U.S. and Vietnam have room to expand their defense cooperation

Tran Nguyen Quan is a research associate with Tokyo International University's Asia Maritime Index project. Jeffrey Ordaniel is an associate professor of international security studies at the university and director of maritime security at the Pacific Forum, a foreign policy research institute based in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Ten years ago, the U.S. and Vietnam formed what is known in diplomatic speak as a comprehensive partnership. When U.S. President Joe Biden visits Vietnam later this week, many expect the two governments to formally upgrade their relationship to at least a "strategic partnership," a status Hanoi has resisted for some years.