The United States partially lifted its decades-old ban on weapons sales to Vietnam on 2 October 2014. This was one of the most significant steps in improving relations between the two former enemies since they normalised diplomatic ties nearly two decades ago. The US State Department made clear this decision related only to maritime surveillance systems and said the move was taken in response to improvements in Vietnam’s human rights environment. Washington’s policy shift was widely seen as an effort to bolster Vietnam’s maritime security at a time when China is stepping up its assertiveness in the South China Sea disputes.
The move was no doubt in part prompted by China’s deployment of an oil exploration rig near the Paracel Islands claimed by both Beijing and Hanoi in May.
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