>> US President Donald Trump pays state visit to Vietnam
The two-day visit, made in the first year of President Trump’s working tenure, showed the US’s appreciation for Vietnam-US relations and its hope for fostering bilateral ties.
Situated on the Western hemisphere, the US is the third largest and most populous country in the world, regarding both total area (9.8 million square metres) and population (234 million). The US is the most ethnically diverse country in the world. As a developed industrialised nation, the US is the world’s largest economy with GDP in 2016 estimated at US$18.5 trillion, accounting for about 24% of global economic output. The US is also the world’s biggest importer and exporter, and exports accounting for about 30% of its GDP.
Since he took office in January 2017, President Donald Trump’s administration has stepped up the adoption of policy measures aimed at recovering the domestic industry and creating jobs for the people. The US continues to consolidate and promote its superpower status, implement its “soft” foreign policy, strengthen its alliances, expand its network of partners, reaffirm its commitment to the Asia-Pacific region, appreciate and support the role of ASEAN, support the peaceful settlement of disputes in compliance with international law.
20 years after the normalisation of diplomatic relations, cooperation between Vietnam and the US has seen positive and substantive progresses. Since the two countries set up comprehensive partnership in July 2013, their ties have seen positive development in both bilateral and multilateral aspects.
Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s historic visit to the US in July 2015, when the two countries signed a joint vision statement, which further strengthened the Vietnam-US comprehensive partnership in a more positive manner.
The two sides have maintained exchanges of delegations and have taken measures to increase mutual trust and important dialogue mechanisms.
Concerning economic cooperation, the two sides have gained significant achievements. The US has become the largest market of Vietnamese exports since 2005. Two-way trade has been growing at 20% on average in recent years, reaching US$53 billion in 2016. The US is currently the eighth largest foreign investor in Vietnam, with more than US$10 billion in 815 projects, as of November 2016. The US also ranks 9th among 68 countries that receive Vietnam’s foreign direct investment, with US$571 million in 147 projects.
Security and defence cooperation has also been maintained and strengthened. Other areas of cooperation such as science and technology, education and training, tourism, people-to-people exchange, healthcare, the environment, and humanitarian efforts have all seen positive progress. The two sides continue to hold honest and constructive dialogues on issues of difference.
Vietnam and the US have stepped up collaboration at multilateral forums, and have worked together not only in regional issues such as security, maritime safety, and the role of ASEAN, but also in global issues such as as counter-terrorism, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, climate change response, and food security.
Taking place at a time when the Vietnam-US comprehensive partnership is witnessing positive progresses, US President Trump’s visit to Vietnam will provide a good opportunity for leaders of the two countries to affirm their attention to foster bilateral ties, on the basis of mutual respect for one another’s political system and development path, independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and non-interference in each other's internal affairs.
Welcoming the US President, Vietnam affirms its consistent policy of valuing bilateral relations with the US and cooperation with President Trump’s administration as well as its commitment to promoting outcomes of cooperation and accelerating Vietnam-US ties. The significant event once again reflects Vietnam’s foreign policy of peace, independence, self-reliance, cooperation and development; multilateralisation and diversification of international relations; and proactive and active international integration.
May President Trump’s visit to the Vietnam be successful, helping to bring the Vietnam-US comprehensive partnership in a new stage of development, contributing to peace, stability, cooperation, development and prosperity in the region and the world at large.
