Looking back at US presidents' visits to Vietnam

Before the news that President Joe Biden is about to visit Vietnam, there have been four US presidents visiting Vietnam since the two countries normalized diplomatic relations in 1995.

US President Joe Biden will visit Vietnam from September 10 to 11, 2023 - Photo: REUTERS

On August 29, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that US President Joe Biden will visit Vietnam on September 10 and 11, at the invitation of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

Mr. Biden will be the fifth US president to visit Vietnam since July 11, 1995, when Vietnam and the US normalized diplomatic relations. Since this important milestone, every US president has visited Vietnam.

The current US presidents who visited Vietnam before Mr. Biden include: President Bill Clinton (visited in November 2000), President George W. Bush (visited in November 2006), President Barack Obama (visited in May 2016), and President Donald Trump.

President Donald Trump visited Vietnam twice. The first time was in November 2017, when he came to Vietnam to attend the APEC Summit. At that time, Mr. Trump was the first US president to visit Vietnam in the first year of his presidency. The second time was in February 2019, when Mr. Trump came to Vietnam to attend the US-North Korea Summit.

After establishing diplomatic relations on July 11, 1995, Vietnam and the US established a "Comprehensive Partnership" on July 25, 2013. Up to now, the Vietnam - US relationship has been developing deeply, effectively and substantially on all three levels: bilateral, regional and international.

Let's look back at the visits of sitting US presidents to Vietnam since the two countries normalized diplomatic relations:

President Tran Duc Luong presided over the welcoming ceremony for US President Bill Clinton's official visit to Vietnam on November 17, 2000 at the Presidential Palace. Bill Clinton was the first US president to visit Vietnam since the two countries normalized diplomatic relations in 1995. The visit took place 25 years after the end of the war - Photo: VNA

US President George W. Bush plays the monochord - a traditional Vietnamese musical instrument - at a reception hosted by President Nguyen Minh Triet at the International Convention Center in Hanoi, when Mr. Bush made an official visit to Vietnam from November 17 to 20, 2006 - Photo: VNA

President Tran Dai Quang hosted a welcoming ceremony for US President Barack Obama at the Presidential Palace on May 23, 2016 when Mr. Obama paid a state visit to Vietnam from May 22 to 24, 2016 - Photo: VNA

President Barack Obama ate bun cha with American chef Anthony Bourdain in Hanoi during his visit in 2016 - Photo: MR. OBAMA'S TWITTER

Hanoi people shake hands with US President Barack Obama after he ate bun cha on Le Van Huu Street (Hanoi) in this photo taken on May 23, 2016 - Photo: NGUYEN KHANH

President Tran Dai Quang welcomed US President Donald Trump when he paid a state visit to Vietnam and attended the APEC Summit 2017 from November 11 to 12, 2017 - Photo: VNA

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc presented a portrait to US President Donald Trump during his state visit to Vietnam and attendance at the APEC Summit 2017 from November 11 to 12, 2017. Mr. Trump is the first US president to visit Vietnam in the first year of his presidential term - Photo: VNA

US President Donald Trump delighted many people with the image of his hand holding the Vietnamese national flag high. This moment was recorded when President Trump came to the Government Office to meet with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at noon on February 27, 2019. This is the second time President Trump has visited Vietnam since November 2017 - when the White House owner attended the APEC Summit in Da Nang and paid a state visit to Vietnam afterwards. On this return, Mr. Trump came to Vietnam to attend the second US-North Korea Summit. Before the summit, President Trump had a meeting with General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong and a meeting with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc - Photo: REUTERS

General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong received US President Donald Trump at the Presidential Palace on February 27, 2019. President Donald Trump and General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong witnessed the signing ceremony of an agreement to purchase 100 Boeing 737 Max aircraft worth 12.7 billion USD between Vietjet and Boeing - Photo: NGUYEN KHANH

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