US, Vietnam to elevate ties during Biden visit, with eye on China

U.S. President Joe Biden visits Vietnam’s capital city Sunday, where the two countries are expected to declare themselves strategic partners, as the United States seeks to push supply chains from China and both countries to try to counter Beijing’s military and diplomatic influence in Asia.
Biden will arrive at the Presidential Palace Sunday afternoon for a formal welcome from Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Vietnam’s most powerful leader, then journey to the Party headquarters where the two will meet and then give public remarks.
The visit comes as trade and investment ties between the two nations are growing and a long-simmering territorial dispute between Vietnam and China heats up in the South China Sea. Vietnam has named four other countries “comprehensive strategic partners,” the designation expected for the U.S.: China, Russia, India and South Korea.