President Joe Biden's scheduled visit to Vietnam in September
U.S. President Joe Biden is set to visit Vietnam on September 10 and 11, following an invitation from General Party Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Pham Thu Hang, the spokesperson for Vietnam’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, confirmed the visit schedule in a statement on Tuesday. Hang expressed the belief that the visit by the leaders of both countries will deepen the relations between Vietnam and the U.S., fostering stable and substantial growth in various fields. This will contribute to maintaining peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
This visit will mark President Biden’s first trip to Vietnam since assuming office in early 2021 and will coincide with the celebration of 10 years of the Comprehensive Partnership between the two nations. The White House previously announced that President Biden would meet with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and other top Vietnamese leaders in Hanoi on September 10 before traveling to Alaska to commemorate the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.
According to Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, during the visit, President Biden and the Vietnamese leaders will discuss ways to further deepen cooperation between the two countries. The discussions will focus on promoting the growth of a technology-focused and innovation-driven Vietnamese economy, expanding people-to-people ties through education exchanges and workforce development programs, addressing climate change, and enhancing peace, prosperity, and stability in the region.
President Biden previously met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the White House in May 2022. During the meeting, he expressed his fondness for Vietnam and its people, highlighting his efforts, along with his late colleague John McCain, to strengthen U.S. relations with Vietnam during his time as a U.S. senator. In April, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the U.S.’s commitment to enhancing cooperation with Vietnam in various fields, including trade and investment, science and technology, education and training, and climate change response. The U.S. values its relationship with Vietnam and aims to elevate it to new heights.
Vietnam and the U.S., former adversaries during the war, normalized their relations in July 1995 and upgraded their relationship to a comprehensive partnership in July 2013. In 2022, bilateral trade between the two countries exceeded $123.86 billion, representing an 11% increase from 2021. The U.S. is Vietnam’s largest export market and the second-largest commercial partner. Direct foreign investments from the U.S. to Vietnam have exceeded $11 billion, comprising over 1,200 projects, ranking the U.S. 11th among all countries and territories investing directly in Vietnam. Additionally, approximately 30,000 Vietnamese students studying in the U.S. contribute $1 billion to the American economy.