Bottom line: The USA wants Vietnam as counterweight to China.
Bottom line: Vietnam wants the USA as counterweight to China.
Other Bottom Line: Viet Nam craves to have the USA as a counterweight to China. Because of Vietnamese fear of China the USA, by Protecting Viet Nam, has considerable influence for good in that country in regard to things like the treatment of Minorities and Protestants. The government got its foot off the neck of the Catholics last year and now its grip on the Catholic wrist is less firm. I am advised by my correspondents that, in their opinion at least, it has a lot to do with the government desire to install Viet Nam firmly in America's protective orbit. The ubiquitous corruption has to await internal rectification but much else that is in the purview of government policy can be influenced by Bac(Uncle) Sam.