<p>US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday he would be traveling to Vietnam "shortly" because the country wanted to elevate its relationship with the United States and become a major partner.</p>.<p>Biden made the remarks while speaking at a political fundraiser in New Mexico.</p>.<p>Asked about Biden's announcement, a White House spokesperson said there was "nothing further to share at this time."</p>.As Trump indicted, Biden hits fish restaurant, watches 'Oppenheimer'.<p>At a meeting in April, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed a desire to deepen ties as Washington seeks to solidify relations with partners in Asia to counter an increasingly assertive China.</p>.<p>Blinken had expressed the hope then that this could happen "in the weeks and months ahead."</p><p>Washington has been working to elevate ties with Hanoi to a "strategic" partnership from one that for the past decade has been called "comprehensive," although Vietnam has been cautious, given the risk of antagonizing China, a giant neighbor that supplies key inputs for its vital export trade, or Russia, another traditional partner.</p>.<p>Biden told a fundraiser in Maine on July 28 that he got a call from the "head of Vietnam" who "desperately wants to meet with me when I go to the G20," referring his plans to travel to India for a summit of the grouping due to be held in New Delhi on September 9-10.</p>.<p>"He wants to elevate us to a major partner, along with Russia and China," Biden said then, in what analysts say was a reference to the chief of Vietnam's ruling Communist Party Nguyen Phu Trong, who the US president spoke with by phone in March.</p>.<p>Officials have not said what the closer relationship might entail, but experts say it could include increased military cooperation and US weapons supplies.</p>.<p>Washington and US defence firms have openly said they want to bolster military supplies to Vietnam - so far largely limited to coastguard ships and training aircraft - as the country seeks to diversify away from Russia, which remains its main supplier.</p>.<p>Military deals with the US face potential hurdles, however, including the possibility of their being held up by US lawmakers critical of Vietnam's human rights record.</p>
<p>US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday he would be traveling to Vietnam "shortly" because the country wanted to elevate its relationship with the United States and become a major partner.</p>.<p>Biden made the remarks while speaking at a political fundraiser in New Mexico.</p>.<p>Asked about Biden's announcement, a White House spokesperson said there was "nothing further to share at this time."</p>.As Trump indicted, Biden hits fish restaurant, watches 'Oppenheimer'.<p>At a meeting in April, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed a desire to deepen ties as Washington seeks to solidify relations with partners in Asia to counter an increasingly assertive China.</p>.<p>Blinken had expressed the hope then that this could happen "in the weeks and months ahead."</p><p>Washington has been working to elevate ties with Hanoi to a "strategic" partnership from one that for the past decade has been called "comprehensive," although Vietnam has been cautious, given the risk of antagonizing China, a giant neighbor that supplies key inputs for its vital export trade, or Russia, another traditional partner.</p>.<p>Biden told a fundraiser in Maine on July 28 that he got a call from the "head of Vietnam" who "desperately wants to meet with me when I go to the G20," referring his plans to travel to India for a summit of the grouping due to be held in New Delhi on September 9-10.</p>.<p>"He wants to elevate us to a major partner, along with Russia and China," Biden said then, in what analysts say was a reference to the chief of Vietnam's ruling Communist Party Nguyen Phu Trong, who the US president spoke with by phone in March.</p>.<p>Officials have not said what the closer relationship might entail, but experts say it could include increased military cooperation and US weapons supplies.</p>.<p>Washington and US defence firms have openly said they want to bolster military supplies to Vietnam - so far largely limited to coastguard ships and training aircraft - as the country seeks to diversify away from Russia, which remains its main supplier.</p>.<p>Military deals with the US face potential hurdles, however, including the possibility of their being held up by US lawmakers critical of Vietnam's human rights record.</p>