United States (US) Vice President Kamala Harris travelled to Vietnam on Wednesday to deliberate on a range of topics with Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc. The visit was part of a broader seven-day trip to Southeast Asia, including Singapore, to strengthen the US engagement in the Indo-Pacific.
However, Harris’ trip to Vietnam to forge a “comprehensive partnership” has brought to the forefront the anxieties it shares with China regarding the US’ role in the region. Critics stated that the visit was at the “wrong time” and for the “wrong target” as Vietnam-China relations develop and strengthen simultaneously.
Discussions
At their meeting, the American Vice President and Vietnamese President discussed the scope for cooperation and partnership regarding the following:
- COVID-19 and Health Security: Harris announced new vaccine donations to Vietnam along with financial and technical assistance to strengthen Vietnam’s health systems. The US also provided two Regional Public Health Emergency Operations Centers, which now operate 24/7 in Vietnam. Additionally, the US has launched a new Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Southeast Asia regional office to enable effective measures against COVID-19 within the nation.
- Combating Climate Change: The US and Vietnam have agreed to collectively combat climate change by leveraging the private sector in climate action, expanding clean energy and clean electric vehicles, protecting the Mekong Delta region, and accelerating Climate-Smart Agriculture.
- Development Assistance and Market Access: Harris announced several projects initiated by the US to boost economic growth in Vietnam, including promoting women and ethnic-minority owned enterprises, support for Vietnam’s transition to a digital economy, and lower tariffs on US exports.
- Human Rights and Civil Society: Harris aims to reach out to grassroots advocacy groups in Vietnam to “emphasise the critical role of civil society as a driver of sustainable development and inclusive prosperity.”
- Addressing Legacy of War Issues: Harris ensured continued American support for capacity building and rehabilitation of war victims due to their long-drawn war history. The US committed to providing an additional $17.5 million for surveying and clearing unexploded ordinance and supporting persons with disabilities.
- Security Cooperation: The United States seeks to support Vietnam’s maritime and law enforcement prowess through a security partnership that would entail increasing Coast-Guard provisions between the two nations, expanding humanitarian and disaster response facilities, and building a robust exchange mechanism between the Vietnam Military and the Department of Defence while advancing critical patient care for soldiers, veterans, and the people of Vietnam.
- Investments in the Bilateral Relationship: The US sought to boost bilateral ties with Vietnam as a part of their strategic partnership. Harris announced the launch of a new Peace Corps in Vietnam that would foster further interaction between the two nations and also announced the construction of a new US Embassy in Hanoi.
- Reinforcing International Norms on the Peaceful Exploration of Space: Harris touched on the civil space dialogue that is to commence between the two nations in 2022, underscored by a collective motivation to conduct sustainable space exploration and activities in the future.
- Support for Higher Education: The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced the Partnership for Higher Education Reform, a five-year project providing up to $14.2 million to strengthen teaching, research, innovation, and governance within the three largest national universities in Vietnam.
“The Vice President’s travel to Vietnam signifies the United States deep commitment not only to the region but also to the US–Vietnam relationship. The commitment to a strong, prosperous, and independent Vietnam, as well as a free, open, healthy, and resilient Indo-Pacific region,” the White House statement read.
Criticisms
International critics perceive the US’ attempt to bridge gaps and improve its relationship with Vietnam as a convenient measure to counter the worldwide backlash they currently face for their decisions on Afghanistan.
Although planned well before the Taliban captured Kabul, the trip to Vietnam, with which the US shares an extensive military history, is seen as “tone-deaf” in the current context. “Harris’ lobbying, amid the US’ abandonment of its Afghan allies, also shows the decline of US domination and its increasing desire to sow discord in the Asia-Pacific,” a Global Times article mentioned.
“She’s going to have a challenge from a domestic public relations standpoint as everyone in America is associating the images that they see on TV with the collapse of Kabul with the images of Americans lifted from the rooftop of our embassy in Saigon,” US Senator Bill Hagerty said.
Responding to the criticism, the US reassured that the crisis in Afghanistan would not “harm allies’ trust in American commitment to far-reaching strategic goals across Asia.”
Furthermore, Harris stressed the geopolitical significance and the strategic and economic importance of the US-Vietnam ties, distancing the Biden administration from the debacle in Afghanistan and the Fall of Saigon in 1975, when America conducted a large-scale evacuation and withdrawal from war-torn Vietnam.
Moreover, in light of the US’ prevalent tensions with China, its involvement in the South China Sea, and Vietnam’s close connection with China, critics highlighted Harris’ visit as an attempt to undermine the Chinese regime.
During the meeting, Harris stated that America does not intend to engage in conflict with China, but said that it “will speak up” on issues regarding maritime disputes in the South China Sea and violations of international law. “We need to find ways to pressure and raise the pressure, frankly, on Beijing to abide by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and to challenge its bullying and excessive maritime claims,” Harris remarked.
In response to Harris’ “bullying” remark, both China and international critics claimed that America is attempting to meddle in regional affairs and instigate conflict within the Asia-Pacific as part of “a broader US strategy to take on China globally.”
Harris also urged the Vietnamese leader to join the “US challenge” in countering China. However, Vietnam remained resilient regarding its ties with China.
Despite their disputes over the South China Sea, Hanoi and Beijing’s ruling Communist parties remain closely associated, and Vietnam depends on Chinese imports for its manufacturing sector. A day before Harris’ arrival, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met Chinese Ambassador Xiang Bo and reaffirmed their connections, assuring that his country “would not enter any alliance to confront Beijing.”
Countering such claims, Harris reiterated that her trip was intended solely for collaborating with Vietnam based on shared interests and not for triggering divisive politics within the region.