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| General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong met with Joe Biden, then Vice President of the United States, at the White House in 2015. |
September is considered a busy month for US leaders. The President attended the G20, the Vice President attended the ASEAN Summit and many other activities. However, President Joe Biden still made a state visit to Vietnam. Many people believe that this is a continuation of the tradition since the normalization of Vietnam-US relations , when incumbent US Presidents have visited Vietnam. Do you think this was a random visit or a "surprise" but intentional visit?
I think this visit comes first from America's superpower position, and then from Vietnam's role and position.
Firstly , in its global strategy, the United States is currently focusing all domestic and foreign resources to maintain its position and “shake up” relationships in Asia, Oceania, and the transatlantic. And in that strategy, ASEAN and ASEAN countries are certainly important destinations for the United States.
Second , from the position and role of Vietnam, which according to experts, comes not only from the scale of a country with 100 million people, a dynamic economy, an abundant young labor force... but also from a nation with awareness, courage and strong vitality to rise up and overcome difficulties and challenges.
In addition, Vietnam has established Strategic Partnerships (including Comprehensive Strategic Partnerships) and Comprehensive Partnerships with 30 countries. This is an invisible strength that creates a new position for Vietnam; along with the position of an economy that is growing strongly despite the global recession as well as an increasingly important role in ASEAN.
In the context of the current complicated international situation, Vietnam's readiness to promote relations with major powers, in the spirit of equal cooperation, mutual benefit, sincerity and frankness, also demonstrates Vietnam's strength and mettle.
The US's emphasis on Vietnam's position and role is not a "one-day or two-day" policy. How has it been demonstrated over time, sir?
A flight of a superpower leader from the other side of the Pacific to Hanoi is not simple, but comes from the needs of the United States itself - to deploy its national security strategy.
In the Australian Parliament in November 2011, for the first time, US President Barack Obama announced the shift of US interests and resources from the Middle East to the Asia-Pacific. Then, in November 2017, in Da Nang, President Donald Trump announced the Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum. I believe that this US strategy has developed through such a process.
Under President Joe Biden, over the past two years, the Vietnam-US relationship has developed more firmly and stably than before, in the fields of economics, politics, diplomacy, defense and security. President Joe Biden's administration has not missed any contact with Vietnam. Recently, many US leaders have visited Vietnam (Vice President, Secretary of State, Secretary of Finance, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, etc.); security and defense relations have been bustlingly promoted with many times US aircraft carriers and warships have docked at Cam Ranh, Da Nang, etc.
It can be said that the US's appreciation of Vietnam's role is not only in words (through declared strategies and policies), but also in concrete actions in diplomacy, military, security, and economics... I think that is a real assessment, a basis and foundation that facilitates Mr. Biden's visit this time. Without such bustling activities, it would be difficult to lead to this visit.
How do you evaluate the significance of Mr. Biden's visit to Vietnam?
Firstly, the visit reflects the correct foreign policy of the Communist Party of Vietnam – maintaining the momentum of relations with China, strengthening relations with Russia, and continuing to promote relations with European countries and the US. This is also a success of Vietnamese diplomacy.
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| Major General Le Van Cuong, former Director of the Institute for Strategic Studies, Ministry of Public Security, talks with TG&VN reporters about US President Joe Biden's state visit to Vietnam. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
Second, the visit reflects Vietnam's strength, potential and mettle. In its relations with the US, Vietnam is very open and transparent. Promoting relations with the US is first and foremost for the benefit of Vietnam and the US. Objectively speaking, the visit does not infringe on the interests of other countries, and is beneficial to the world and the region. Many countries will support us in this effort.
So, in your opinion, besides the symbolic meaning, how will the Vietnam-US relationship be promoted after the visit?
After this visit, I am completely confident that the bilateral relationship, regardless of the framework, will continue to have changes in economics, politics, security and defense; opening up a new stage and new space to promote bilateral cooperation in all fields.
In particular, the fields of science and technology and human resource training are particularly important. We really hope that the United States will invest in technology in Vietnam. In the context of fierce technological competition like today, this is beneficial to Vietnam, and certainly in the coming years there will be many high-tech projects of the United States in Vietnam.
In addition to technology, we also need support in human resource training. The US education system is considered to be the best in the world. Currently, Vietnam has more than 20,000 students studying in the US, and by 2025, this number is expected to be around 30,000-40,000. The door for Vietnamese students will be wider open.
Certainly, in any relationship there will be barriers, both internal and external. In the Vietnam-US relationship, what do you think the two sides need to do to overcome these barriers and continue the positive momentum of the relationship as it is now?
The existence of barriers is a natural law. But I think that to overcome barriers, the two countries need to persevere in their stance and viewpoint of not choosing sides, but choosing the right, choosing the United Nations Charter, international law and for the benefit of businesses and people of both countries. The two sides need to cooperate more closely in the political and diplomatic fields, both bilaterally and multilaterally. In which, cooperation and information sharing help both sides overcome obstacles and challenges, and that is necessary. In the future, strategic advisory agencies, including diplomacy, security-defense and economics, will exchange information with each other, and having information will facilitate cooperation.
Vietnam also needs to continue to maintain stable relations with major countries, based on the principle of protecting Vietnam's independence and sovereignty, the principles of the United Nations Charter. Absolutely not giving up sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, not deviating from the United Nations Charter, international law and always being open and transparent.
Thank you very much!
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