July 21 (Reuters) - The United States sees Vietnam as a key partner in expanding green energy sources and building more resilient supply chains, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a speech to be delivered in the country's capital of Hanoi on Friday.
Yellen's visit is part of a push by the United States to upgrade its formal ties with Vietnam as it works to reduce dependence on Chinese supply chains by expanding manufacturing at home and boosting trade with trusted partners.
But its efforts have met some resistance in Hanoi, over what experts see as concerns that China could view the move as hostile.
The United States and Vietnam normalized relations in 1995, two decades after the end of the Vietnam War, and signed a bilateral trade agreement five years later.
She underscored that Washington's "friendshoring" drive was not meant for "an exclusive club of countries.
Persons:
Janet Yellen, Yellen, Washington, Andrea Shalal, Jamie Freed
Organizations:
Treasury, U.S ., ASEAN Business Council, Intel, Initiative, The, Vietnam's, Thomson
Locations:
United States, Vietnam, U.S, Hanoi, Asia, Washington, China, Arizona, Saigon, The United States