US President Joe Biden arrives in Vietnam on Sunday (Sep 10) to deepen cooperation between the two nations, in the face of China’s growing ambitions in the region.

Biden, who is flying from the G20 summit in New Delhi, will meet the leader of Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party, Nguyen Phu Trong, on Sunday to sign off on a “comprehensive strategic partnership”, Hanoi’s highest level of diplomatic ties.

The underlying goal of the short visit will be much the same as Biden’s time at the G20 gathering – to shore up support against China’s increasing influence.

For Vietnam, the upgrading of diplomatic ties is significant. It only has top-level ties with Russia, India, South Korea and China.