The head of the American diplomacy Antony Blinken arrived Friday in Vietnam to underline the increasingly close relations there with the communist country, in full tensions with China over Taiwan.
Blinken, who is making a stopover in Hanoi before attending the upcoming G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Japan, is due to hold talks with Vietnamese leaders on Saturday to pave the way for a possible diplomatic upgrade with the country.
Relations between the United States and Vietnam have grown stronger in recent years, including in the military and economic sphere, as the two countries have largely reconciled despite the scars of war.
Mr. Blinken will discuss in the Vietnamese capital "
our shared vision of an Indo-Pacific region that is prosperous, peaceful and resilient
", said the State Department.
The head of US diplomacy hopes to build on a phone call last month between US President Joe Biden and the leader of Vietnam's ruling Communist Party, Nguyen Phu Trong, in a bid to elevate relations to a partnership "
strategic
”.
Counterbalancing China in the South China Sea
Analysts say Hanoi may be reluctant, fearing to antagonize Beijing - its northern neighbor and another key economic partner - despite rival claims in the South China Sea.
"
The United States just sees that it needs Vietnam to counterbalance China in the South China Sea
," Khang Vu, a doctoral student in international security at Boston College, told AFP.
“
But it is better for Vietnam to stay on good terms with China.
The Vietnamese government understands that there is no way to win a military fight
,” he added.
The visit of the head of the American diplomacy in Asia comes in full tensions with China over Taiwan.
The Chinese army said on Monday that it had "
successfully completed
" its military maneuvers aimed at encircling for three days the autonomous island of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as one of its provinces, carried out in retaliation for the stopover last week of the Taiwanese president in the United States.
Mr Blinken and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin held rare joint talks with their Filipino counterparts in Washington following an agreement allowing US forces to use a growing number of bases in the Philippines, including one near Taiwan.
The Philippines and the United States recently signed an agreement providing American access to four new military bases, angering Beijing.
This is the US Secretary of State's first visit to Vietnam since taking office two years ago, but Vice President Kamala Harris has been there before.
Mr. Blinken will also launch the beginning of the construction of a new American embassy in Hanoi.
