A package could include U.S. F-16 fighter jets and come with special financing terms that could help Hanoi, which is facing tensions with Beijing in the South China Sea, steer away from its reliance on lower-cost Russian-made arms.

Vietnam is also actively in talks with Moscow over a new arms supply deal that could trigger U.S. sanctions, Reuters has reported.

  • cecinestpasunbot@lemmy.ml
    ·
    1 year ago

    I’m pretty sure they don’t actually want to escalate tensions with one of their biggest customers. It just doesn’t make sense for them. The US however is in a catch 22. US companies save tons of money by manufacturing in China but Chinese economic growth threatens the geopolitical dominance the US has enjoyed since WW2.