President Tran Dai Quang shakes hands with  his US counterpart Donald Trump at the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Da Nang on November 11, 2017

Mr. Trump is the first US president ever to visit Vietnam in the first year of his presidency.

Bilateral ties, multilateral cooperation

Vietnam has emerged as a developing country with stable growth as a result of its economic reform and integration in Asia. Dr. Tran Viet Thai, a foreign policy analyst, said: “First, the Vietnam-US relationship framework has taken shape. Their comprehensive partnership was established in 2013 and they have many shared interests in politics, economics, culture, and society. Second, the US considers Vietnam an increasingly important partner in the region. That’s why President Donald Trump has decided to visit Vietnam.”

President Trump’s Vietnam visit has made media headlines. On the sidelines of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week in Da Nang, Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son described the visit as symbolic: “President Donald Trump’s attendance at the APEC Economic Leaders’ meeting and state visit to Vietnam sends a strong message about the US commitment to cooperation, connectivity, and prosperity in Asia-Pacific. Since 2013, the Vietnam-US comprehensive partnership has flourished. I think that Mr. Trump’s state visit to Vietnam will open opportunities for the two countries to strengthen their partnership.

Shared interests, future orientation

The Vietnam-US relationship has expanded in all fields and both countries hope to jointly address pending issues. Dr. Tran Viet Thai is optimistic about the outcomes of the visit: “We believe that the high-level visit is evidence of trust and a demonstration of the US firm commitment to consolidating ties with Vietnam and helping Vietnam in capacity building, socio-economic development, and integration. I am convinced that the visit, though short, will have positive outcomes.”

Former US President Theodore Roosevelt said "Believe you can and you're halfway there." Trust has advanced the Vietnam-US relationship through numerous challenges since the normalization of their diplomatic relations in 1995. President Trump’s visit to Vietnam marks an important milestone and promises a bright future for bilateral ties.