Upgrading Vietnam-US Relations: Not Just a Name Change

(Dan Tri) - Speaking with Dan Tri, experts said that upgrading Vietnam - US relations has both symbolic meaning and great practical impact, demonstrating the dual interests of the two countries.

On the occasion of President Joe Biden's State visit to Vietnam, Vietnam and the United States announced on September 10 the upgrading of their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The joint statement issued after the talks between General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Joe Biden stated: "The two leaders welcomed a new historic period of bilateral friendship and cooperation with the upgrading of the bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for peace, cooperation and sustainable development." Professor Carl Thayer of the Australian Defense Force Academy, University of New South Wales, commented that the upgrading of Vietnam and the United States to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will bring substantial benefits to the two countries. "The Vietnam-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is not just a change in name, but it reflects the convergence of interests between the two countries, as well as a commitment to long-term cooperation to deepen economic relations, through trade, investment, technology exchange and good governance practices," Mr. Thayer told Dan Tri . In the future, Vietnam will benefit from support for technology upgrading, shifting from packaging - export to domestic design - production. In return, the US will benefit from diversifying its supply chain and gaining new investment opportunities in the country of 100 million people. "Vietnam and the United States decided to promote cooperation in science, technology and innovation in the digital field, considering this a new breakthrough of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership," the two countries' Joint Statement said.

Scene of the meeting between General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and US President Joe Biden on September 10 (Photo: Huu Khoa).

Both symbolic and real

Since the normalization and establishment of diplomatic relations in 1995, the relationship between the two countries has overcome the past to develop strongly in all fields. "Upgrading relations to the highest level, namely Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, is a historical milestone marking the strong progress of bilateral relations over the past 30 years," said Dr. Le Hong Hiep, senior researcher at the ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute (Singapore). "It shows the full and complete reconciliation between the two countries." Mr. Hiep pointed out that the new name shows that the two sides will develop relations comprehensively, in all important fields including economics, culture, education, science and technology, climate change response and especially national security and defense. But in the immediate future, economic cooperation will be prioritized because this is the field that brings useful results to both sides, meeting short-term goals, according to Mr. Hiep. Some other areas may take longer to develop. The benefits of bilateral cooperation for the people of both countries are best illustrated by the numbers in statements made during Biden’s visit. For example, during Biden’s visit, Vietnam Airlines is expected to sign a contract to buy 50 Boeing aircraft in a deal valued at $7.5 billion. The deal will support “more than 33,000 direct and indirect jobs” in the United States, according to a White House statement.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong speaks at a press conference between Vietnam and the US on September 10 (Photo: Trong Hai).

Or in cooperation to overcome the consequences of war - an area that has always been the foundation for the bilateral relationship, the US agreed to increase the budget for the dioxin detoxification project at Bien Hoa military airport from 183 million USD to 300 million USD, as well as add 25 million USD for the work of clearing remaining bombs and mines. The decision to upgrade the relationship to some extent also "gives the green light" for the development of bilateral relations in the coming time, sending a signal to the apparatus of the two countries about the political determination of the highest leadership level. "Therefore, upgrading the relationship this time is both symbolic and has practical value for the development of bilateral relations in the coming time," said Mr. Hiep.

Timely upgrade

After the upgrade, Vietnam has established Comprehensive Strategic Partnerships with five countries: Russia, China, India, South Korea and the United States. In the coming time, Vietnam may also consider upgrading relations with several other countries, such as Japan, Australia and Singapore, to the same level. "This shows that Vietnam remains steadfast and consistent in developing foreign relations based on the principles of diversification, multilateralization and balancing relations between major countries," said Mr. Hiep.

US President Joe Biden speaks to a large number of Vietnamese and international reporters at a press conference in Hanoi on the evening of September 10 (Photo: Manh Quan).

According to Mr. Hiep, the US has shown its sincerity in its relationship with Vietnam, demonstrated through many visits in the past 2-3 years, from US Vice President Kamala Harris, US Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury, to US congressional delegations. At the same time, the US is committed to respecting political differences. Vietnam also realizes that upgrading relations with the US will help bring greater benefits in terms of economy, science and technology development, education, climate change response, national security and defense, etc. Timing is also an important factor because 2023 is an even year, the 10th anniversary of the Comprehensive Partnership. By 2024, the US will hold a presidential election and it is impossible to rule out the possibility that a new government will take power with other foreign policy priorities. "All of the above factors could lead to Vietnam and the US deciding to upgrade relations to the highest level this year," Mr. Hiep assessed. Some experts believe that upgrading relations with the US will also enhance Vietnam's foreign policy position. "I think Vietnam has become a 'key country in the region' with a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the US," Kavi Chongkittavorn, a senior researcher at the Institute of International Security Studies at Chulalongkorn University (Thailand), told Dan Tri . "The US will invest heavily in this bilateral relationship."

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