HANOI – On Sunday, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited Vietnam, aiming to bolster a partnership that focuses on healing the lingering wounds of the Vietnam War. This visit is seen as a crucial test of Washington’s ability to reassure this important yet cautious ally.

Hegseth emphasized that tackling the war’s legacies, which concluded 50 years ago this past April, “remains the cornerstone of our defense relationship and a primary concern for both this administration and the Department of Defense.” His remarks highlight the enduring impact of the war on current diplomatic efforts.

Coinciding with the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the once adversarial nations, Hegseth’s trip also marks two years since the U.S. and Vietnam elevated their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Vietnam’s most esteemed diplomatic status. Prior to arriving in Hanoi, Hegseth was in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, participating in a meeting with counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Cooperation on postwar issues continues to be both a poignant and political bedrock of U.S.-Vietnam relations. Since normalizing relations in 1995, the two countries have collaborated on clearing unexploded ordnance, recovering the remains of missing service members, and addressing the impact of dioxin—an element of Agent Orange—at former U.S. air bases, which still affects surrounding communities.

However, there have been concerns about the future of these collaborative efforts, particularly when U.S. funding cuts led to a temporary halt in some cleanup projects, though work has since resumed. This highlights the ongoing challenges and the need for sustained commitment in addressing these historical issues.

The visible recommitment to these projects could help stabilize relations and “create space” for further defense cooperation, said Nguyen Khac Giang, a visiting fellow in the Vietnam Studies Program at Singapore’s ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute.

“War legacy cooperation is the foundation enabling deeper defense ties,” he said. “For Washington, it demonstrates long-term responsibility and goodwill to solve lingering war consequences. For Hanoi, it provides essential political cover for expanding relations with a former adversary.”

Giang said the U.S. defense chief’s visit comes at a crucial moment. Vietnam’s Communist Party chief, To Lam, visited North Korea in early October — the first such trip in nearly two decades — while reports suggest Hanoi may pursue the purchase of 40 Russian Su-35 fighter jets. “Vietnam is hedging against doubts about U.S. reliability in the Indo-Pacific,” he said.

The Associated Press has previously reported that Moscow and Hanoi have explored ways to maintain financial transactions despite U.S. sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

“Hegseth’s visit demonstrates Vietnam’s deliberate deepening of defense ties with the U.S., but strictly on Hanoi’s terms,” Giang said.

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