Pentagon chief seeks to nudge ties with Vietnam as human rights concerns linger

This picture taken and released by the Vietnam News Agency on July 29, 2021 shows US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin inspecting a guard of honour along with Vietnam's Defence Minister Phan Van Giang during a welcoming ceremony in Hanoi. - Vietnam News Agency / AFP

HANOI (Reuters): US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin sought on Thursday (July 29) to nudge forward security ties with Vietnam that have been slowly deepening as both countries watch China's activities in the South China Sea with growing alarm.

Despite closer military relations, more than four decades after the Vietnam War ended in 1975, President Joe Biden's administration has said there are limits to the relationship until Hanoi makes progress on human rights.