US Mulls Lifting Ban of Weapon Sales to Vietnam

Ahead of United States president Barack Obama's visit to Vietnam, the Southeast Asian nation is renewing its request for the North American power to fully lift its arms ban.

At present, the ban prohibits the full sale of arms from the US to Vietnam. Though it has been partially eased – the former lifted a ban on the sale of lethal weapons to Vietnam in October 2014 – there are some restrictions which remain, reports Thanh Nien.

This issue has long been on the table, at least for Vietnam, which has made repeated inquiries into the possibility of fully lifting the ban. Most recently, Vietnamese ambassador to the US Pham Quang Vinh voiced his support of eliminating all outstanding restrictions, reports VnExpress.

“Vietnam calls on the US to totally lift the arms embargo on Vietnam and believes that this element of barrier of the past should be removed to reflect the full normalization of our relations started two decades ago and the current level of our comprehensive partnership,” the ambassador said in a speech at the Vietnam War Summit on April 28, according to VnExpress.

While little has been said on the American side, US Defense Secretary Ash Carter recently acknowledged the request, saying he would also support the lifting of the ban, in part as a result of China's increasing military buildup.

“There are a number of factors that we must consider with regard to lifting the ban, including progress on human rights,” said the State Department's top human rights official, Tom Malinowski, according to Thanh Nien.

It remains to be seen whether the two countries will move ahead in lifting the ban. Though both have expressed concern over tensions in the East Sea, Vietnam also made clear its own expectation that the US provide greater assistance in its ongoing dioxin and unexploded ordnance clean-up efforts.

[Photo via Flickr user Greg Bishop]