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Why Vietnam Edging Closer, but not too Close, to the US

Ralph Jennings

   TAIPEI, TAIWAN - The United States sent its second aircraft carrier in
   as many years to Vietnam this week, shortly after toughening up its
   treatment of the Southeast Asian country's economic prowess over
   concerns about the bilateral trade imbalance. Vietnam went along with
   both moves, yet didn't play up either.

   Vietnam and the United States are growing closer, despite their bitter
   war 50 years ago, as both hope to check Beijing's expansion in the
   South China Sea, analysts say. However, Vietnam's communist political
   system and pursuit of a multicountry foreign policy rather than a
   purely pro-Western one are likely to stop Washington from getting too
   close.

   For their part, U.S. officials worry about Vietnam's U.S. trade
   surplus.

   "Washington's institutional bureaucracy surely sees Hanoi as a partner
   in pushing back against Beijing's South China Sea claims and
   militarization," said Sean King, vice president of the New York-based
   Park Strategies political consultancy, "but Vietnam's not an ally, nor
   a democracy, hence there are limits to this partnership."

   "My sense is Vietnam wants [the United States] as a regional
   counterweight to Beijing but doesn't want to be part of any wider
   U.S.-mainland Chinese containment strategy," King said.

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