President Joe Biden will travel to Vietnam in September, where he will meet with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and other leaders, the White House announced on Monday.
Biden plans to head to Hanoi on Sept. 10, where the leaders will discuss ways to deepen cooperation between the two countries. The trip will be on the heels of Biden’s visit to the G-20 leaders’ summit to be held this year in New Delhi on Sept. 9-10.
“The leaders will explore opportunities to promote the growth of a technology-focused and innovation-driven Vietnamese economy, expand our people-to-people ties through education exchanges and workforce development programs, combat climate change, and increase peace, prosperity, and stability in the region,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
Biden at a Democratic fundraiser earlier this month said he planned to visit Vietnam soon as the US looks to strengthen ties with Asian nations and reduce Chinese influence in the region. Other senior administration officials have already visited the country, including Vice President Kamala Harris. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen met in July with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Hanoi.
The US normalized trade ties with Vietnam in 2007, a relationship that deepened after then-President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on China. Vietnam is crucial for the US as it seeks to reduce reliance on other nations that dominate the supply of critical technologies as well as counter China’s presence in the Asia Pacific.
The president is expected to sign a strategic partnership agreement intended to help Vietnam grow its semiconductor and artificial intelligence sectors, Politico reported earlier this month.
Biden earlier this month held a historic summit at the Camp David presidential retreat, where he hosted Japan’s Fumio Kishida and South Korea’s Yoon Suk Yeol, and announced new security pledges between the three allies.
The president will also travel on Sept. 11 to Alaska to mark the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, joining a memorial ceremony with service members and their families, the White House said.
Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff will attend a ceremony at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York City, while first lady Jill Biden will lay a wreath at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial.
