U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited Hanoi to strengthen defense ties centered on addressing the Vietnam War's legacy, returning wartime artifacts and emphasizing that postwar cooperation remains a priority. The trip coincides with 30 years of diplomatic relations and two years since the upgrade to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Observers say U.S. support for ordnance clearance, remains recovery and dioxin cleanup could stabilize ties and pave the way for broader defense cooperation. Vietnam's recent outreach to North Korea and reported interest in Russian Su-35 fighters suggest Hanoi is hedging its security relationships.
Hegseth in Hanoi: U.S. Defense Chief Returns Wartime Artifacts and Seeks Stronger Vietnam Ties
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited Hanoi to strengthen defense ties centered on addressing the Vietnam War's legacy, returning wartime artifacts and emphasizing that postwar cooperation remains a priority. The trip coincides with 30 years of diplomatic relations and two years since the upgrade to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Observers say U.S. support for ordnance clearance, remains recovery and dioxin cleanup could stabilize ties and pave the way for broader defense cooperation. Vietnam's recent outreach to North Korea and reported interest in Russian Su-35 fighters suggest Hanoi is hedging its security relationships.
19:05, 02.11.2025Security
HANOI, Vietnam —
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited Hanoi on Sunday to reaffirm a relationship shaped by efforts to address the legacy of the Vietnam War and to try to reassure a vital but cautious partner.
Hegseth said confronting the war's aftereffects remains central to the two countries' defense relationship and a top priority. The Vietnam War formally ended 50 years ago in April.
At the conclusion of talks with Vietnamese Defense Minister Phan Van Giang, Hegseth presented a leather box, a belt and a small knife — wartime items that had been taken by U.S. troops during the conflict. Returning such objects is part of a broader reconciliation effort between the two nations; in recent years letters, dog tags and photographs have also been restored to families in the United States.
"Today we will exchange artifacts and information from the war with the goal of helping family members in both countries find peace," Hegseth said.
Hegseth's trip coincides with the 30th anniversary of normalized diplomatic ties and the second anniversary of the upgrade to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Vietnam's highest diplomatic status. He arrived in Hanoi after attending a meeting of defense counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Since normalizing relations in 1995, Washington and Hanoi have worked together to clear unexploded ordnance, recover the remains of missing U.S. service members, and clean up dioxin contamination — the toxic residue from Agent Orange — at former U.S. air bases. These efforts continue to affect local communities.
There were concerns when U.S. funding cuts temporarily paused some cleanup programs, but work has since resumed. Observers say a visible U.S. recommitment to these projects can help stabilize relations and create room for broader defense cooperation.
Nguyen Khac Giang, a visiting fellow in the Vietnam Studies Program at Singapore's ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute, said: "War-legacy cooperation is the foundation enabling deeper defense ties. For Washington, it demonstrates long-term responsibility and goodwill. For Hanoi, it provides essential political cover for expanding relations with a former adversary."
Giang added that Hegseth's visit comes at a delicate geopolitical moment. Vietnam's Communist Party chief To Lam visited North Korea in early October — the first such trip in nearly two decades — and reports indicate Hanoi may be considering the purchase of up to 40 Russian Su-35 fighters. Those moves, analysts say, suggest Vietnam is hedging amid doubts about outside security assurances.
The Associated Press has previously reported that Moscow and Hanoi have explored ways to maintain financial transactions despite U.S. sanctions on Russia related to its invasion of Ukraine.
"Hegseth's visit demonstrates Vietnam's deliberate deepening of defense ties with the U.S., but strictly on Hanoi's terms," Giang said.
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