Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States wants to formally upgrade its relationship with Vietnam, in part to reinforce the “rules-based” order in the Indo-Pacific, as Washington continues to seek deeper ties with countries in Asia wary of China’s rise.
The U.S. will direct teams in the coming weeks to talk with Vietnamese officials about deepening the decadelong “comprehensive partnership” between the two countries, Blinken said in Hanoi on Saturday.
Blinken said the U.S. was finalizing the transfer of a third U.S. Coast Guard cutter to Vietnam, as part of a growing security partnership that’s seen the provision of 24 patrol boats and other equipment since 2016.
