Just how close will Vietnam get to the US to keep China in check?
- Hanoi is being courted by both Beijing and Washington in their regional power play
- US-Vietnamese security cooperation will grow but there are limits, analysts say
When Chinese Premier Li Qiang started making his first phone calls to overseas leaders after taking office last month, his opposite number in Vietnam was among those at the top of the list.
The diplomatic activity follows a flurry of interest from the United States in the Southeast Asian country, including an agreement between US President Joe Biden and Nguyen Phu Trong, the chief of Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party, to “promote, develop and deepen” ties. Both leaders also accepted reciprocal invitations to visit.
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Xi Jinping says China will build stable supply chain with Vietnam
Beijing’s outreach comes as its geopolitical competition with Washington grows evermore hostile and many of its neighbours – including US allies such as the Philippines, Japan, Australia and South Korea – have moved closer to Washington as part of what Beijing sees as a strategy to contain its rise.