The fire broke out at a nine-story residential tower in Hanoi, the capital, late Tuesday night. State-run news media also reported that 37 others were injured.
While others of his generation were scarred by the conflict, President Biden forged a strategic partnership on his first visit to the country, framing it in pragmatic terms.
The president’s top aides believe that stories about the president’s age and health are stoked by his enemies in an effort to undermine his accomplishments.
Visiting Hanoi, the president cemented a new strategic partnership that puts the memories of the past behind them and focuses on mutual concerns over Beijing’s assertiveness in the region.
Defying U.S. sanctions, a Vietnamese government document lays out a plan to buy Russian weapons, which officials see as a way to upgrade its military as a hedge against China.
President Biden is expected to celebrate a new upgrade in relations with Vietnam this weekend, despite concerns about the country’s authoritarian crackdown and repression.