Ambassador Marc Knapper: The US wants to accompany Vietnam on its development journey

The Ambassador affirmed that the US wishes to accompany Vietnam on its journey to becoming an economy based on high technology and clean energy as set out by senior leaders.

US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper talks to the press about bilateral relations between the two countries. (Photo: Thanh Dat/Vietnam+)

Over the past 30 years, Vietnam-US bilateral relations have expanded very strongly, in which economics is an important pillar.

That was the comment of US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper at a press conference on July 8, commemorating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-US diplomatic relations (July 12, 1995 - July 12, 2025).

Relationships are 'built' on many pillars

According to Ambassador Marc Knapper, the Vietnam-US bilateral relationship has been nurtured by many pillars of cooperation, which have been continuously strengthened over the past 30 years.

Vietnam is the 8th largest trading partner of the US, and the US is Vietnam's largest export market. US businesses invest heavily in Vietnam and more and more Vietnamese businesses are investing in the US.

Last May, the SelectUSA Investment Summit in Maryland welcomed more than 100 Vietnamese investors to explore business opportunities in the US - the largest Vietnamese business delegation ever to attend the event.

According to the Ambassador, this shows that Vietnam is attaching importance to investing in the US, showing that the economic relationship between the two countries is increasingly deep and strong.

General Secretary andPresident To Lam meets with US President Joe Biden, September 25, 2024. (Photo: Lam Khanh/VNA)

Another important pillar is educational cooperation. Vietnam has the sixth highest number of international students studying in the US in the world, an estimated 30,000. If we include the number of Vietnamese students participating in different forms of study in the US education system, that number could reach 300,000.

American universities are also showing more interest in Vietnam. In April 2025, a delegation of 21 American universities visited to explore cooperation opportunities with Vietnamese universities. The Ambassador said that educational cooperation between American and Vietnamese training institutions will help both sides exchange and bring more Vietnamese researchers, scholars and professors to the US and vice versa.

The US also pledged to support Vietnam in gradually implementing the policy of making English the second language in schools, considering this an important step that opens up many opportunities in high technology and education.

The third pillar - a very solid and important foundation in the Vietnam-US relationship - is medical cooperation.

Ceremony to receive nearly 1.5 million doses of Pfizer vaccine from the US through the COVAX mechanism, supporting Vietnam in preventing and fighting the COVID-19 pandemic (Hanoi, October 4, 2021). (Photo: Lam Khanh/VNA)

According to the Ambassador, this pillar of cooperation started with joint cooperation projects on HIV/AIDS prevention and control through the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) supporting Vietnam's HIV/AIDS response since 2005 and expanded to tuberculosis and COVID-19 prevention and control.

Recalling that Vietnam provided protective equipment to the US when the "land of the stars and stripes" needed it most, and that the US later provided 44 million doses of Pfizer vaccine (to prevent COVID-19) to Vietnam, the Ambassador said that cooperation in medical surveillance will also be an important aspect in dealing with future pandemics.

Regarding promoting high-tech and semiconductor cooperation, according to Ambassador Knapper, the Joint Statement on upgrading Vietnam-US relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in September 2023 between General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Biden is a “historic achievement”, in which the two sides emphasized high-tech cooperation and especially the semiconductor industry.

Currently, many American "eagle" enterprises such as Marvel, Nvidia... are looking to increase cooperation in the high-tech field in Vietnam in many different forms, such as investment, research cooperation, production and technology transfer.

General Secretary and President To Lam attended a business forum co-organized by the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC), the US Chamber of Commerce (USCC) and the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU) (US, September 23, 2024). (Photo: Lam Khanh/VNA)

The Ambassador assessed that Vietnam is fully capable and ready to move up the global value chain in high-tech manufacturing. This is beneficial not only to Vietnam but also to the United States.

“The United States wishes to accompany Vietnam on its journey to become a high-tech, clean energy-based economy as outlined by senior leaders. The more cooperation between the two sides in high-tech fields, the more the people and economies of both countries will benefit,” Ambassador Marc Knapper affirmed.

Former President Joe Biden once said that the relationship between the United States and Vietnam gives hope to all other nations. If the United States and Vietnam can be friends, then everyone can be friends.

In fact, over the past 30 years, the two countries have continuously cooperated to resolve post-war issues. Vietnam has helped the US search for missing soldiers. In return, the US has also helped Vietnam clear mines and deal with the consequences of Agent Orange.

Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung Viet (right) and US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc E. Knapper press the button to defuse bombs in Huong Tan commune, Huong Hoa district, Quang Tri province (April 2, 2025). (Photo: Nguyen Linh/VNA)

During the press conference, Ambassador Knapper affirmed that although the aid activities of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have stopped, many humanitarian projects in Vietnam have been transferred to the US Department of State, the Department of Defense and related agencies. The clearance of explosives and support for people with disabilities due to exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam will continue.

Vietnam is a proactive and active partner

Regarding the reciprocal tariff issue, Ambassador Knapper emphasized that Vietnam has been very quick to take action. General Secretary To Lam was one of the first leaders to have a phone call with President Donald Trump after the US leader announced the reciprocal tariff policy. Just one week later, the Vietnamese delegation went to Washington to work with US partners.

According to Ambassador Marc Knapper, this shows that Vietnam is very proactive and positive, and is among the countries that had the earliest dialogue with the US government on this issue.

Minister of Industry and Trade, Head of the Government Negotiation Delegation Nguyen Hong Dien works with US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on the negotiation process of the Reciprocal Trade Agreement between the two countries (US, May 22, 2025). (Photo: VNA)

“President Trump’s goal is to ensure a balanced trade relationship that benefits both the United States and its partners, thereby contributing to the common prosperity of all countries. We want to ensure that American businesses are treated equally and that Vietnamese businesses investing in the United States can also succeed. As a result, American and Vietnamese farmers, manufacturers, and fishermen will all benefit,” the Ambassador emphasized.

Ambassador Knapper affirmed that the continuous and high-level exchanges between the two countries' leaders reflect the quality of the Vietnam-US relationship, showing the US's respect for Vietnam, as well as the US's strong desire to ensure that this relationship will continue to develop and grow.

Recently, the Vietnamese Government has made a number of major policy changes, demonstrating its strong commitment to simplifying administrative procedures, helping to attract more foreign investment. The most recent is the operation of two-level local government and the merger of provinces and cities.

The US Ambassador said that this series of new policies will help many administrative procedures be processed more quickly, saving time and effort for foreign investors.

With policies to help increase private investment development, increase focus on high-tech industries and digital infrastructure, the US Ambassador expressed confidence that all of these policies will help Vietnam become a more attractive investment destination./.

Minister Nguyen Hong Dien affirmed that US cooperation with Vietnam will bring long-term strategic benefits, contributing to improving the fair, harmonious and sustainable trade balance between the two countries.

On the night of July 11, 1995 (Washington time), BBC TV broadcast a special program showing US President Bill Clinton reading the Declaration on the normalization of diplomatic relations with Vietnam. (Photo: VNA)

(Vietnam+)