Half a century after the fall of Saigon, the United States and Vietnam are edging towards deeper defence cooperation built on shared anxieties about China and Washington’s desire to wean Hanoi off its historical dependence on Russian arms.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth arrived in Hanoi last Sunday for a two-day visit, declaring that establishing stronger security ties would be a win-win.
“Deeper [military] cooperation will benefit both of our countries,” said Hegseth, who had travelled to the Vietnamese capital following meetings in Malaysia with his Asian counterparts.
Vietnam’s defence ministry said in a statement that both countries had agreed to continue promoting cooperation, including in the defence industry, using careful wording to reflect the delicate balancing act Hanoi is attempting to maintain between its traditional arms supplier, Russia, and the West.
Hegseth’s visit came amid protracted negotiations over Washington’s potential supply of military equipment to its former enemy, including transport planes and helicopters.
Yet it also coincided with reports that Hanoi is reinvigorating its defence ties with Russia, buying aircraft and mobile air-defence systems, while simultaneously exploring defence cooperation with Finland, Turkey and Israel.
