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US Secretary of Defense pete hegseth was in Vietnam on Sunday, reaffirming a partnership built on healing the wounds of the Vietnam War in a trip that will test whether Washington Can reassure an important but cautious partner.
Hegseth addressed the legacy of the war, which ended 50 years ago in April, saying it “forms the foundation of our defense relationship and remains a top priority for this administration and the Department of Defense.”
Hegseth’s visit also marks 30 years of diplomatic relations between the former enemies and two years since the relationship was upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership, Vietnam’s highest diplomatic status. he came in hanoi From kuala lumpurMalaysia, where he attended a meeting of counterparts of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Cooperation on post-war issues remains the emotional and political foundation of US–Vietnam relations. Since normalizing relations in 1995, the two countries have worked together to clear unexploded ordnance, recover the remains of missing service members, and clean up dioxin – the toxic chemical used in Agent Orange – from former US air bases, which continues to impact communities.
There were concerns about the future of these efforts when US funding for many programs was cut, causing some cleanup operations to be temporarily halted before resuming.
Nguyen Khac Giang, visiting fellow in the Vietnam Studies Program at the ISEAS-Yosof Ishak Institute in Singapore, said a clear commitment to these projects could help stabilize relations and “make space” for further defense cooperation.
“War legacy cooperation is the foundation to enable deeper defense ties,” he said. “For Washington, it demonstrates long-term responsibility and goodwill to resolve the consequences of a long-running war. For Hanoi, it provides the political cover needed for the expansion of relations with a former rival.”
Giang said the US defense chief’s visit comes at a critical moment. Vietnam’s Communist Party chief, To Lam, visited North Korea in early October – the first such visit in nearly two decades – while reports suggest Hanoi may pursue the purchase of 40 Russian Su-35 fighter jets. “Vietnam is defending itself against doubts about US credibility in the Indo-Pacific region,” he said.
The Associated Press previously reported that Moscow and Hanoi have explored ways to maintain financial transactions despite U.S. sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
“Hegseth’s visit reflects Vietnam’s deliberate strengthening of defense ties with the US, but strictly on Hanoi’s terms,” Giang said.
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