Imprints of Party Secretary General Nguyen Phu Trong in Vietnam-US relations

Expressing deep sorrow when hearing the passing of the Party General Secretary, US Senator Patrick Joseph Leahy told the Vietnam News Agency that he had once read extensively about the statesman and longed to meet him. This wish was fulfilled with their first meeting in Hanoi, followed by another in Washington DC. Both meetings left Leahy with a clear impression of the Vietnamese leader's commitment to advancing the relationship between the two countries. The senator acknowledged that the improvement in the bilateral relations owed significantly to efforts made by the Party chief.

Leahy described the upgrade of the nations’ ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership as a significant step forward, with the top Vietnamese leader playing a crucial role in this achievement. He expressed his hope that future Vietnamese leaders would continue the legacy left by General Secretary Trong in strengthening the Vietnam-US relationship, noting that this would be the best tribute to him and pave the way for a better future.

Former US Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius also extended condolences to the Vietnamese people and the family of the Party chief, praising him as a steadfast leader of Vietnam.

Talking about the top leader's visit to the US in 2015, Osius recalled accompanying him to Washington DC and New York. The meeting between the Vietnamese Party leader and then US President Barack Obama in the Oval Office was particularly memorable, marking a transformation in bilateral relations and leading to the comprehensive strategic partnership. Following this, the Party General Secretary was warmly received by then Vice President Joe Biden, who quoted lines from Vietnam’s Tale of Kieu: “The sky still allows us to have this day. The mist at the end of the alley clears and the clouds part in the sky.”

The former ambassador also recounted another notable moment from the visit, when the Vietnamese Party leader came to the Thomas Jefferson Memorial before his meeting with President Obama. He noted that this gesture was significant because the Party General Secretary aimed to remind the world that Vietnam had quoted the famous words of President Thomas Jefferson when President Ho Chi Minh declared independence in 1945. The quote is: “All men are created equal, they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The Vietnamese leader’s visit to the site reminded both nations of the strength of their relationship, said Osius.

He stressed that the Party chief’s leadership had a significant impact on the two countries’ relationship. Vietnam upgraded its relations with the US to a comprehensive partnership in 2013, and a decade later, during US President Joe Biden’s visit to Vietnam at the invitation of General Secretary Trong, the partnership was elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

Additionally, Osius praised Vietnam’s “bamboo diplomacy” approach. Following President Biden’s visit, Party General Secretary Trong hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The former ambassador held that it is rare for a leader to engage with the US, Chinese, and Russian presidents within a year.

Regarding Vietnam’s economic achievements under the Party General Secretary’s leadership, Osius held that Vietnam had fully integrated into the global economy. He acknowledged the country’s growing central role in trade networks and increasing prosperity, with a rising middle class and robust trade relations with the US. The investment Vietnam has attracted from the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and other countries has also been on the rise. According to the diplomat, the late leader’s legacy is a more prosperous Vietnam.