U.S. President Joe Biden says he will visit Vietnam 'shortly'
The Hindu
U.S. President Joe Biden to visit Vietnam shortly as it seeks to elevate ties with U.S.; White House says nothing further to share at this time. Mr. Biden received call from Vietnam's head to meet at G20, looking to become major partner with U.S., Russia and China.
U.S. President Joe Biden said on August 8 he would be travelling to Vietnam “shortly” because the country wanted to elevate its relationship with the United States and become a major partner.
Mr. Biden made the remarks while speaking at a political fundraiser in New Mexico.
Asked about Mr. Biden’s announcement, a White House spokesperson said there was “nothing further to share at this time”.
At a meeting in April, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed a desire to deepen ties as Washington seeks to solidify relations with partners in Asia to counter an increasingly assertive China.
Mr. Blinken had expressed the hope then that this could happen “in the weeks and months ahead”.
Washington has been working to elevate ties with Hanoi to a “strategic” partnership from one that for the past decade has been called “comprehensive”, although Vietnam has been cautious, given the risk of antagonising China, a giant neighbour that supplies key inputs for its vital export trade, or Russia, another traditional partner.
Mr. Biden told a fundraiser in Maine on July 28 that he got a call from the “head of Vietnam” who “desperately wants to meet with me when I go to the G20”, referring his plans to travel to India for a summit of the grouping due to be held in New Delhi on Sept. 9-10.