Washington: In an effort to strengthen ties with Hanoi and as part of Washington's efforts to balance out China's influence in the region, US President Joe Biden announced on Tuesday that he would visit Vietnam "shortly."
During remarks in New Mexico, Biden stated, "I'm going to be going to Vietnam shortly because Vietnam wants to change our relationship and become a partner."
"We find ourselves in a situation where all these changes around the world are taking place at a time we have an opportunity... to change the dynamic," he continued.
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Although there are growing economic ties between the United States and Vietnam, both countries are concerned about China's escalating power in the region.
Beijing and Southeast Asian countries, particularly Vietnam and the Philippines, have been at odds over China's expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea for years.
When US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stopped in Hanoi in April on his way to a meeting of the Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers in Japan, Washington and Hanoi agreed to strengthen their diplomatic ties.
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During his meeting with Vietnamese leaders, Blinken told reporters, "We think this is an auspicious time to elevate our existing partnership."
"We've had this extensive partnership for the past ten years, and it has built an incredibly solid foundation of cooperation across many different areas. Therefore, we believe that this is a good time to advance further. A new US embassy in Hanoi had its groundbreaking ceremony, and Blinken was there.
And in March, Biden had a conversation with Nguyen Phu Trong, the leader of Vietnam's ruling Communist party.
However, Washington has reacted angrily to concerns about human rights in Vietnam, as Blinken noted in his statement that he continued "to underscore how future progress on human rights is essential to unleashing the full potential of the Vietnamese people."
The South China Sea, which has long been the focal point of hostilities between China and Vietnam, is regarded as a potential flashpoint, and many are concerned that a mistake or accident could spark a war.
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Despite competing claims in the South China Sea, analysts claim Hanoi may be more hesitant to improve relations with Washington out of concern for upsetting Beijing, an important economic partner.
Despite having no legal right to the waters, the US has continued to conduct its own patrols there, infuriating Beijing. Washington claims that this is necessary to protect what it refers to as "freedom of navigation" on the sea, where trillions of dollars' worth of trade passes every year.
Since an alleged Chinese spy balloon was shot down by a US warplane after flying over the nation earlier this year, the US has also worked to improve relations with China. Blinken visited in June after a previous trip was postponed.