The Embassy of the United States, Hanoi is the highest diplomatic representation of the United States in

Hanoi Hanoi ( ; ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Vietnam, second-most populous city of Vietnam. The name "Hanoi" translates to "inside the river" (Hanoi is bordered by the Red River (Asia), Red and Black River (Asia), Black Riv ...

, Vietnam. The embassy is located in Hanoi and aims to promote US interests in Vietnam.

History

The United States Office for MIA Affairs officially opened in Hanoi on July 7, 1991, marking the first continuous presence of an official U.S. government agency in Vietnam since 1975. The U.S. Embassy in Hanoi was inaugurated on August 6, 1995, during Secretary of State

Warren Christopher Warren Minor Christopher (October 27, 1925March 18, 2011) was an American attorney, diplomat and statesman who served as the 63rd United States secretary of state from 1993 to 1997. Born in Scranton, North Dakota, Christopher clerked for Supre ...

's visit. That same day, Vietnam also opened its embassy in Washington. The

American Center Hanoi The American Center Hanoi is an educational center. Hanoi’s USIS Library was established in 1997. On October 1, 1999, USIS Hanoi changed its name to the Public Affairs Section, U.S. Embassy and the Library became the IRC, located at 127 Ba Trie ...

, a public library with information about American people and culture, opened in 1997. On July 23, 1998, the U.S. Senate voted in favor of continued funding for the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, underpinning the ongoing cooperation on the

Vietnam War POW/MIA issue The Vietnam War POW/MIA issue concerns the fate of United States servicemen who were reported as missing in action (MIA) during the Vietnam War and associated theaters of operation in Southeast Asia. Following the Paris Peace Accords of 1973, 59 ...

. On November 19, 2000, the Office of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was inaugurated. In 2008, Ambassador Michael Michalak inaugurated the first American Center in Hanoi. On April 14, 2023, U.S. Secretary of State

Antony Blinken Antony John Blinken (born April 16, 1962) is an American lawyer and diplomat who served as the 71st United States secretary of state from 2021 to 2025. He previously served as Deputy National Security Advisor, deputy national security advisor ...

officiated a groundbreaking ceremony for a new $1.2 billion U.S. embassy compound in Hanoi. The embassy compound, spanning 3.2 hectares, will be located on Pham Van Bach Street in Cau Giay District and will be leased for 99 years. Following the groundbreaking ceremony, China declined to reschedule a previously cancelled visit by Secretary Blinken. This decision was influenced by concerns related to the

2023 Chinese balloon incident From January 28 to February 4, 2023, a high-altitude balloon originating from China flew across North American airspace, including Alaska, western Canada, and the contiguous United States. On February 4, the U.S. Air Force shot down the balloo ...

. As the U.S. aims to fortify its coalition in South-east Asia to counteract China's influence, Vietnam navigates a precarious balance of fostering cooperation with Washington while maintaining amicable relations with Beijing, especially given the latter's growing military presence in the South China Sea and its strengthening ties with Moscow.

References

External links

List of United States embassies

List of embassies in Vietnam
{{Diplomatic missions of the United States

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

United States–Vietnam relations

History

See also

References

External links