US ambassador to Vietnam says US arms manufacturers could help Vietnam build up its armed forces

Associated Press

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — The U.S. ambassador to Vietnam says U.S. arms manufacturers could help the southeast Asian country build up its armed forces. Ambassador Mark Knapper said at a press briefing during an international arms expo in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi on Thursday that U.S. and Vietnamese companies could work together to ensure that Vietnam “has what it needs to defend its interests at sea, in the air, on the ground and in cyberspace.” Vietnam is hosting the expo, bringing together 250 exhibitors including geopolitical rivals including the U.S., China, Russia, Ukraine, Israel and Iran. Vietnam has been trying to increase its domestic arms manufacturing while reducing its reliance on Russia for weapon imports.