The driving force to bring Vietnam-US relations to new heights

Since Vietnam and the US normalized relations, every US president has visited Vietnam. President Joe Biden's upcoming visit is "a continuation of how the US views its relationship with Vietnam".

Động lực đưa quan hệ Việt-Mỹ lên tầm cao mới

The driving force to bring Vietnam-US relations to new heights.

The State visit of US President Joe Biden to Vietnam at the invitation of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong is an event of special significance in the Vietnam-US relationship, which has experienced historical ups and downs…

Not long after the success of the August Revolution in 1945, which gave birth to the first worker-peasant state in Southeast Asia, President Ho Chi Minh sent a letter to President Harry Truman mentioning the relationship of “full cooperation” with the United States. More than 50 years later, with great efforts from both sides, Vietnam and the United States normalized relations in 1995 and 18 years later, the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Partnership was established.

The 10-year milestone of the Comprehensive Partnership this year is highlighted by the upcoming visit of President Joe Biden. The presence of the 46th President of the United States in Hanoi adds to the hope for a good relationship between the two nations as President Ho Chi Minh wished 78 years ago.

Continuing the "tradition"

In an interview with TG&VN , Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Nguyen Quoc Dung said that since the two countries normalized relations in 1995, incumbent US Presidents have spent time visiting the S-shaped country. President Joe Biden's visit, continuing this fine "tradition", is especially meaningful as it takes place on the occasion of the two countries celebrating the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Comprehensive Partnership (2013-2023).

With the comprehensive and extensive development of the bilateral relationship, Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Dung assessed that the two-day visit will create more framework and momentum to bring the Vietnam-US relationship to a new height. This is also the spirit that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Joe Biden agreed on during their high-level phone call on March 29.

During the visit, the leaders will focus on discussing cooperation in many areas such as science and technology, economics, trade and investment, people-to-people exchanges, and overcoming the consequences of war. On this occasion, the two sides are expected to sign many important economic agreements and contracts that could be worth billions of dollars. The results of the visit, according to Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Dung, will open a new chapter in Vietnam-US relations, while creating favorable conditions for Vietnam to gradually assert a higher position in the regional and global value chain.

“Mr. Biden is not the first US President to visit Vietnam, but he is the first US President to visit at the invitation of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. This is unprecedented and that in itself speaks to the importance of this visit. Since the two countries normalized relations, both Democratic and Republican US Presidents have visited Vietnam. This shows that there is a high level of consensus within the US on strengthening relations with Vietnam in the coming years.”

Former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador of Vietnam to the US (2011-2014) Nguyen Quoc Cuong

Show respect

Speaking to the press on September 6 about President Joe Biden accepting an invitation to visit Vietnam from General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper said that the two leaders have built a good relationship since 2015, when General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong first met Mr. Joe Biden, who was then Vice President.

The US diplomat affirmed that “from the beginning, they shared a good personal relationship when they talked together and quoted verses from the Tale of Kieu.” Since then, the two sides continued to exchange letters. At the meeting on March 29, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong invited President Joe Biden to visit Vietnam.

Thus, President Joe Biden’s visit reflects the good relationship between the two leaders and the US’s respect for the head of the Communist Party of Vietnam, which will benefit the bilateral relationship. Ambassador Marc Knapper believes that the visit will be “successful, with many positive marks, emphasizing the relationship between the two leaders in particular and Vietnam-US in general”.

Reviewing high-level visits from the US to Vietnam since the beginning of 2023, Ambassador Marc Knapper listed up to five senior officials, accounting for a quarter of the US cabinet, including Trade Representative Katherine Tai, Director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Samantha Power, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and most recently, Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen. Not to mention many delegations of congressmen and businesses have visited Vietnam. Last June, the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan docked at Da Nang port...

Therefore, the succession of visits will be the “best way” to affirm the importance of the relationship between the two countries, according to Ambassador Marc Knapper.

“The two sides need each other and can clearly complement each other. President Joe Biden's visit this time clearly demonstrates that story. Vietnam is moving towards a new stage of integration, in the spirit of the 13th National Party Congress towards the 2030-2045 period. Vietnam is transforming very strongly in economic development; in sustainable development, green development, digital development and clean development, which coincides with the interests of the United States and American corporations and companies. President Joe Biden's visit to Vietnam in such a relationship and mindset will create breakthroughs and new momentum for the relationship between the two countries in the coming decades, both in politics, diplomacy and other fields; creating breakthroughs and momentum for breakthroughs, especially a more sustainable and high-quality economic relationship, based on technology and green transformation.”

Former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador of Vietnam to the US (2014-2018) Chairman of the Vietnam-US Friendship Association Pham Quang Vinh

Long strides

The US diplomat expressed optimism about the development of bilateral relations, especially in the past decade, strong and comprehensive, whether in trade and investment, defense and security, health, energy, culture, people-to-people exchange, technology, climate change, space, etc.

From a research perspective, Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Dung said that there are many factors for the two countries to make great strides, but first of all, it is the result of the vision, determination, and contributions of many generations of leaders and people of the two countries in enhancing mutual understanding, overcoming the past, gradually narrowing differences, and respecting each other's political institutions, independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.

The development of Vietnam-US relations is thanks to the strong rise in both position and power of Vietnam after nearly 40 years of Doi Moi. Currently, Vietnam has become a middle-sized country with the 36th largest economy in the world, a member of 16 important regional and global Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), recently entered the top 30 economies with the largest export value in the world, playing an increasingly active role in many regional and international multilateral institutions. The emerging economy, the market of 100 million people and the country's increasing position are important factors that make partners, including the US, value and desire to develop a commensurate relationship with Vietnam.

Another important factor is the consistent and effective implementation of the foreign policy of "independence, self-reliance, multilateralization, diversification, being a friend, a reliable partner, and a responsible member of the international community" which has brought about strong development in Vietnam's relations with other countries in general and the US in particular in recent times.

Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Dung believes that, like the 28 years since the normalization of relations and the 10 years of Comprehensive Partnership, the cooperation between the two countries in the coming time will contribute more positively to Vietnam's development goals set by the 13th National Party Congress for very important milestones until 2030 and 2045.

History has proven that when Vietnam-US relations develop positively and stably, it will not only serve the practical interests of the people of the two countries, but also contribute positively to the development of ASEAN-US relations, as well as the maintenance of peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

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