Obama’s visit to Hanoi continues to make foreign headlines

The US’s full lifting of the decades-old ban on the sale of lethal arms to Vietnam is a top story on Singapore’s local press: “The Strait Times”, “The United Morning Post”, “Today” and “Channel News Asia.”

The Strait Times quoted both President Tran Dai Quang and President Obama during their joint press conference in Hanoi on May 23, stressing that the US leader’s visit aims to foster the relations between the two nations, particularly in defence. 

The trip became front-page news on the United Morning Post in which it was highlighted as an attempt to boost the bilateral ties in economy and defence and to address war aftermaths. 

Germany’s Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper reported on the removal of the ban on May 23, noting that President Tran Dai Quang saw the decision as a clear proof of normalised ties between the two countries.

The country’s Handelsblatt newspaper also ran an article on the same day, saying Obama’s visit has sent a message that a new chapter has come in the bilateral relations. 

Meanwhile, according to the Tagessipiegel newspaper, the two sides have agreed to bolster their comprehensive partnership. 

Germany-based ARD Television reported on the cheerful welcome of Hanoians to President Obama, stating that the historic visit would change Vietnam-US relations.