Vietnam is a Promising Partner for the Trump Administration

Abstract

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc was the first Southeast Asian head of state � and the third from Asia (after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping) � to meet with President Donald Trump since he took office. During his late May three-day visit, he also visited New York to commemorate the 40 anniversary of Vietnamese membership in the United Nations before traveling to the White House. Phuc�s mission was to forge a personal relationship with President Trump, who has yet to form any consolidated view on policy towards Southeast Asia, including the South China Sea.