Biden Meets Vietnam Leader to Counter Hanoi’s Relations with China and Russia

By Steve Holland and Simon Lewis

NEW YORK – U.S. President Joe Biden met with Vietnam’s President To Lam on Wednesday to enhance relations with the Southeast Asian nation and its manufacturing capabilities, aiming to counterbalance Vietnam’s connections with China and Russia.

Biden and Lam, the General Secretary of the ruling Communist Party making his inaugural visit to the U.S. in his presidential capacity, convened during the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

During the week, Lam engaged with American companies, including a commitment from Meta to increase investments in Vietnam, which boasts a population of 100 million.

Lam urged business leaders to support Vietnam’s request for the U.S. to remove it from the list of non-market economies (NMEs) and to ease other trade restrictions. He also called for collaboration on semiconductor supply chains.

Biden, who visited Vietnam last year and finalized agreements on semiconductors, minerals, and an elevation of diplomatic relations, acknowledged Lam’s contributions to strengthening bilateral ties during their meeting.

The President highlighted the historic investments and unprecedented cybersecurity cooperation established since the new era in U.S.-Vietnam relations began. He emphasized their shared commitment to upholding freedom of navigation and the rule of law, particularly concerning regional maritime disputes with China.

In reference to his speech at the U.N. assembly, Biden remarked, “There’s nothing beyond our capacity if we work together.”

Lam, who spoke at the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, is also visiting Cuba, a long-standing communist ally of Vietnam.

Before his trip, Vietnamese authorities released several prominent activists from prison, including Tran Huynh Duy Thuc, who was sentenced for subversion, and environmental activist Hoang Thi Minh Hong, who faced charges of tax fraud. However, numerous dissidents remain incarcerated.

U.S. sources indicate that the U.S. has been encouraging Vietnam to steer clear of Chinese companies in its plans to develop ten new undersea cables by 2030.

While Lam is expected to discuss the NME issue, experts suggest it is not within Biden’s authority to grant concessions regarding it, as this falls under the purview of the Commerce Department.

Vietnam has long contended that it does not deserve the NME designation, citing recent economic reforms and asserting that maintaining this label is detrimental to the strengthening ties that the U.S. views as a counterbalance to China.

Critics, including influential labor groups in the U.S., argue that Vietnam’s policy pledges lack concrete follow-through and that the country is increasingly serving as a manufacturing site for Chinese firms looking to bypass U.S. import restrictions.

U.S. Representative Michelle Steel, a Republican from California with a significant Vietnamese American constituency, urged Biden to address increasing human rights violations in Vietnam under Lam’s leadership directly.

Experts predict the meeting will be a brief encounter, with limited outcomes given that Biden’s presidency has dwindled to four months and Lam has recently assumed office following a period of political uncertainty in Vietnam.

Alexander Vuving, a specialist on Vietnam, noted that the meeting is critical for Lam to fortify his leadership and signifies Vietnam’s strategic position between global powers, especially considering Lam’s recent engagements with leaders from China and Russia and the significance of U.S.-Vietnam relations in the broader Asia strategy.