US Secretary of Defense visits Vietnam: Promoting Vietnam-US defense cooperation

The second visit to Vietnam by US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis in a year shows the growing importance of defense and security cooperation between the two countries.

Secretary Mattis visited Hanoi in January at the invitation of Defense Minister General Ngo Xuan Lich.

Three months later, the US aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson docked at Da Nang port, making the first visit by a US aircraft carrier to Vietnam since the war.

During his visit to Vietnam, Mr. Mattis will visit Ho Chi Minh City, visit Bien Hoa airport and meet with Minister of Defense Ngo Xuan Lich.

Although visits to Vietnam by US defense ministers have become routine, having two visits in one year is an unusual event, according toAP. Ho Chi Minh City is also rarely on the agenda of ministers.

The last time a Pentagon leader visited Ho Chi Minh City was in 2000, when William Cohen became the first US Secretary of Defense to visit Vietnam since the war.

Mattis's visit to Beijing was originally scheduled to include a stop in Beijing, but the trip was canceled amid growing US-China tensions over trade and defense.

China has just denied US warships entry into Hong Kong. A few months ago, Secretary Mattis disinvited China from participating in naval exercises in the Pacific. In September, Beijing demanded that Washington stop arms sales to Taiwan and recalled Vice Admiral Shen Jinlong from China as he prepared to visit the US.

According toAP, the moves to escalate tensions between Beijing and Washington show some adjustment to US defense policy in the region.

Mr. Josh Kurlantzick, an Asia expert at the Council on Foreign Relations, said that Vietnam is gradually adjusting its foreign and defense balance policy.

“I think Vietnam supports some of President Trump’s policies,” Kurlantzick said, referring to the US’s “free and open Indo-Pacific strategy.” The initiative emphasizes ensuring that all countries in the region are free to defend their maritime borders, especially in the South China Sea, and are open to international trade.

“Apart from Singapore, Vietnam is the most natural partner for the US (in the region),” Kurlantzick said. Its proximity to the South China Sea makes Vietnam, a country in dispute with China over islands, an important player for the US in the region.

According toAP, the remarkable economic development over the past 30 years has opened Vietnam to a wave of foreign investment and trade. It is also one of the fastest growing economies in Southeast Asia.

As he left Hanoi in January, Secretary Mattis asserted that his visit showed that the United States and Vietnam share many common interests, some of which predate the war more than half a century ago.

“None of us like being invaded,” Mr. Mattis said at the time.

According to Professor Carl Thayer of the Australian Defense Force Academy, Mr. Mattis is following the instructions set out in the US National Security Strategy and the US National Defense Strategy, adding Vietnam to the defense cooperation network to deal with challenges to regional security.

In addition, the US side also expects to further strengthen bilateral defense cooperation, including more frequent naval visits.