U.S. Pushes Vietnam on Trade Gap Amid Shared Concerns Over China

File image of Vietnam's Foreign Minister Bùi Thanh Sơn. Image via the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry.

The United States is pressing Vietnam to address its growing trade surplus while strengthening their broader strategic partnership against shared challenges, including China’s increasingly assertive actions in the South China Sea.

On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Vietnam’s Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, marking one of his first key diplomatic exchanges since assuming office.

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