Harris arrived in the country last night from Singapore, the first of two stops included in a tour of Southeast Asia that, according to the State Department’s own confession, seeks to counter China’s influence in the region.

Although there were no reports of her conversations with Anh Xuan, observers assume that said issue and multilateral cooperation between the United States and Vietnam were on the agenda.

Vietnamese exports to the US increased 230 percent and imports 176 percent in the last five years, under the protection of a comprehensive bilateral association. In 2020 their commercial exchanges reached a record of 90.8 billion dollars and the aspiration of the parties is to reach 100 billion this year.

Harris is also scheduled to meet with President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Wednesday. In addition, she is slated to inaugurate the Regional Office of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sponsored by the United States.

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