe Biden arrived in Vietnam this Sunday to raise bilateral relations to a new level, in a context of rivalry with China.
Joe Biden arrived in Hanoi at 4:00 p.m. local time (10:00 a.m. in mainland Portugal) after participating in the G20 summit in New Delhi, India.
During this visit he will have a private meeting with the leader of the ruling Communist Party, Nguyen Phu Trong.
The signing of a “broad strategic partnership” is planned. So far, Vietnam has only established such partnerships, which reflect the highest degree of diplomatic proximity, with Russia, India, South Korea and China.
While careful not to appear on the side of Washington or Beijing, Hanoi shares American concerns about Beijing’s claims in the South China Sea, where Hanoi has rival claims.
On the eve of Biden’s arrival in Hanoi, the New York Times reported that Vietnam was secretly negotiating a new arms deal with Russia, despite international sanctions.
According to a document from the Vietnamese Ministry of Finance cited by the American newspaper, this agreement could be financed through a joint Russian-Vietnamese oil project in Siberia.
Jon Finer, US Deputy National Security Advisor, spoke to reporters today about the decades-long relationship between Russia and Vietnam in terms of military cooperation.
According to Finer, there is “growing unease among the Vietnamese” regarding this relationship, arguing that Washington and its allies could help Hanoi “diversify its partners.”
The United States and Vietnam also maintain increasingly close trade relations. Washington sees Hanoi as an important partner, at a time when Americans seek to establish global industrial circuits to become less dependent on China.
Today’s program includes a welcome ceremony, speeches and a press conference by the US president, who this Tuesday awarded the highest US military distinction to a helicopter pilot who saved four soldiers during the Vietnam War.
On Monday, Joe Biden will meet with President Vo Van Thuong and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. A tribute is also planned in Hanoi, in front of the monument dedicated to John McCain, the late former war hero who helped rebuild ties between the two countries.
On Saturday, the central area of Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem Lake, popular with families, was decorated with American and Vietnamese flags. Not far away, in a historic neighborhood, a souvenir shop sold T-shirts with Joe Biden’s face.
Source: TSF
