Ambassador Marc Knapper: US - Vietnam relationship has never been stronger
'Our goal at the US Mission is to help Vietnam succeed and we believe that it is in America’s national interest to support a strong, prosperous, independent, and resilient Vietnam, said US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper.
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| 'The most notable event was the phone call between our leaders, President Biden, and Vietnam's Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong', US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper. |
Ten years since the two countries established the Comprehensive Partnership, what are your comments on the qualitative and quantitative changes in the bilateral relationship?
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Comprehensive Partnership between the United States and Vietnam. Our relationship is built on a foundation of mutual respect for each other’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and political system. The US supports a strong, prosperous, independent, and resilient Viet Nam.
The breadth and depth of cooperation between our two countries is stunning. In areas as diverse as trade, development, education, health care, energy, and security, the US and Vietnam are working together with a shared commitment to peace and prosperity. This is why the White House named Vietnam as a leading regional partner in its Indo - Pacific Strategy.
Let me emphasize that the US - Vietnam relationship has never been stronger. I am pleased to report that two-way trade between the US and Vietnam increased dramatically over the past ten years, from 30 billion USD in 2013 to nearly 139 billion USD in 2022. The US is now Vietnam’s largest export market, and Vietnam is one of America’s fastest growing markets.
Last year, Vietnam became one of 14 initial partner countries in the Indo - Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF). Together, the IPEF partner countries are engaging on a wide range of issues, including trade, clean energy transition, resilient supply chains, and anti-corruption. We are excited to be hosting the 2023 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) proceedings in great cities throughout the US and look forward to hosting Vietnam’s delegations.
In terms of education, since 2013, Vietnam has gone from eighth to fifth origin country for international students in the US. Right now, nearly 30,000 Vietnamese are studying in the US. They will return to Vietnam with a world - class education and will contribute to a thriving economy.
The Covid-19 pandemic was a reminder of how close our partnership and friendship have become. We were moved by the outpouring of support from the Vietnamese people who donated millions of masks and PPE to the people of the US in our time of greatest need. Likewise, we donated 40 million vaccines doses to help save lives in Vietnam. The fact that US CDC opened a Southeast Asia Regional Office in Hanoi exhibited our commitment in healthcare collaboration with Viet Nam and the region.
Our growing defense partnership reflects the fact that our security interests in the region are increasingly aligned. The relationship between our two militaries directly contributes to an environment that encourages private investment, promotes energy security, and ensures mutually beneficially economic prosperity.
You have served as a bridge to connect the two countries’ business community. What is your view of the potentials in the two countries economic cooperation?
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| Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in a group photo with the US business delegation visiting Vietnam in March 2023. (Photo: VGP) |
Our goal at the US Mission is to help Vietnam succeed and we believe that it is in America’s national interest to support a strong, prosperous, independent, and resilient Vietnam.
This spring, Vietnam hosted the largest US trade delegation in the history of our bilateral relationship. Vietnam’s continued successful international economic integration, through initiatives like trade promotion, participation in international organizations, and bilateral cooperation through innovative programs, will continue to attract foreign investment. I am proud of the investments that large US companies have made here in Vietnam.
In the years ahead, I see tremendous opportunities for us to deepen and expand collaboration between the US, the Government of Vietnam, and our respective private sectors to support our mutual goals in Vietnam: rebuilding global supply chains; accelerating Vietnam’s clean energy transition and sustainable growth; and developing the digital economy in line with global best practices to support its economic development.
Also, let me say we welcome Vietnamese businesses who wish to invest in the US. I’m proud of the US’s open and transparent market, which offers tremendous opportunities for Vietnamese firms to invest and collaborate with world-class American companies. In fact, I recently led a delegation of 30 high - potential investors from Vietnam to the SelectUSA Investment Summit in Washington DC where they held meetings with state and local government officials promoting investment opportunities across the US.
We will stay engaged and optimistic about the future of our economic and trade relationship and, working together, I’m confident that our business communities will seize opportunities and resolve challenges to put our companies in the best position to succeed.
US President Joe Biden said that the US is looking forward to working together to “forge a future that is peaceful, prosperous, and secure for all of our people.” What do you think about the prospects of bilateral relations in the coming time at both bilateral and multilateral levels?
I think our relationship with Vietnam is fundamentally strategic in nature, whether we are talking about cooperation in trade, science and technology, healthcare, energy, and climate, or people-to-people ties. All of these are essentially strategic in nature and require a shared sense of purpose.
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| Ambassador Marc Knapper. (Photo: WVR/Minh Quan) |
Based on the interests and trust that we already share, we believe lifting the relationship to a higher level will help open even more doors to even greater cooperation between our two countries, so this is something we continue to work on and I am very excited and hopeful for that prospect.
The US supports Vietnam’s role as a major player in regional and global efforts to promote peace and stability and respond to the effects of climate change.Together, our two nations have had consistent and strong engagement on regional security and stability.
To “forge a future that is peaceful, prosperous, and secure for all of our people” as President Joe Biden said, we work together not just bilaterally, but multilaterally. The US has been a strong supporter of Vietnam as a regional leader. We see building a stronger relationship with ASEAN and supporting ASEAN centrality as crucial to our Indo - Pacific Strategy.
What are your expectations about high-level delegation exchanges between the two countries in the second half of this year and their significance for promoting bilateral relations?
We have had a remarkable 12 months. The most notable event was the phone call between our leaders, President Biden, and Vietnam's Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.
In addition, it is important to mention the visits to Viet Nam by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, USAID Administrator Samantha Power, as well as senior Congressional delegations, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, and CDC Director Rochelle Walensky.
We can also mention the visits by USTR Ambassador Katherine Tai and Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Marisa Lago, who both stressed the importance of regional cooperation and bilateral economic ties with Vietnam, including under the US - Vietnam Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA).
We have also hosted visits to the US by high-level Vietnamese delegations from government ministries, the National Assembly, and the Communist Party of Viet Nam. We look forward to welcoming more visitors in the coming months, particularly as the US hosts APEC this year.
We certainly welcome the opportunity for even higher-level exchanges in the near future.
