U.S Defence Secretary visits Vietnam to boost bilateral ties

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin paid an official visit to Vietnam on July 28 and 29, 2021.

This week, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited three Southeast Asian countries, including Singapore, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

The Biden administration has identified the Indo-Pacific region as a strategic priority and emphasized the importance of building a network of allies and partners. The Biden administration's Interim National Security Strategy Guidelines released in March 2021, stated that the US will deepen its partnership with India, New Zealand, as well as Singapore, Vietnam, and other ASEAN countries to speed up common goals.

During a press conference before his visit to three ASEAN countries, Minister Austin said that the main purposes of the visit included reaffirming the United States as a reliable partner in regional security matters, its commitment to assist Southeast Asia against the Covid-19 pandemic and to prepare for post-pandemic recovery. Mr. Austin will reiterate the US commitment to a more equitable, open, and inclusive regional order and freedom of regional navigation. Especially, Mr. Austin will also inform host countries on the Pentagon's plans to update and modernize US military capabilities in the Indo-Pacific and suggest the following path of bilateral cooperation.

According to Vietnam Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang, the US Defense Secretary's visit to Vietnam will contribute to strengthening the friendship and trust between the peoples and militaries of the two countries, boosting the cooperation in the field of defense as agreed by the two Defense Ministries as well as the agreement of the two countries' senior leaders so as to step up the comprehensive partnership between Vietnam and the US.

Mr. Carl Thayer, professor emeritus of politics at the University of New South Wales and a Southeast Asia expert, said Mr. Austin is likely to sound out Vietnam’s leaders on the prospect of upgrading the partnership and learn their views on what should be priorities in their defense cooperation relationship.

Mr.Austin would stress Washington’s commitment to stability and security in the disputed waterway at the East sea and support for regional countries to stand up to Beijing, said Carl Thayer, adding, Minister Austin's trip to Vietnam is the highest-level visit by a member of President Biden's cabinet. This is an opportunity for Austin to introduce himself to his Vietnamese counterpart and senior leaders while conveying America's commitment to bilateral relations.