Vietnam leader defends record to US, seeks trade pact
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Vietnam's president called Wednesday for progress on a Pacific trade pact and defended his government's human-rights record as he faced heated criticism from lawmakers on a rare visit to Washington.
Truong Tan Sang is only the second Vietnamese president invited to the White House since the normalisation of ties between the former war foes, which have increasingly found common cause amid unease over China’s rise.
At a luncheon hosted by Secretary of State John Kerry, Sang voiced hope the 12 nations in talks on the Trans-Pacific Partnership would strike an agreement “soon” on the potentially landmark free-trade pact. US Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, in a separate meeting with Sang, called the pact “a top priority” for President Barack Obama and hoped the negotiations would conclude this year. Obama has voiced hope the agreement – which, with the recent inclusion of Japan, would cover 40 per cent of the global economy – would help shape Asia’s future by setting international rules.
