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Vietnam Gets Boost from Western Allies in its Defense against China

Ralph Jennings

   TAIPEI, TAIWAN - Vietnam's leadership this year of a Southeast Asian
   negotiating bloc has opened a door to bolster its defense against
   longtime rival China through stronger relations with the West, experts
   say.

   The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, a U.S.-led grouping that
   also includes Australia, India and Japan, invited Vietnam to join talks
   on COVID-19 and economic impacts in March, and its members have
   conferred with Vietnamese officials regularly since then.

   U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo finished his five-nation Asia
   visit with a stop in Vietnam Friday. He praised the host country's
   "sovereignty" when he met Friday with Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh
   in Hanoi and said he looked forward to further improvement in
   relations.

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