Pompeo, Vietnam Leaders Express Concern About Militarization of S China Sea

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met in Hanoi with Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and discussed the militarization in the South China Sea, the US Department of State spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a statement.

"They affirmed their shared interest in upholding peace and security in the South China Sea‎, and their shared concerns over militarization and reclamation of features that runs counter to international law," the statement said on Monday.

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The US and Vietnamese officials affirmed their shared interest in upholding peace and security in the South China Sea‎, and their shared concerns over militarization and reclamation of features that runs counter to international law.

"Both sides welcomed cooperation to uphold the freedom of navigation and overflight, with Vietnamese leaders welcoming a strong US role in ensuring stability in the South China Sea," the statement said.

Pompeo and the Vietnamese leaders also discussed ways to further strengthen the US-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership so as to advance our common bilateral and regional priorities and common efforts to promote peace, security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, the statement added.