U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited Hanoi to deepen defense cooperation and address the lingering legacies of the Vietnam War. He said confronting issues stemming from the war is central to the bilateral relationship and a top priority for the U.S. government. The visit coincides with 30 years of formal diplomatic ties and two years since relations were upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Officials framed the trip as an effort to build trust while managing regional strategic sensitivities.
Hegseth in Hanoi: U.S. Moves to Strengthen Defense Ties and Address Vietnam War Legacy
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited Hanoi to deepen defense cooperation and address the lingering legacies of the Vietnam War. He said confronting issues stemming from the war is central to the bilateral relationship and a top priority for the U.S. government. The visit coincides with 30 years of formal diplomatic ties and two years since relations were upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Officials framed the trip as an effort to build trust while managing regional strategic sensitivities.
13:02, 02.11.2025Security
HANOI — U.S. Defense Chief Visits to Reassure a Wary Partner
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited Hanoi on Sunday to reaffirm and strengthen a bilateral relationship shaped by the legacy of the Vietnam War. The trip is intended to test whether Washington can reassure a vital but cautious partner as the two countries expand security cooperation.
Addressing the past: Hegseth stressed that confronting the war's legacies — including the consequences of the 1975 fall of Saigon and ongoing issues such as unexploded ordnance, environmental contamination from herbicides, and accounting for missing service members — "remains the foundation of our defense relationship and a top priority for this administration and the Department of Defense."
"Confronting the legacies of the war remains the foundation of our defense relationship and a top priority for this administration and the Department of Defense," Hegseth said.
The visit also commemorates diplomatic milestones: 30 years of formal diplomatic ties between the United States and Vietnam, and two years since their relationship was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Vietnam's highest diplomatic status. Officials said the trip aims to build trust, expand practical cooperation, and address humanitarian and environmental issues that continue to affect communities in Vietnam.
Analysts say the challenge for Washington is to balance deeper defense collaboration with sensitivity to Hanoi's careful approach to great-power competition in the region. For Vietnam, cooperation with the United States is weighed against longstanding ties with other partners and its emphasis on sovereignty and stability.
What to watch next: announcements on joint initiatives to remediate wartime damage, expanded search-and-recovery operations for missing personnel, and measures to increase transparency and confidence-building between the two defense establishments.