*Administration of Donald J. Trump, 2017 *

**Remarks Prior to a Meeting With President Tran Dai Quang of Vietnam in Hanoi, Vietnam **

*November 12, 2017 *

[*President Quang made brief remarks in Vietnamese, and no translation was provided. President Trump then made remarks as follows.*]

Well, thank you very much. And I appreciate it. And I appreciate the incredible rollout that they give—they've given to the United States, not just the President of the United States, but to the United States as a whole. We've had an incredible day in Vietnam. The APEC meeting started it out, and that was a tremendous success. And thank you very much for hosting it.

I want to just wish you my best in condolences for the situation that you have with Damrey. That was tough. That was very, very tough. And I know you're handling it well. And just our best wishes and condolences.

We also want to thank you for helping us with the U.S. Embassy site where we have a new Embassy. And it will be something that, I think, will be very good for the future and the future of our two countries.

The North Korean situation continues to be a problem. I think that China—as you know, we saw—we were in China yesterday and the day before. And President Xi, I think, is going to be a tremendous help. I hope Russia, likewise, will be a tremendous help. I think they can make a big difference. I know that South Korea and Japan are very much unified in the sense that they want to be able to take care of a problem that's right next to them. Really, they're neighbors. And I appreciate all of the good work you're doing with regard to the North Korea problem.

South China Sea, as you know, we're looking at; we're looking at it together. If I could help mediate or arbitrate, please let me know. And you've had a dispute for quite a while with China. If I can help in any way, I'm a very good mediator and a very good arbitrator. I have done plenty of it from both sides. So if I can help you, let me know.

Our defense ties are terrific. We're doing a lot of business with you in terms of your purchasing of materials and also purchasing very substantial military equipment and equipment. And we appreciate that. It's jobs for America, and you get the best equipment in the world. Nobody makes it like we make it.

And I think that more than anything else, this will be a meeting of trade. We will be a great trade partner, and whether we'll be treated fairly—past administrations didn't understand trade, and they didn't know too much about what was going on with trade. But we do. But we also know how to do a lot of trade. So I think it's going to very, very good for Vietnam.

And, Mr. President, I just again want to thank you for being so respectful and nice to my entire delegation and to its President. And on behalf of the United States of America, we wish you very well and a great respect for what Vietnam has been able to accomplish and do in a very, very short period of time.

So I want to give you a personal congratulations. Thank you very much. NOTE: The President spoke at approximately 9:20 a.m. at the Presidential Palace. In his remarks, he referred to President Xi Jinping of China.

*Categories:* Meetings With Foreign Leaders and International Officials : Vietnam, President Quang*.*

*Locations: *Hanoi, Vietnam.

*Names:* Quang, Tran Dai; Xi Jinping*.*

*Subjects:* Asia : South China Sea, maritime territorial disputes; Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC); China : North Korea, role; China : President; Commerce, international : Free and fair trade; North Korea : International diplomatic efforts; North Korea : Nuclear weapons development; Russia : North Korea, role; Vietnam : President; Vietnam : President Trump's visit; Vietnam : Relations with U.S.; Vietnam : Trade with U.S.; Vietnam : Typhoon Damrey, damage and recovery efforts.

*DCPD Number:* DCPD201700847.