PBS News Hour

GEOFF BENNETT: President Joe Biden just wrapped a whirlwind trip to Asia, first to New Delhi, where he met with leaders of the world's most powerful economies at the G20 Summit, then an historic trip to Vietnam, his first ever.

Both visits are seen as a further push by the Biden administration to counter China's influence in Asia and the wider developing world.

In Hanoi, President Biden announced an increased partnership with Vietnam, a major relationship upgrade for the U.S., right on Beijing's on doorstep.

But while speaking to reporters, the president cautioned this deal is not about containing China.

JOE BIDEN, President of the United States: That's what this trip is all about.

Having India cooperate much more with the United States, be closer to the United States, Vietnam being closer to the United States, it's not about containing China.

It's about having a stable base, a stable base in the Indo-Pacific.

GEOFF BENNETT: To discuss the significance of President Biden's trip to Vietnam and what it means for Washington's Beijing policy, we welcome former U.S.

Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius.

He's now president and CEO of the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council.

Welcome back to the "NewsHour."

TED OSIUS, U.S.

Ambassador to Vietnam: Thank you very much.

Great to be here.

GEOFF BENNETT: This partnership between the U.S. and Vietnam appears to be a diplomatic win-win, coming at a time when Vietnam is trying to flex a degree of independence from Beijing and as the U.S., as we mentioned, is looking for friends across the Indo-Pacific region.

How do you view it, especially in light of the long relationship, the long, really tortured relationship between the U.S. and Hanoi?

TED OSIUS: Well, win-win is a good description of it.

The comprehensive partnership was established by President Truong Tan Sang and Barack Obama 10 years ago.

And what has just happened is a major milestone, in that President Biden and Nguyen Phu Trong, the general secretary of the Communist Party, upgraded that relationship by two rungs.

They made it a comprehensive strategic partnership.

In fact, it is comprehensive in nature and it's strategic already.

And I think both countries are going to benefit a great deal from deepening this partnership, from accelerating our collaboration.

GEOFF BENNETT: President Biden has made clear that his intention was not to start a cold war with China.

That's how he put it, but that the goal is to provide global stability by building U.S. relationships throughout Asia at a time of tensions with Beijing.

Practically, though, how will China view that?

Might they see this as a distinction without a difference?

TED OSIUS: Well, possibly.

There could be some blowback from China.

But if you look at the broader strategy that the Biden administration has adopted, they have created the Quad, a group of democracies.

They have created AUKUS, which strengthens our position and those of our allies in the region.

They have assembled a trilateral arrangement of Japan, Korea, and the United States.

They're working very hard to strengthen partnerships and alliances throughout the region.

Vietnam is not a traditional ally and probably never will be.

Neither is India, I would mention, where the president also visited.

But they're partners.

They're strong partners.

Indonesia is another strong partner.

Whenever we can strengthen these partnerships, friendships, alliances in the region, it's good for the United States.

And I would say that it's good for the entire region.

GEOFF BENNETT: To your point, in just the last five months, Biden has hosted the president of the Philippines at the White House.

He lavished the Indian prime minister with a state dinner.

He's hosted his counterparts the leaders of Japan and South Korea at that summit that was full of symbolism at Camp David.

What is the U.S. presenting as the mutual interest as he meets with these leaders?

TED OSIUS: Well, with all of them, economic engagement is very high on the list.

There are shared security interests as well, but they're looking beyond just traditional security concerns and looking at, how can we raise all boats?

How can we achieve greater prosperity and stability in the Indo-Pacific?

And so, to that point, what the president is saying is accurate.

It is not all about China.

Now, if you are Vietnam, you have China on your northern border, a 1,200-mile border with China.

You fought 22 wars against China.

It is a factor.

But Vietnam also wants a close relationship with the United States, because it's beneficial to its goals of achieving greater prosperity.

GEOFF BENNETT: Well, let's talk more about that, because is this approach by the administration, is it effective?

Because there are China watchers who will say that this idea of countering China's influence by building strategic alliances is inherently flawed, because these countries won't want to give up their relationships with China in exchange for a relationship with the U.S. that might be more limited in scope and might not come with the same amount of resources and support.

TED OSIUS: They don't have to.

No one is asking them to give up their relationship with China.

In fact, Vietnam's number one trading partner is China.

We -- it's also trading with us.

Vietnam sends more exports to the United States than to any other country.

And Vietnam is America's eighth largest trading partner.

But no one is asking them to give up their relationship with China.

No one is asking the Indonesians to give up their relationship with China or the Indians.

It's to enhance the ties to the United States and to other nations now that are part of a big trade framework, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, that's under negotiation.

So the United States is offering enticements, showing up at important moments in the Indo-Pacific.

The administration has been very active in going to Southeast Asia, which I cover, but also very much engaged with the other countries you mentioned, India, Japan, Korea, and, of course, Australia, New Zealand.

And all of this is aimed at making sure that the 75 years of peace and stability that we have had in the Indo-Pacific, with a few exceptions, is maintained.

GEOFF BENNETT: That the U.S. and Vietnam have emerged as partners after one of the most brutal wars of the 20th century is in some ways nothing short of remarkable.

We have about less than a minute left.

But give us a sense of how we got here.

TED OSIUS: Well, a lot of people took a lot of risks.

What they did was, they built -- they showed respect to the Vietnamese, from the Americans.

The Americans showed respect.

The Vietnamese showed respect to the Americans, in terms of what was important to us.

And then they built trust.

And that's personal.

And then they started doing things together.

And, for the last 30 years, our two countries have been doing things together.

And now, in fact, we have moved beyond just doing things, U.S. and Vietnam, but we're doing important things together throughout the region and the world, dealing with global health challenges, dealing with environmental challenges, peacekeeping.

We are partners not only looking at each other and working together, but in the region and in the world.

GEOFF BENNETT: Ted Osius is the former U.S. ambassador to Vietnam.

He's now president and CEO of the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council.

Thanks for your time this evening.

TED OSIUS: Thank you.

Thanks very much.