11 September 2023 , 13:15
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An exhausted President Biden quickly wrapped up his rambling Vietnam presser by candidly admitting "I'm gonna go to bed".
The 80-year-old was speaking at a press conference in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi after two days at the G20 summit in New Delhi, India when he was pressed about the US' relationship with China before suddenly announcing that he was ready for bed.
"But I tell you what, I don't know about you, but I'm going to go to bed," Biden said to a group of reporters. After his candid admission, a journalist shouted a question about the president's meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who he met during the G20 summit this weekend. "What did you talk about with Mr. Li? You said you spoke with the number two from China in India today," the reporter asked.
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Joe Biden quickly left his press conference after announcing he was ready for bed (AFP via Getty Images)"Yeah, we talked…we talked about…we talked about it at the conference. Overall, we talked about stability," Biden said while appearing exhausted. "We talked about making sure that the Third World, the Third World….the Southern Hemisphere had access to change. It had access." "It wasn't confrontational at all," Biden added. "Thank you, everybody. This ends the press conference," a member of staff abruptly said. "Thanks, everyone."
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The president was giving a speech when he was asked about China (AFP via Getty Images)His abrupt ending came after Biden entered a comprehensive strategic partnership with Vietnam to renew "the strength and dynamism of the US‐Vietnam relationship as both countries work together to achieve our shared goals of peace, prosperity, and sustainable development." The president was forced to clarify the new partnership with Vietnam was not designed to isolate China.
Chairman of Vietnam's National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue shakes hands with US President Joe Biden (AFP via Getty Images)"It’s not about isolating China. It’s about making sure the rules of the road – everything from airspace and space in the ocean and the international rules of the road – are abided by," Biden explained. "I think we think too much in terms of Cold War terms. It's not about that. It's about generating economic growth and stability, Mr Biden told reporters in Hanoi on Sunday. "I want to see China to succeed economically, but I want to see them succeed by the rules," he said.
The renewed partnership could see less reliance on China with Vietnam having a young and educated workforce, which is attracting US investors who are looking to move their manufacturing plants out of China. Huge technology companies including Dell, Google, Microsoft, and Apple have all shifted parts of their supply chains to Vietnam in recent years, with more businesses looking to explore the market. In addition, the US considers it a potential market for military equipment and weapons.