In a meeting with hundreds of Vietnamese students at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Hanoi, the US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that, "The United States shared the concerns and common interests of peace and stability in the region, and will continue to exercise their right to freedom of navigation and aviation anywhere that international law allows."
The topic of the safety and security of the East Sea was one that the Vietnamese students questioned the Secretary about the most. Very openly and straightforwardly, Mr. Blinken confirmed that China’s actions of consolidation, restoration and construction on islands in the East Sea has recently raised tensions in the area and opened questions about their intentions.
Appreciating the role of ASEAN in maintaining peace and stability in the area, Mr. Blinken emphasized that, "The United States would continue to support and cooperate so ASEAN could promote its voice in the international arena."
Regarding the highly collaborative relationship between the two countries, which is continuing to develop in every aspect, the US Under Secretary of Foreign Affairs hopes that more and more Vietnamese students will choose to study in the US. He also hoped that the two countries would collaborate in finding solutions to currently hot issues such as poverty, disease and protecting world peace based on international law. All these collaborations, according to him, will have a chance to develop further when the US President Barack Obama visits Vietnam in May.
