Biden to Visit Vietnam Next Month... "Strategic Partnership to Counter China"

The U.S. government is forming a strategic alliance with Vietnam to counter China.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to a report by the U.S. political news outlet Politico on the 18th (local time), three sources familiar with the matter said President Biden plans to make a state visit to Vietnam in mid-next month to sign a strategic partnership agreement with Vietnam. Politico reported that under the agreement to be signed, new cooperation between the two countries will follow to support Vietnam's recent efforts in developing advanced technology fields such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI).

Accordingly, following the comprehensive partnership agreement established during the Obama administration in 2013, which strengthened cooperation in areas such as public health and support for the Vietnam Coast Guard, this is expected to serve as an opportunity to advance bilateral relations to the next level.

This report came amid the U.S. strengthening its moves to counter China and expand its influence in the Indo-Pacific region. On the same day, President Biden held a trilateral summit with South Korea and Japan at Camp David, the U.S. presidential retreat near Washington D.C., agreeing to enhance security and economic cooperation among the three countries.

In a joint statement, the leaders of South Korea, the U.S., and Japan emphasized a rules-based international order and expressed their intention to counter China. Politico viewed the alliance with Vietnam as part of President Biden’s efforts to counter China. The strategic partnership with Vietnam aims to draw Vietnam closer to the U.S. than to China. It also analyzed that through this alliance, President Biden can expand U.S. influence in the Indo-Pacific region where Chinese power is growing.

Some critics argue that the U.S. is neglecting Vietnam’s poor democracy and human rights situation. Derek Grossman, senior defense analyst at the U.S. think tank RAND Corporation, said, "Vietnam’s human rights situation is not improving but rather worsening," adding, "There will certainly be people shocked by this alliance, who will evaluate it as a realpolitik approach that ignores the deteriorating human rights situation within Vietnam and focuses solely on countering China."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.