
Hours ahead of a visit to Hanoi by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the United States on Thursday condemned Vietnam's jailing of a prominent political activist and said ties could only reach their full potential if the country improved its human rights record.
A Hanoi court on Wednesday sentenced Nguyen Lan Thang to six years in prison for conducting anti-state activities, his lawyer said, a case that has raised international concerns over communist-ruled Vietnam's treatment of dissidents.