Obama to welcome Vietnamese party chief

President Obama will meet with the leader of the Communist Party of Vietnam next week, the highest-ranking party official to ever visit the White House.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, will arrive on July 7.

{mosads}“The President looks forward to discussing with General Secretary Trong ways to strengthen further the U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership, reflecting on the accomplishments of the past twenty years since the normalization of bilateral diplomatic relations,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said.

“The President also welcomes the opportunity to discuss other issues, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership, human rights, and bilateral defense cooperation.”

The relationship between Vietnam and the U.S. has slowly thawed since the Vietnam War. President Bill Clinton spoke in Hanoi on Thursday to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his administration normalizing diplomatic relations with the country, which he called one of his “most important” achievements. 

Vietnam is one of the 11 nations engaged in negotiations with the U.S. on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the president’s signature trade deal. But the Vietnamese government also faces significant criticism over its human rights record. Human Rights Watch calls the country’s record “dire in all key areas,” noting a variety of concerns, including limits on freedom of expression, allegations of torture by police, and the imprisonment of religious minorities and activists.