US and Vietnam to Elevate Relations During Biden's Visit, China Main Topic

(Patria) - US President Joe Biden arrives in the Vietnamese capital on Sunday, where the two countries are expected to declare themselves strategic partners, while the United States seeks to break supply chains from China, and both countries try to counter Beijing's military and diplomatic influence in Asia, Reuters reported.

Biden will arrive at the Presidential Palace on Sunday afternoon for a ceremonial welcome by General Secretary of the Communist Party Nguyen Phu Trong, Vietnam's most powerful leader, then go to Party headquarters where the two will meet and address the public.

The visit comes as trade and investment ties between the two nations grow, and the long-simmering territorial dispute between Vietnam and China heats up in the South China Sea. Vietnam has named four other countries as "comprehensive strategic partners" (China, Russia, India, and South Korea), which is also expected for the US.

Highlighting Vietnam's growing importance as a friendly destination for American tech companies, on Monday, executives from Google, Intel, Amkor, Marvell, GlobalFoundries, and expected representatives from Boeing, will meet in Hanoi with Vietnamese tech leaders and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Vietnam's exports to the US increased by 13.6% last year to $109.39 billion, primarily clothing, footwear, smartphones, electronics, and wooden furniture.
Biden's visit comes nearly 50 years after the end of the deeply unpopular war between the Soviet-backed communist government of North Vietnam and the US-backed regime of South Vietnam.

This represents "an extraordinary step in strengthening our diplomatic ties" and reflects the "leading role" Vietnam will play in America's Indo-Pacific partnership, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters this week.

"For decades, the US and Vietnam have worked to overcome the painful shared legacy of the Vietnam War, working hand in hand to promote reconciliation, and our military personnel and our veterans are lighting the way," he added.

Washington has advocated for upgrading ties with Hanoi to a "strategic partnership" from what has been called a "comprehensive" one over the past decade. Vietnam has been cautious due to the risk of antagonizing China, a neighbor that provides key inputs for its vital export trade, or Russia, another traditional partner.

Vietnam is in talks with several other countries to upgrade and expand its predominantly Russian arsenal, including the Czech Republic, and has recently engaged in more high-level defense meetings with top Russian officials.

A US government commission last week accused Vietnam of backsliding on religious freedom, saying the country is on a "similar trajectory as China in terms of regulating and controlling religion."