Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded his visit to Vietnam on April 15 with a modicum of agreements, but without the much-desired “strategic relationship.” In a press conference today, Blinken indicated that the Vietnamese had agreed to be a part of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (from which they may well benefit) and would cooperate in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), of which they are already members.
Blinken is simply a part of the full-court press on Vietnam, following the visits to Vietnam by Samantha Powers, Lloyd Austin, and Kamala Harris. On the military side, the U.S. is providing a third Coast Guard cutter to Vietnam. The U.S. is also building a new “state-of-the-art “ embassy in Hanoi to do closer monitoring of this important country.
