Vietnam’s Communists Look to Biden to Offset Growing Chinese Power
- Nation starts its twice-a-decade leadership change in Hanoi
- Vietnam will seek closer economic ties with the U.S.
This article is for subscribers only.
As officials in Vietnam’s Communist Party jockey for position during a twice-a-decade meeting to refresh the leadership ranks, they largely agree on one thing: Closer ties with the U.S. are set to become even more important to grow the economy and counter a rising China.
The new leaders, set to be announced on Feb. 2, will be tasked with meeting a goal to turn Vietnam into an industrialized economy by 2030 with an annual economic growth of around 7% and a per-capita gross domestic product of $7,500, or about double what it is today. A good relationship with the U.S. is key to both meeting that goal and keeping China’s increasing territorial assertiveness in check.