Obama weighs lifting Vietnam arms embargo

AFP, WASHINGTON: The White House is considering lifting a decades-old arms embargo against Vietnam in time for President Barack Obama’s visit to the booming Southeast Asian nation this month.
As both countries warily eye China’s military build-up in the disputed South China Sea, officials said Obama is weighing an end to the Cold War-era ban on lethal weapons exports.
Obama begins his first visit to Vietnam on May 21, some 41 years after the North Vietnamese army and its Viet Cong allies marched into Saigon, humiliating the world’s preeminent superpower.
Now the former foes—who fought a murderous 19-year war that defined both nations and killed untold thousands—are putting ideology aside and gradually building deeper trade, military and political ties.
Washington and Hanoi have been pushed together by Vietnam’s increasingly vibrant 80-million-people-strong economy, Obama’s “pivot to Asia” and a mutual desire to limit China’s regional clout.
Under President Xi Jinping, Beijing has taken a more assertive stance on territorial claims in the South China Sea—deploying materiel to the disputed Spratly Islands.

Obama weighs lifting Vietnam arms embargo

AFP, WASHINGTON: The White House is considering lifting a decades-old arms embargo against Vietnam in time for President Barack Obamas visit to the booming Southeast Asian nation this month. As both countries warily eye Chinas military build-up in the disputed South China Sea, officials said Obama is weighing an end to the Cold War-era ban on lethal weapons exports. Obama begins his first visit to Vietnam on May 21, some 41 years after the North Vietnamese army and its Viet Cong allies marched into Saigon, humiliating the worlds preeminent superpower. Now the former foeswho fought a murderous 19-year war that defined both nations and killed untold thousandsare putting ideology aside and gradually building deeper trade, military and political ties. Washington and Hanoi have been pushed together by Vietnams increasingly vibrant 80-million-people-strong economy, Obamas pivot to Asia and a mutual desire to limit Chinas regional clout. Under President Xi Jinping, Beijing has taken a more assertive stance on territorial claims in the South China Seadeploying materiel to the disputed Spratly Islands.