Boosting Vietnam-US comprehensive partnership

Comprehensive partnership develops steadily

Vietnam and the US have increased exchanges of delegations at all levels to strengthen their comprehensive partnership. In 2015, Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong paid an official visit to the US, marking a milestone in the relationship. Many US delegations have toured Vietnam, including trips by President Barack Obama in 2016 and Secretary of State John Kerry in 2017.

Since Donald Trump was elected, Vietnam and the US have had regular bilateral meetings. In April, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh paid an official visit to the US and met several senior US leaders.

The US is one of Vietnam’s top trade partners, with two-way trade increasing 20% in recent years to reach US$53 billion in 2016. With more than 800 projects worth US$10 billion, the US is ranked 8th among 112 countries and territories with FDI in Vietnam.

As of November, 2016, there were more than 31,000 Vietnamese students and apprentices in the US, making Vietnam Southeast Asia’s biggest and the world’s sixth biggest source of foreign students in the US. The two countries are working to establish Fulbright University Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh city.

Bilateral coordination has been enhanced at many organizations and forums including the UN, ASEAN, the East Asia Summit, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus. The two countries have worked together on global issues like climate change response, food security, energy and water resources, fighting trans-national crime and terrorism, and stopping the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Creating motivation for bilateral cooperation and relationship

Many foreign media outlets including Reuters, Forbes, VOA, and the Manila Bulletin covered Prime Minister Phuc’s visit to the US. Reuters quoted a statement from the White House that President Donald Trump will receive Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in the White House on May 31 to discuss bilateral ties and regional cooperation.

VOV reported that the Vietnamese Prime Minister will be the first leader from Southeast Asia to visit the White House since Donald Trump became President. The Manila Bulletin quoted press secretary Sean Spicer as saying that President Trump looks forward to discussing ways to strengthen the bilateral relationship and expand regional cooperation with one of America’s most important partners in Southeast Asia.