President Trump sees Vietnam as top priority partner in region: US secretary of state

Rubio made the remarks during separate meetings with Vietnam’s State President Luong Cuong and Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung in New York on Wednesday.

The meetings took place during President Cuong’s working trip to the U.S. from September 21 to 24 for the High-Level General Debate of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly and bilateral activities.

In his discussions with Rubio, President Cuong stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation across key areas including politics and diplomacy, trade and investment, defense and security, science and technology, education, humanitarian work, and post-war recovery.

He urged both sides to maintain regular high-level exchanges and address each other’s concerns, particularly the reciprocal tax issue, while welcoming greater U.S. investment in strategic sectors such as semiconductors and high-quality workforce training.

He also called on Washington to soon recognize Vietnam as a market economy and remove the country from its strategic export control list.

Agreeing with President Cuong’s proposals, Secretary Rubio emphasized that the Trump administration consistently views Vietnam as one of its foremost partners in the region.

He said the comprehensive strategic partnership should not only be maintained but also further deepened with practical outcomes, particularly given the two countries’ strong potential for cooperation in trade and investment and their shared interest in ensuring peace, stability, and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.

Rubio added that closer collaboration would create more opportunities for both sides and affirmed that the U.S. is ready to work alongside Vietnam for the benefit of both peoples.

During his meeting with Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Trung the same day, Secretary Rubio reaffirmed America’s commitment to supporting a strong, independent, self-reliant, and prosperous Vietnam.

He stressed that the U.S. will continue taking practical steps to advance the comprehensive strategic partnership with Vietnam, which Washington considers among its top priority partners in the region.

Rubio also conveyed President Trump’s expectation that the two countries will soon conclude negotiations on a reciprocal tax agreement, which he said would bring mutual benefits.

In response, Trung welcomed the steady progress in bilateral relations, which he said are built on trust and on efforts to overcome differences for the benefit of both nations, as well as regional and global peace and stability.

He affirmed Vietnam’s commitment to acting as a bridge for peace and cooperation in Asia–Indo–Pacific and emphasized the importance of sustaining the momentum of high-level exchanges.

Trung noted Vietnam’s readiness to expand imports of U.S. goods, particularly high-tech products such as aircraft and semiconductors, while urging Washington to take Vietnam’s specific economic conditions into account in the ongoing tax talks.

He also reaffirmed Hanoi’s interest in closer cooperation with the U.S. on transnational crime, counterterrorism, and cybersecurity.

The acting minister further expressed appreciation for ongoing U.S. projects supporting post-war recovery in Vietnam, describing them as a key pillar of reconciliation and trust-building.

He invited Secretary Rubio to visit Vietnam, and the U.S. diplomat accepted the invitation with appreciation.