“Vietnam should be able to access US weapons that would improve its ability to network its defence systems especially in intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and maritime domain awareness. This would create a link between the US and Vietnamese national defence industries,” Professor Carl Thayer, a leading expert on Southeast Asia at the Australian Defence Forces Academy told Dan Tri ahead of the US President’s visit to Vietnam.

Professor Carl Thayer, a leading expert on Southeast Asia at the Australian Defence Forces Academy

What’s the purpose of Obama’s visit given it’s so late in his term of office?
President Obama is meeting his promise to former President Truong Tan Sang in 2013 “to do his level best to visit Vietnam” before his term of office expired.
In other words, he is reciprocating Sang’s visit and meeting protocol.
But Obama’s visit is much more than that.
President Obama wants to set the course for the future of bilateral relations with Vietnam as he did with Iran and Cuba.
In Vietnam’s case bilateral relations are much more advanced. President Obama would like to enlarge co-operation set out in the Agreement on Comprehensive Partnership.
He will address legacies of the past and he will look to the future.
Vietnam represents one of the success stories in President Obama’s rebalance towards Asia and the Pacific policy.
As an expert, what do you care about in this visit?
Vietnam has and is playing a significant and positive role in ASEAN, in regional affairs and globally.
I would like to see both sides address issues of concern in a constructive manner and more importantly, advance the bilateral relationship across all the areas in the comprehensive partnership, including political and diplomatic relations, trade and economic ties, science and technology, education and training, environment and health, war legacy issues, defence and security, protection and promotion of human rights, and culture, sports, and tourism.
The priority area is economic relations and the TPP.
Vietnam likely will ratify the TPP at the June sitting of the National Assembly.
US ratification is in doubt and will be decided next year.
I would like to see President Obama play a strong role in getting the US Senate to ratify the TPP.

http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/government/156772/us-likely-to-offer-vietnam-arms-deals.html