U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission Chairman Meets with Prime Minister

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh welcomed the USCC delegation’s visit to Vietnam during the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations, which also coincides with Vietnam’s 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification. The Prime Minister affirmed Vietnam’s commitment to an independent, self-reliant, open, and diverse foreign policy, along with multilateralism and diversification of relations. He emphasized the country’s defense policy of not joining military alliances, not aligning with one country against another, not allowing foreign military bases in Vietnam, and not using force or threatening to use force in international relations. He also highlighted Vietnam’s focus on building an independent and self-reliant economy, coupled with proactive and active international integration. In this framework, Vietnam attaches great importance to its Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the United States and sincerely wishes for the bilateral relationship to maintain its positive momentum and become more substantive and extensive.

The Prime Minister expressed his delight at the progress made in bilateral relations over the years and welcomed the United States’ continued efforts in addressing war consequences. He requested that the United States soon recognize Vietnam’s market economy status, remove Vietnam from the lists of action related to export control (D1 and D3), and enhance technology transfer in economic, trade, and investment cooperation. These steps would contribute to promoting balanced and sustainable trade relations between the two countries. The Prime Minister appreciated the support of the US administration and Congress for a strong, independent, self-reliant, and prosperous Vietnam. He proposed that the USCC Chairman and members continue to support the development of bilateral relations.

On the issue of tariffs, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed Vietnam’s willingness to negotiate with the United States for the benefit of the people and businesses of both countries, aiming for balanced and sustainable trade. He also saw this as an opportunity to restructure the economy, diversify markets, products, and supply chains, and continue building an independent and self-reliant economy, coupled with proactive and active international integration.

Regarding regional issues, the Prime Minister affirmed Vietnam’s consistent approach to resolving the South China Sea issue through peaceful means and in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS. He shared information on Vietnam’s efforts to seriously implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and promote substantive and effective negotiations on the Code of Conduct (COC) in line with international law. The Prime Minister requested that the United States continue to support ASEAN’s common position on the South China Sea and back efforts to settle disputes by peaceful means and in compliance with international law.

USCC Chairman Reva Price thanked the Prime Minister for taking the time to meet with the delegation and expressed her pleasure in visiting Vietnam for the first time. She was impressed by Vietnam’s strong development. Ms. Price and the delegation members affirmed Vietnam as an important partner of the United States in the region and appreciated the achievements of the bilateral relationship over the past 30 years. They expressed optimism about the future of Vietnam-US relations. Ms. Price and the USCC members agreed with the Prime Minister’s proposals and committed to continuing their support for efforts to enhance bilateral relations, including recognizing Vietnam’s market economy status and negotiating tariffs between the two countries.