Vietnam's Top Leader Meets US Acting Navy Secretary in NY Amid 'Reconciliation' Efforts

Vietnam's top leader, General Secretary and President To Lam, met with acting US Navy Secretary Hung Cao in New York on September 22. The meeting with Cao, a Vietnamese-American, highlights Vietnam's efforts to strengthen ties with its diaspora, while also underscoring the complexities in deepening bilateral relations between Vietnam and the US. Mr. Cao, who himself experienced life under the former South Vietnamese regime, met with Mr. To Lam during the latter's visit to the US to attend the UN General Assembly. During his trip, Mr. To Lam also engaged with the Vietnamese community in the US, calling for "closing the past and jointly building the nation's future." The Communist Party of Vietnam views the approximately 6.5 million Vietnamese living abroad as a "strategic resource for national development," with a particular focus on enhancing connections with the roughly 2.3 million-strong community in the United States. However, significant barriers remain in the relationship between Vietnam and its overseas communities, particularly in the US. One of these is the Vietnamese government's handling of the "yellow flag with three red stripes," a symbol of the former Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam). This flag remains a sensitive emblem within Vietnam, with instances reported of artists facing severe backlash for displaying it in public. While Mr. To Lam's US visit included meetings with leaders from countries such as Thailand, Australia, Switzerland, and Timor-Leste, a formal meeting with the US President has not been confirmed. Two years prior, a meeting with President Joe Biden occurred on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. This time, however, the possibility of such a meeting is considered low, especially with former President Donald Trump scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Experts note that the Vietnam-US relationship cannot be considered in isolation from US-China dynamics. Some analysts suggest that the Trump administration's approach of simultaneously seeking cooperation and containment with China might involve using Vietnam as leverage against Beijing. It is also observed that the Vietnamese government tends to prioritize economic ties over the sharing of political and social values. Information Source: BBC Vietnamese