US President visits Vietnam: Committed to increasing bilateral cooperation

On the occasion of US President Donald Trump's arrival in Hanoi after attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Da Nang, reporters interviewed Mr. Anthony Nelson, Director of East Asia and Pacific Affairs at Albright Stonebridge Consulting Group, former Director of Vietnam Affairs at the US-ASEAN Business Council (US-ABC).

US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump. Source: AP

Mr. Nelson said that future US foreign policies would take into account the political and economic success in relations with Asia, as the region is seen as the engine of global growth.

The Trump administration has prioritized a "pivot" to Asia, as demonstrated by trips by US officials to the region.

President Trump also announced early that he would attend the APEC Summit and the East Asia Summit (EAS), as well as visit five Asian countries.

This is the longest tour of Asia by a US president ever.

According to Mr. Nelson, the current priorities of the US for Asia include resolving the North Korea issue to ensure a stable security situation, continuing freedom of navigation in the East Sea, as well as resolving the trade deficit with some Asian partners.

He expressed hope that, taking advantage of attending the APEC and EAS conferences and through meetings with leaders of several important economies to the US, the Trump administration will form ideas for foreign policy in the coming years, especially for Asia.

The above official said that Vietnam has an important role in APEC and is currently one of the countries forecast to achieve rapid economic growth in the coming time.

Hosting APEC 2017 will give Vietnam the opportunity to demonstrate that the government is moving towards economic reform and fulfilling its commitments, especially regarding global economic integration.

For economies interested in multilateralizing international relations, APEC is a great forum because it will present economic development ideas and connect member economies.

APEC focuses on finding ways to boost growth, create jobs and create prosperity together, so this is an opportunity for Vietnam to demonstrate its approach and ideas.

Mr. Nelson said discussions at APEC have been ongoing throughout the year, covering a wide range of issues with the ultimate goal of creating a free trade area in the Asia-Pacific, where economies agree on trade rules.

These discussions help identify and address barriers in a number of important areas. Vietnam can contribute ideas on sustainable growth, the role of small and medium enterprises in modern economies, the experiences of many developed countries, or the security of economies in the Asia-Pacific region or the issue of climate change.

Regarding the possibility of the US and Vietnam reaching an agreement after President Trump's first official visit to Vietnam, Mr. Nelson said that at least there will be a commitment to continue to strengthen bilateral cooperation.

He said that although a bilateral free trade agreement is not easy, high-level contacts will create steps towards expanding relations between the two countries.

He also commented that the recent official visit to the US by Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc was to lay the foundation for developing relations between the two countries in the future./.

According to Vietnam+