Commemorating 30 years of U.S.-Vietnam relations

Thirty years ago, the summer of 1995 marked a pivotal moment in Vietnam’s history. President Clinton declared that "the time has come" for normalization of diplomatic relations with Vietnam following a tumultuous period marked by decades of war and political tension.

From opening embassy doors in Washington, D.C., and Hanoi to establishing trade systems in a growing global market, the long road to reconciliation between the U.S. and Vietnam became an opportunity for seeking common ground, rebuilding trust and strengthening bilateral ties.

The U.S.-ASEAN Center, a public-private partnership between the U.S. Department of State and Arizona State University (ASU), in partnership with the Vietnam Embassy in the U.S. and US-ASEAN Business Council, hosted a two-part panel event on June 20 celebrating three decades of the transformative role of the American private sector investment and driving Vietnam’s development and exploring the evolution — and future — of the relationship between the two countries.

Nguyen Quoc Dzung, Vietnam’s ambassador to the U.S., opened the celebration by sharing four ways that U.S. private sector investment has helped advance normalization of the U.S.-Vietnam relationship. Ambassador Dzung highlighted the role of American businesses as a driving force behind deeper U.S.-Vietnam government cooperation. “The success of U.S. businesses in Vietnam has been a catalyst for deeper government-to-government cooperation,” he noted.

He emphasized that U.S. private-sector investment has elevated Vietnam’s global profile, fostered mutual trust through trade and technology exchange, supported provincial development and humanitarian projects, and encouraged economic reforms that have made Vietnam more open and competitive — paving the way for expanded future engagement.

Representing the U.S. Department of State as a keynote speaker at the event, Deputy Assistant Secretary Andrew Herrup stressed that the Vietnam-U.S. comprehensive strategic partnership is not only shaped by government cooperation but also driven by the business community and people of both countries. He described the partnership as a foundation for expanding people-to-people ties, stepping up education cooperation, intensifying security, and deepening economic ties.

“Fifty years ago, the United States and Vietnam stood in opposition with one another. Thirty years ago, trade between our two countries was known,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Andrew Herrup. “Today, Vietnam is our ninth-largest trading partner.”

The first panel featured former U.S. and Vietnamese ambassadors who played key roles in strengthening bilateral ties. Participants included Michael Michalak (U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam, 2007–2011), Pham Quang Vinh (Vietnamese Ambassador to the U.S., 2014–2018), Ted Osius (U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam, 2014–2017) and Daniel Kritenbrink (U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam, 2017–2021), alongside representatives from Citi and Lockheed Martin. The discussion reflected on three decades of diplomatic progress — tracing early reconciliation efforts, the growth of educational partnerships to build people-to-people connections, and the role of U.S. private-sector investment in advancing human capital and infrastructure development.

Reflecting on the dramatic transformation from a brutal war 50 years ago to diplomatic normalization and now a comprehensive strategic partnership, Kritenbrink called the U.S.-Vietnam relationship "extraordinary" — not a miracle but the result of courage, goodwill and hard work on both sides. “What we built was built together,” he said, recalling advice from former ambassador Pete Peterson. Kritenbrink emphasized reconciliation as central to the relationship’s success. He shared a poignant memory of a Vietnamese veteran, the first in line to sign a condolence book for Senator John McCain, who said he came to honor a former adversary who later championed peace between the two nations.

Michalak emphasized education as a cornerstone of his mission in Vietnam, setting a goal to double the number of Vietnamese students in the U.S. — a number that ultimately tripled during his tenure. Today, Vietnam is the largest source of ASEAN students in the U.S. and fifth globally. He credited Arizona State University as a pioneer in U.S.-Vietnam academic collaboration, particularly in science, technology and innovation. He noted that the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is accelerating these efforts, with new initiatives such as English language training for STEM students and the International Technology, Security and Innovation (ITSI) Fund. These programs aim to deepen cooperation in critical areas like semiconductors, critical minerals, open radio access networks and policy coordination.

Since the early 1990s, American companies have been instrumental in reestablishing trade relations and forging strategic partnerships in Vietnam. Early entrants like Caterpillar and Citi opened offices in Hanoi in 1993, while firms such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Intel became long-term players in the market. Lockheed Martin played a key role in Vietnam’s telecom modernization as the prime contractor for VINASAT-1, the country’s first communications satellite — marking a significant step in advancing Vietnam’s infrastructure and asserting its sovereignty in satellite communications.

The second half of the event offered insights into outlook of U.S.-Vietnam collaboration across economic and technology cooperation, particularly on the role of technological partnerships in shaping Vietnam’s future.

Ted Osius, moderator of the panel, underscored the importance of foreign investment in driving Vietnam’s economic growth, noting that key provisions in the 2001 U.S.-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement helped fast-track Vietnam’s accession to the World Trade Organization and catalyzed a dramatic rise in trade — from $220 million in 1994 to $15.4 billion by 2009.

Osius opened the discussion with private sector leaders by asking, “What role can U.S. investment in technology play in supporting Vietnam’s strategic goals and advancing its position as a global supply chain hub?”

Among the featured investors was Intel, a key player in Vietnam’s tech ecosystem. The conversation took on new relevance following the Vietnamese government’s recent approval of a national semiconductor strategy through 2050, signaling growing alignment between U.S. investment and Vietnam’s long-term industrial ambitions.

Sarah Kemp, vice president for international governmental affairs at Intel, spoke about the role the chipmaker and technology company has played in helping develop Vietnam’s workforce.

“The fact that Vietnam now has a National Semiconductor Strategy is incredible. If you look at what their aspirations are and what they're actually building toward, which is 50,000 engineers, that's impressive,” Kemp added. “I think that technology is one area where future cooperation is very promising.”

Representing the higher education institution perspective, Meghan Gibson, director of global operations at ASU, touched on the importance of such partnerships and how companies like Intel have also played a role in cultivating relationships between Vietnam and American universities.

The Higher Engineering Education Alliance Program, or HEEAP, was formed in 2010 by Intel and ASU to train Vietnamese professors from eight universities on more innovative ways to teach engineering. A lot has changed since then, Gibson explained.

“We're focusing intently on university capacity-building… local university capacity-building,” said Gibson. “To date, we've had over 750 engagements in Vietnam through our over 20 university and government partners ranging from higher education capacity building with local universities, professional upskilling certifications and dialogue with government and industry around the semiconductor ecosystem.”

Thu Rajan, head of Boeing’s executive, legislative and regulatory affairs, said that Boeing recognizes Vietnam as a central road in their regional and international supply chain network and emphasized a recent, monumental milestone for Southeast Asia’s aerospace industry.

“Today, we have over 200 Boeing airplanes on that order that we need to deliver over the next few years, and hopefully we can continue to grow that number with the help,” Rajan added will be to Vietnamese budget carrier Vietjet. The Boeing order is part of a wider effort to bolster their aviation infrastructure and strengthen geopolitical ties. According to Reuters, Vietnam Airlines is also close to finalizing a order for 50 Boeing 737 MAX jets.

“But truly, Vietnam is poised to lead the next chapter of Asia. We don't see ourselves as just operating in Vietnam,” Rajan said. “We want to help build and help support Vietnam to operate, to compete and to win.”

“30 Years of Vietnam-U.S. Diplomatic Relations: The Role of Public-Private Partnerships” took place on June 20, 2025, at Arizona State University’s Barrett & O'Connor Washington Center in Washington, D.C.