Blinken looks to deepen Vietnam ties and expects more partnership talks in coming weeks

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, (centre) accompanied by Vietnam's Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, (left) and Ambassador of the United States to Vietnam Marc Knapper (second from right) participating in a groundbreaking for a new US embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam, Saturday, on April 15, 2023. - Reuters

HANOI, April 17 (Bloomberg): Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US wants to formally upgrade its relationship with Vietnam, in part to reinforce the "rules-based” order in the Indo-Pacific, as Washington continues to seek deeper ties with countries in Asia wary of China’s rise.

The US will direct teams in the coming weeks to talk with Vietnamese officials about deepening the decade-long "comprehensive partnership” between the two countries, Blinken said in Hanoi on Saturday.