Hanoi: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Vietnam on Saturday to pay his respects after the death of Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong. This visit highlighted the strengthening relationship between the two nations, which are now commemorating over 50 years since their intense conflict.
Blinken arrived in Hanoi late on Saturday after attending a regional summit in Laos. He visited the family home of Nguyen Phu Trong, a Marxist-Leninist ideologue who served as Vietnam’s most powerful leader for 13 years until his death last week at age 80. Trong’s “bamboo diplomacy” skillfully balanced relations between the United States and China, strengthening Vietnam’s ties with its two largest trade partners.
At the family home, Blinken greeted Trong’s family and lit an incense stick at a shrine featuring the general secretary’s photo. He observed a moment of silence with his hands clasped and wrote a heartfelt message in the condolence book, conveying President Joe Biden’s sympathies.
Trong’s state funeral, which concluded on Friday, attracted over 250,000 mourners across Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and his hometown of Dong Anh, according to state media.
Blinken’s visit comes at a pivotal time for U.S.-Vietnam relations, which have grown stronger due to shared concerns over China’s regional influence and increasing U.S. investment in Vietnam’s rapidly growing economy. During President Biden’s visit to Hanoi last year, the nations upgraded their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has also promoted Vietnam as a key destination for “friend-shoring” to diversify U.S. supply chains away from China.
The U.S. Commerce Department is expected to decide by Friday whether to grant Vietnam market-economy status, a long-standing request from Hanoi. While some U.S. industries oppose the upgrade, others, including retailers and business groups, support it.
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Following his visit to Trong’s home, Blinken met with Vietnam President To Lam and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. Blinken described Trong as a “visionary leader” who fostered enduring ties between the U.S. and Vietnam, overcoming their tumultuous history. He emphasized that one of the Biden administration’s achievements was the elevation of strategic ties with Hanoi.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller highlighted that the discussions in Hanoi underscored a “partnership at the highest level.” Blinken reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to collaborating with Vietnam on advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region and supporting Vietnam’s independence, prosperity, and resilience.
