This content was created by David Oualaalou. This content was uploaded by David Oualaalou. This is a YouTube video titled "Anxiety Surges as Vietnam Dances Between Giants!" (published 2023-09-16). It is a single-host geopolitics commentary in which the presenter/analyst discusses President Biden's visit to Vietnam after the G20. The speaker frames the trip as having economic (semiconductors, minerals) and geopolitical aims—namely to woo Vietnam toward the U.S. orbit, notes the upgrade of Vietnam's diplomatic status, and raises concerns about Hanoi's ties with China and longstanding relations with Russia (including potential Russian arms purchases and risk of U.S. sanctions). The video is opinion/analysis-oriented, invites viewer comments, and includes typical YouTube calls to like and subscribe.
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Hello everyone and welcome to Geopolitical Trends. So good to be with you as always. As an analyst, I ask, is the United States trying to woo Vietnam as President Biden aims at containing China? Yeah, will this policy succeed? Will it work? In this video, I'm going to provide you with my assessments and place this development, the recent visit of President Biden to Vietnam, within not only the economic but also the geopolitical context. Let's dive in into this topic here. As we all know, following the conclusion of the G20 summit, which is nothing but an echo chamber as I always say, Biden went to Vietnam and met with officials there in Hanoi. And the hope for this, or the objective, one among many, is to woo Vietnam into the US orbit. So the trip was planned for different reasons, and mainly two: one economic and the other one geopolitical. On the econ— I'm gonna break it down for you guys. On the economic front, President Biden, as I said, went to Vietnam. He secured— this is the key for the economic aspect— he secured the deal with Vietnam. And guess on what? On semiconductors. We all know the, the trade war between the US and China, and of course the US banning chips, but now it's backfiring on the US. So, well, the deal was not only on the semiconductors but also in minerals, as the strategic Southeast Asian nation has been lifted by Hanoi to our highest diplomatic status. That is, that is along, alongside, of course, with China and Russia, but that is a major development. You know, when you lift a country to a higher status, that's a big deal. So Biden said, and I quote, let me get you guys the quote here. The partnership with Vietnam is part of the Biden administration's push to demonstrate to our Indo-Pacific partners and to the world that the United States is a Pacific nation, uh, is a Pacific nation, and we're not going anywhere, end of quote. Oh wow, let's take a step back. Biden said that the United States is a Pacific nation. That, that's, that's problematic. On the geopolitical front, the trip, the trip, in my opinion, and again, this is my own assessments, It's meant to tell Vietnam, we do not want you to maintain economic ties with China. And mind you that President Biden's trip comes on the heels of the possibility of an upcoming trip by President Xi and other Chinese delegations to Vietnam soon. So that's why I said it was a calculated strategic trip by President Biden. So Vietnam's longstanding— because you don't need— don't forget, there is one key other aspect, which is Vietnam's longstanding relationship with Russia. Because it's also now with President Biden's trip, now that relationship between Vietnam and Russia is facing a test over the war in Ukraine. Well, because you all know Vietnam's longstanding relationship with Russia, with Russia given the war on Ukraine and the pressure from the United States, you know. But that's not about that. It is about Vietnam having talks with Russia regarding an arms sale. That's what I believe President Biden went there physically because if Vietnam moves forward with the purchase or the acquisition of the Russian weapons, that could trigger, you US sanctions on Vietnam. So this is how I see it, because the arm deals that Hanoi is involved in talks with Moscow, that could sort of trigger sanctions. And Hanoi is thinking about, okay, which direction we need to do this. So, and like I mentioned earlier, because it's very important, one noticeable thing about Biden's trip to Vietnam has to do with the US upgrading Vietnam's status, which is a major deal. So basically lifting Vietnam to the highest diplomatic status along with China and Russia. So I will be— personally, I will be interested to see how Vietnam will proceed. Will it be sucked in into the US orbit, or will it take stand or stand its ground by staying neutral? What do you think? Let me know your answer in the comment section. I always like to read your feedback, and I like to keep this video short and concise. I'll be happy to elaborate this— on this topic rather— in, in, uh, on a live stream. So if you like the content of this video, please hit that like button and don't forget to subscribe. I will greatly appreciate it. As always, remember, geopolitics impact your daily life in more ways than one. Till next time, bye-bye.
