The United States is angling for a stronger military relationship with Vietnam, made clear by statements from U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a visit to Hanoi.
Hegseth, who has been attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Malaysia, said that stronger military ties would be beneficial to both nations, just before a meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart, Defence Minister Phan Van Giang.
Russian weapons currently comprise the bulk of Vietnam's arsenal, but they have been seeking opportunities to diversify beyond that.
Hegseth said that the States have already delivered three cutter vessels to the Vietnamese coastguard, along with three T-6 trainer aircraft, with more to come.
"Deeper cooperation will benefit both of our countries," he said.
Reporting from Vietnamese outlets also said that humanitarian aid, disaster relief, cyber security and coordinated multilateral defence were all also on the table for discussion.
Previously tense relations with the U.S. have improved in recent years, with an arms embargo lifted by the U.S. back in 2016 and a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2021 on joint efforts to find missing in action troops from the Vietnam War.
