But for rights advocates, Biden's travels were a disappointment, given his administration's vow to prioritize human rights when taking office in 2021.
The White House also unveiled a Vietnam Airlines purchase of 50 Boeing 737 Max jets worth $7.8 billion.
Rights advocates fear a lack of focus on human rights, while not unexpected, will not only fail to improve conditions in Vietnam and India, but risk worsening them elsewhere.
Reporters asked Biden in Vietnam if he was putting U.S. strategic interests above rights and replied: "I’ve raised it (human rights) with every person I met with."
"As such, the Biden administration has tended to downplay or avoid human rights discussions," he said.
Persons:
Joe Biden's, Biden's, Biden, Carolyn Nash, Narendra Modi's, HRW, Nash, John Sifton, Sifton, Modi, Vietnam's, Kurt Campbell, Campbell, Murray Hiebert, Vietnamese Communist Party Chief Nguyen Phu Trong, Lam, Derek Grossman, David Brunnstrom, Humeyra Pamuk, Don Durfee, Josie Kao
Organizations:
Vietnam Airlines, Boeing, Max, Amnesty International, Rights, Indian, Bharatiya Janata Party, Rights Watch, Vietnam, Communist Party, U.S, Biden, U.S ., Washington's Center, Strategic, International Studies, Vietnamese Communist Party Chief, RAND Corp, Thomson
Locations:
Vietnam, India, Washington, Hanoi, U.S, Asia, Pacific, China, Saudi Arabia