HANOI, Vietnam—President Joe Biden arrived in Vietnam on Sept. 10 after wrapping up his meetings at the G20 summit in India. Upon his arrival, the president participated in a bilateral meeting with Communist Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong, and both leaders formally announced an elevated partnership, sending a strong message to China.
The Vietnamese government, promoting the United States to its highest level of relations, referred to it as a “comprehensive strategic partner.”
So far, only China, Russia, India, and South Korea have achieved this degree of partnership with Hanoi.
President Biden called the visit “historic” during a press conference following his meeting. He praised the progress in relations between both countries “from conflict to normalization.”
“This is the new elevated status that will be a force for prosperity and security in one of the most consequential regions in the world,” President Biden said.
The purpose of the Vietnam trip “was less about containing China,” President Biden added, emphasizing the importance of “stability” in the Indo–Pacific.
Warm Welcome From Communist Leader
President Biden and Mr. Trong reportedly spoke on the phone months ago and agreed to elevate the partnership between the two countries.Upon his arrival, President Biden participated in a welcome ceremony hosted by Mr. Trong in front of the Presidential Palace.
Later, the president and the general secretary met in a large, wood-paneled conference room at the Communist Party headquarters, a building with a hammer and sickle on the front just across the street from the palace.
The Vietnamese leader enthusiastically welcomed the president and stated that their meeting would be a vital opportunity to deepen the relationship. Mr. Trong, 79, went on to laud President Biden’s appearance despite his age.
“You have nary aged a day, and I would say you look even better than before,” he said. “Every feature of you, Mr. President, is very much complimentary of your image.”
President Biden, 80, laughed off the flattering comments from Mr. Trong, Vietnam’s longest-serving leader since the war era.
“I think we have an enormous opportunity,” President Biden said, adding that the partnership between the countries was coming at a critical time.
The leaders have a long-standing relationship. Mr. Trong was the first leader of the Vietnamese Communist Party to visit the United States in 2015, during the Obama administration, when then-Vice President Biden hosted him for dinner.
The United States and Vietnam have made efforts to move beyond the conflict of the Vietnam War. According to the White House, this new partnership will be a turning point for the two countries as they seek to address challenges jointly on everything from the South China Sea to supply chains and critical technologies.
“This can be the beginning of even a greater era of cooperation,” President Biden said during his meeting with Mr. Trong.
The elevated partnership is “a pretty big deal,” according to Gregory Poling, senior fellow and director of the Southeast Asia program and the Asia maritime transparency initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
It’s important because Vietnam is “a communist state that will never be a U.S. ally, on the border with China, sending a pretty loud political message that they are worried enough about Beijing that they’re willing to elevate the U.S. relationship formally to the highest level,” Mr. Poling said during a press briefing ahead of President Biden’s visit.
“And all of that is driven by anxieties about China,” he noted.
Vietnam has benefited tremendously from companies seeking to diversify supply chains from China, once touted as the “factory of the world.” Vietnam’s talented workforce, pro-business policies, and incentives have been making the country attractive for investors. However, Vietnam has also been experiencing capacity issues due to an infrastructure shortage.
G20 Summit
President Biden also briefed reporters about progress achieved in India during the summit of the G20, comprising the world’s leading rich and developing nations, over the weekend.“This was an important moment for the United States to demonstrate our global leadership and our commitment to solving the challenges that matter most to people around the world,” he said.
During the news conference, the president was bombarded with questions about growing tensions with China.
“I am sincere about getting the relationship right,” the president told reporters. “China’s beginning to change some of the rules of the game in terms of trade and other issues,” he added, referring to concerns about its new ban on iPhones.
“China has a difficult economic problem right now for a whole range of reasons.”
