U.S. President Joe Biden is set to visit Vietnam on September 10-11 at the invitation of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, as announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
This will be President Biden’s first visit to Vietnam since taking office in early 2021, coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the establishment of comprehensive partnership between the two countries.
A state visit is the highest level of state visit for a foreign head of state and the head of the ruling party who is invited by the General Secretary and the President, or a foreign head of state who is invited by the President.
Prior to this, the White House stated that President Biden will come to Hanoi to meet with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and other key leaders of Vietnam to “discuss ways to deepen cooperation between the United States and Vietnam.”
“Leaders will explore opportunities to promote Vietnam’s economic development focusing on technology and innovation, enhance people-to-people exchanges through educational exchanges and workforce development programs, address climate change, and strengthen peace, prosperity, and stability in the region,” said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
U.S.-Vietnam relations were normalized in July 1995 and upgraded to a comprehensive partnership in July 2013, with numerous high-level visits between the leaders of both countries. The two sides cooperate in various fields, including politics and diplomacy, economics, education, science and technology, and defense and security.
The first U.S. President to visit Vietnam after the establishment of diplomatic relations was President Bill Clinton in November 2000. Since then, subsequent U.S. Presidents, including George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump, have all visited Vietnam.
President Trump visited Vietnam twice in November 2017, when he attended the APEC summit in Da Nang, and in February 2019, when he held a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi. Following President Trump, President Biden is the second U.S. President to visit Vietnam during his first term since 1995.
Bilateral trade between Vietnam and the United States reached over $123.86 billion in 2022, a 11% increase compared to 2021, and exceeded $51.2 billion in the first six months of 2023. The United States is Vietnam’s largest export market and the second-largest trading partner, while Vietnam is the United States’ 8th largest trading partner globally and the largest in ASEAN.
U.S.-Vietnam relations also include enhanced cooperation in education, people-to-people exchanges, and national security. In 2016, the U.S. completely lifted its arms embargo on Vietnam, transferring two Hamilton-class patrol ships to Vietnam and being prepared to transfer a third ship.
