US President Joe Biden attends the launch of the Global Biofuels Alliance at the G20 summit in New Delhi on September 9,.//AFP
US President Joe Biden arrives in Vietnam on Sunday set to deepen cooperation between the two nations, in the face of China’s growing ambitions in the region.
Biden — who is flying from the G20 summit in New Delhi — will meet the leader of Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party, Nguyen Phu Trong, on Sunday, and is expected to sign off on a “comprehensive strategic partnership”, Hanoi’s highest level of diplomatic ties.
The underlying goal of the short visit will be much the same as during Biden’s time at the G20 gathering — to shore up support against China’s increasing influence.
For Vietnam, the upgrading of diplomatic ties is significant. It only has top-level ties with Russia, India, South Korea and China.
Although it will be careful…
