U.S. President Donald Trump landed in Hanoi on Saturday afternoon to commence his state visit to Vietnam, after attending an annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the country’s central city of Da Nang earlier the same day.
The president’s Air Force One landed at Noi Bai International Airport in the capital at 5:25 pm, where he was greeted by Vietnamese Ambassador to the U.S. Pham Quang Vinh, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ha Kim Ngoc, and Minister and Chairman of the State President’s Office Dao Viet Trung.
After landing, President Trump boarded a black Cadillac One and headed straight to the Metropole Hotel in downtown Hoan Kiem District.
The U.S. leader had a short rest at the hotel before attending a state dinner hosted by Vietnamese State President Tran Dai Quang the same evening at the National Convention Center.
President Trump is joined by U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel Kritenbrink, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, National Security Advisor H. R. McMaster, Senior Advisor Stephen Miller, White House Staff Secretary Rob Porter, and Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategy Dina Powell on his trip.
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had arrived in Hanoi at noon the same day on another plane to participate in some additional activities, including a visit to an Air Force victory memorial to the shooting down of a plane captained by U.S. Senator John McCain during the war in Vietnam.
After meeting with Vietnamese leaders and joining other activities in Hanoi as part of his state visit on Sunday, President Trump will leave Vietnam for the Philippines, where he is expected to attend the U.S.-ASEAN Summit and East Asia Summit hosted by Manila.
President Trump is the fourth consecutive U.S. President to conduct a state visit to Vietnam following the normalization of diplomatic relations in 1995.
His predecessors Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama had visited Vietnam in 2002, 2006 and 2016, respectively.
Before arriving in Hanoi, the president had been in Da Nang since Friday to attend the annual leaders’ summit of the APEC, a regional economic forum comprised of 21 Pacific Rim member economies that work to promote free trade in the region.
Vietnam is Trump’s fourth destination in his 12-day Asia visit, including stops in Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines.
It is estimated to be the longest Asia trip ever made by a U.S. President.
Source: Tuoi Tre News