Vietnam Pm Announces Visit to Us

The Vietnamese prime minister, Phan Van Khai, yesterday announced plans to visit the US next month, making him the first leader of the communist country to do so since the end of the Vietnam war 30 years ago.

Mr Khai said arrangements were being made for him to visit Washington, while diplomatic sources told the Guardian he would probably also visit New York and California, where there is a large Vietnamese population.

"Thirty years have passed since the end of the war; this is the first ever visit by a leader of a unified Vietnam to the United States," the prime minister said during a visit to Australia.

Mr Khai is expected to seek to accelerate negotiations for Vietnam to join the World Trade Organisation. Washington is looking to solidify relations with another south-east Asian country to help counter China's rapidly growing regional influence, although Mr Khai denied this was motivating the trip.

"The purpose of my visit to the United States is to elevate our relationship to a higher plane in a new situation," he said.