U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken arrived in Vietnam on April 14 on his first official visit to Vietnam as Secretary, following a high-level call between President Biden and Vietnam Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on March 29.
Blinken’s visit comes at a time where the U.S. is seeking to bolster its ties with a crucial Southeast Asian trade partner and balance China’s growing assertiveness in the region.
Across all his meetings with key Vietnamese leaders, including General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Secretary Blinken reaffirmed United States’ desire to strengthen and expand bilateral ties with Vietnam, including advancing shared goals such as furthering economic development, combatting climate change, and pandemic prevention. He also emphasized the positive trajectory of the U.S.-Vietnam partnership, including Vietnam’s participation in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.
Speaking at a press conference in Hanoi, Secretary Blinken affirmed U.S. support for key Vietnamese market reforms in labor, intellectual property, and fair trade. He also spoke on bilateral climate initiatives designed to support Vietnam’s transition to clean energy, including leveraging regional frameworks such as the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) to help Vietnam achieve its 2050 net-zero goals and increasing collaboration through the Japan – U.S. – Mekong Power Partnership.
During his visit, Secretary Blinken also attended the ground-breaking ceremony of the new U.S. embassy campus in Hanoi on April 15. The ceremony was attended by senior Vietnamese and US officials, including Vietnam’s Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, Deputy Foreign Minister Ha Kim Ngoc, US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink, and Deputy Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Duong Duc Tuan.
Secretary Blinken’s visit follows a series of high-level engagements between the U.S. and Vietnamese governments this year to mark the 10th Anniversary of the U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership, including U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai’s visit in February, USAID Administrator Samantha Power’s visit in March, and a Congressional delegation led by Senator Jeff Merkley recently on April 10. It is expected that there will be more high-level visits from both sides this year.
