President Joe Biden emphasized on Sunday that he is not endeavoring to initiate a "cold war" with China during his inaugural visit to Vietnam. He articulated his objective as fostering global stability by bolstering American relations with Vietnam and other Asian nations.
"We have an opportunity to strengthen alliances around the world to maintain stability. That's what this trip is all about," Biden conveyed at a press conference. "It’s not about containing China. It’s about having a stable base."
Biden's visit to Hanoi coincides with Vietnam's elevation of the United States to its highest diplomatic standing as a comprehensive strategic partner, symbolizing the significant transformation in the relationship from what Biden characterized as the "bitter past" of the Vietnam War.
This expanded partnership reflects a wider effort across Asia to counterbalance China's influence. Biden maintains that Vietnam seeks to assert its independence, while American companies seek alternatives to Chinese manufacturing. However, Biden is concurrently attempting to mitigate any tensions with China.
During his meeting with Vietnamese leaders earlier on Sunday, Biden warmly welcomed the newfound partnership between the two countries and expressed hope for progress on climate issues, the economy, and other matters during his 24-hour visit to Hanoi.
Biden stated, "We can trace a 50-year arc of progress between our nations from conflict to normalization to this new elevated status," as he and Nguyen Phu Trong, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, announced the upgraded relationship status at party headquarters.
Describing Vietnam as "a friend, a reliable partner, and a responsible member of the international community," Biden commended Vietnam War veterans like John Kerry, his climate czar, and the late John McCain, the former Republican senator from Arizona, for finding ways to establish a relationship with Vietnam following the war.
"Both men saw so clearly, as I and so many others did, how much we had to gain by working together to overcome a bitter past," he remarked.
Trong pledged that Vietnam would work diligently to implement the agreement, asserting that only then could it be deemed a success.
During a separate appearance with Trong earlier on Sunday, Biden referred to the United States and Vietnam as "critical partners at what I would argue is a very critical time." While neither leader explicitly discussed how China's economic and geopolitical ascension had contributed to their newfound partnership, it is challenging to interpret their mutual embrace without considering China's regional influence.
Vietnam has been seeking a counterbalance to its relationships with other nations and had previously conferred the same level of relations with China and Russia. Elevating the United States to the same status suggests that Vietnam wishes to diversify its friendships, particularly as US and European companies explore alternatives to Chinese manufacturing.
With China experiencing an economic deceleration and President Xi Jinping consolidating political authority, Biden perceives an opening to bring more nations, including Vietnam and Cambodia, into America's sphere of influence.
Biden's arrival in Vietnam on Sunday was greeted with a lavish ceremony outside the mustard-colored Presidential Palace. Numerous schoolchildren lined the steps, waving small US and Vietnam flags, while Biden observed from an elevated review stand as members of the military paraded past. Subsequently, he and Trong convened at the Communist Party headquarters.
Both leaders expressed delight at reuniting after the last meeting approximately eight years ago in Washington, DC, and Trong sought to compliment Biden, who faces recurring questions at home about his age, 80, and his bid for re-election next year.
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