President Joe Biden closed a visit to Vietnam on Monday by spotlighting new business deals and partnerships between the two countries and paying respects at a memorial honoring his late friend and colleague Sen. John McCain, who endured a lengthy imprisonment in Hanoi during the Vietnam War.
Biden met with Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính, who also accompanied Biden to a quick drop by at a meeting of business leaders. Biden also sat down with President Võ Văn Thưởng, who hosted the U.S. president for a formal state luncheon. The two sides are looking to strengthen their partnership amid shared concerns about China’s assertiveness in the Pacific.
Both leaders spoke about strengthening Vietnam’s semiconductor industry. Biden made clear his administration’s commitment to an open Pacific.
McCain was captured by the Vietcong, held as prisoner there for a longer than average time. Then came back to the US, became a senator, and advocated for close US and Vietnam relations. McCain was an early adopter of the “If you can’t beat them, crush them economically until the become a capitalist country” approach to Vietnam. In honor of his commitment to close ties between the US and Vietnam despite his long capture, McCain is revered in the country.