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Vietnamese Foreign Ministry deputy spokeswoman Tran Thi Bich welcomed Washington’s announcement that it would partially ease its ban on lethal arms sales to Hanoi yesterday.
Ms Tran said that her government welcomes any step intended to promote Vietnam-US partnership.
The US has not sold arms to Hanoi since the crushing defeat of its invasion of Vietnam, while an official 1984 embargo prohibited arms sales using allegations of human rights violations as an excuse.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that sales of lethal maritime security capabilities and surveillance on a case-by-case basis could now take place.
These could include both maritime and airborne assets, particularly for Vietnam’s coastguard.
Washington has sought to profit from strained relations between Vietnam and China over a dispute relating to ownership of the Paracel Islands, which both countries claim.
