Hegseth in Vietnam to strengthen defence ties, reassure cautious partner

Hanoi: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth was in Vietnam on Sunday, reaffirming a partnership built on healing the scars of the Vietnam War in a trip that will test whether Washington can reassure a vital but wary partner.

Hegseth said addressing the legacies of the war, which ended 50 years ago in April, “remains the foundation of our defence relationship and a top priority for this administration and the Department of Defence.”

Hegseth’s visit also marks 30 years of diplomatic ties between the former foes and two years since they upgraded relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Vietnam’s highest diplomatic status. He arrived in Hanoi from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he attended a meeting of counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Cooperation on postwar issues remains an emotional and political foundation of US-Vietnam relations. Since normalising

ties in 1995, the two countries have worked together to clear unexploded ordnance, recover remains of missing service members

and clean up dioxin — the toxic chemical used in Agent Orange — from former US air bases that continue to affect communities.

There were concerns about the future of these efforts when US funding for several programs was slashed, temporarily halting some cleanup work before resuming.