President Joe Biden has concluded his trip to the 2021 G-20 summit in Rome and is now headed to Vietnam.
The President’s trip to Vietnam marks the first visit by a sitting American president in 27 years. The major themes of the visit include deepening U.S.-Vietnam relations and efforts to ensure full implementation of the U.S.-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
During the trip, the President is expected to meet with Vietnamese leaders and leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN) in order to promote the message of a free and open Indo-Pacific. Moreover, the President is expected to use this visit to counterbalance China’s growing assertiveness in the region.
The Vietnam visit also represents an opportunity for US-Vietnam relations to further evolve. President Biden plans to announce a new comprehensive partnership between the two countries that would further strengthen economic, security, and people-to-people ties.
The President is also expected to push for an end to human rights abuses and to call for a greater commitment to democracy in the region.
The President’s visit to Vietnam marks the start of his engagement with Asian countries as the US seeks to build a coalition of democratic countries in the Indo-Pacific region. This visit will build on the G-20 summit, where the US sought to strengthen collaboration and coordination with America’s allies and partners.
