First of all, the enemy of your enemy is NOT always your friend.
But more than that, I doubt if any Japanese Prime Minister would agree to pose in front of an over-sized bust of Harry S. Truman. And no American President should be so craven as to pose in front of an over-sized bust of Ho Chi Minh.
Perhaps I should have marked it “friend”. Don’t blame me. I didn’t make up the rules of diplomacy. However, remembering who we have currently in the administration, it wouldn’t have surprised me if Obama wasn’t kissing his ass or at the least, having Kerry do the ass-kissing for him.
Sometimes you do things because they are in your interest. Not because you like doing them.
Vietnam is an historic foe of China. That, and access to Cam Ranh Bay, is in our interest.