On Sunday, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited Vietnam, reinforcing a partnership focused on mending the wounds from The Vietnam War. This trip aims to determine if Washington can provide reassurance to a crucial yet cautious ally.
TL;DR
- U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited Vietnam to reinforce a partnership focused on mending war legacies.
- Hegseth presented wartime relics seized by U.S. Soldiers to Vietnam's Defense Minister Phan Van Giang.
- These artifact exchanges are part of wider reconciliation and repatriation initiatives between the two nations.
- Cooperation on postwar matters is crucial for U.S.-Vietnam relations and enables deeper defense ties.
Hegseth said addressing the legacies of the war, which ended 50 years ago in April, remains the foundation and a top priority of the countries’ defense relationship.
Following his discussions with Vietnam's Defense Minister Phan Van Giang, Hegseth presented a leather box, a belt, and a small knife, which are wartime relics U.S. Soldiers had previously seized during the Vietnam War.
These returns are now a component of wider reconciliation initiatives between the two nations, involving the repatriation of comparable artifacts like letters, identification tags, and photographs to the U.S. In recent times.
“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 diplomatic relations between the two former adversaries and the second anniversary of their elevation to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Vietnam's top diplomatic designation. He traveled to Hanoi after being in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for a gathering of officials from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Working together on postwar matters is crucial for U.S.-Vietnam relations. Since establishing normal relations in 1995, both nations have collaborated on clearing unexploded bombs, locating the remains of fallen soldiers, and decontaminating dioxin—the hazardous substance in Agent Orange—from Former American airfields that continue to affect communities.
There were concerns about the future of these efforts when U.S. Funding for several programs was slashed, temporarily halting some cleanup work before resuming.
The visible recommitment to these projects could help stabilize relations and “create space” for further defense cooperation, said Nguyen Khac Giang, a visiting fellow in the Vietnam Studies Program at Singapore’s ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute.
“War legacy cooperation is the foundation enabling deeper defense ties,” he said. “For Washington, it demonstrates long-term responsibility and goodwill to solve lingering war consequences. For Hanoi, it provides essential political cover for expanding relations with a former adversary.”
Giang noted that the U.S. Defense secretary's arrival is happening at a critical juncture. Vietnam's Communist Party leader, To Lam, traveled to North Korea in early October, marking the first visit in almost twenty years, as indications point to Hanoi potentially acquiring 40 Russian Su-35 fighter jets. “Vietnam is hedging against doubts about U.S. Reliability in the Indo-Pacific,” he stated.
The Associated Press has moscow and Hanoi have previously explored methods for sustaining financial dealings notwithstanding U.S. Sanctions. On Russia over 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.