Vietnam supports connectivity initiatives aimed at contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the Indo-Pacific region. 

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang

Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang made the statement at a press briefing in Hanoi on January 14 in response to reporters’ question relating to the US’s plan to announce its declassified strategic framework for the Indo-Pacific region.

Vietnam’s consistent stance is to welcome regional connectivity initiatives, contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development of the region based on rules and respect for international law, as well as respecting the legitimate rights and interests of all countries, including ASEAN’s central role in the evolving regional structure, said Hang.

She went on to say that the position has been shared by Vietnam and other ASEAN countries in the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP).

The US Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific, a National Security Council product, was approved by President Donald Trump in February 2018. The document, labelled as “Declassify On” provides overarching strategic guidance for implementing the 2017 National Security Strategy within the world’s most populous and economically dynamic region, according to the January 12, 2021 statement by National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien.