72 HOURS ARE ABSOLUTELY
CRITICAL.
WE HAVE BEEN SEEING TEAMS,
PROFESSIONALS AND ALSO LOCAL
VOLUNTEERS, PEOPLE WHO HAND BY
HAND OR SIFTING THROUGH THE
RUBBLE, TRYING TO SAVE THE
LIVES OF THEIR NEIGHBORS.
THERE WAS A RESCUE IN THIS AREA
OVER THE WEEKEND, AND THAT'S
GIVING PEOPLE HOPE THAT THEY
MAY STILL FIND SURVIVORS.
IT IS A DESPERATE RACE AGAINST
TIME AT THIS POINT.
WHAT THEY NEED MOST IN THIS
REMOTE COMMUNITY IS HEAVY
EQUIPMENT, BUT THAT'S
DIFFICULT.
THE ROADS ARE WINDING AND
NARROW AND IN SOME CASES THERE
BLOCKED BY BOULDERS.
THE RESCUE EFFORT CONTINUES.
>>> TODAY, PRESIDENT BIDEN WILL
WRAP UP HIS VISIT TO VIETNAM.
THE TRIP AS PART OF AN EFFORT
TO TIVO AND TIES AS PART OF
EFFORTS TO REDUCE THE RELIANCE
ON CHINA.
WE ARE JOINED BY SENIOR WHITE
HOUSE CORRESPONDENT KELLY
O'DONNELL WHO IS IN THE GROUND.
THIS IS A QUICK WEEKEND TRIP
BUT ONE THE WEISS HOUSE TO SEE
IS VERY IMPORTANT.
THE VISIT, THE HIGHEST
DIPLOMATIC STATUS ALONGSIDE
CHINA AND RUSSIA.
WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE
VISIT AND WHAT IT MEANS AND
WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE
ADMINISTRATION?
TRUE IT IS A SIGNIFICANT TRIP.
REGARDLESS OF THE TIME OF THE
WEEKEND HOW MUCH TIME THE
PRESIDENT HAD ON THE GROUND.
IT IS A SIGNIFICANT
RELATIONSHIP BUILDING
OPPORTUNITY FOR THE U.S. AND
VIETNAM.
VIETNAM ELEVATING THE UNITED
STATES TO ITS HIGHEST LEVEL OF
DIPLOMATIC RELATIONSHIP, AND
THOSE GRADES ON THE SCALE ARE
QUITE IMPORTANT AND MOVING THE
TWO NATIONS FORWARD.
IT'S A HEDGE AGAINST CHINA BUT
IT'S ALSO ABOUT THE ECONOMIC
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE U.S.
AND VIETNAM WHERE THERE IS A
LOT OF INVESTMENT TAKING PLACE.
THE PRESIDENT MEETING WITH
BUSINESS LEADERS AND THE
OPPORTUNITIES, ESPECIALLY IN
THE TECH FIELD TO TRY TO EXPAND
THIS KIND OF PARTNERSHIP.
THE PRESIDENT WAS NOTING HOW
DECADES HAVE CHANGED THE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE UNITED
STATES AND VIETNAM.
ONCE AT WORN-OUT PARTNERS AND
FRIENDS AT A NEW LEVEL.
HERE IS WHAT THE PRESIDENT SAID
EARLIER.
>> IS TRUE HAS BEEN AN HISTORIC
MOMENT.
TODAY WE CAN TRACE AN ARCO
PROGRESS, THE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN OUR COUNTRIES.
IT'S A NEW ELEVATED STATUS THAT
WILL BE A FORCE FOR PROSPERITY
AND SECURITY.
ONE OF THE MOST CONSEQUENTIAL
REGIONS IN THE WORLD.
>> Reporter: VIETNAM USES CHINA
AS AN IMPORTANT TRADING
PARTNER, SO THEIR RELATIONSHIP
CAN BE COMPLICATED.
FOR THE U.S., IT'S ABOUT TRYING
TO BUILD STRENGTH IN THIS PART
OF THE WORLD AS AN OFFSET TO
CHINA BUT ALSO FOR THE
INDIVIDUAL RELATIONSHIPS ON
THEIR OWN.
ON THEIR OWN MERITS AND THE
POTENTIAL FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH.
>> I THINK IT'S A GOOD WAY TO
PUT IT.
IT IS ABOUT THE OFFSET BUT ALSO
ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIPS.
THE PRESIDENT HAS INSISTED THE
VISIT THERE WAS NOT ABOUT
TRYING TO CONTAIN CHINA, OR AT
LEAST THAT WAS NOT THE ONLY
FOCUS.
WHAT HAS THE REACTION BEEN FROM
BEIJING?
>> Reporter: ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT'S BEEN SO IMPORTANT TO
WATCH ABOUT THIS IS CHINA'S
PRESIDENT DID NOT GO TO THE G20
WHICH IS WHERE THE PRESIDENT
BEGAN WITH THIS MULTI-DAY,
MULTI-CONTINENT TRIP.
THAT ABSENCE ALLOWED FOR A LOT
OF CONVERSATION ABOUT CHINA.
THE PRESIDENT WAS ASKED A
NUMBER OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS.
IS A COMPLICATED RELATIONSHIP
AND THERE ARE CONCERNS ABOUT
THE MILITARY MUSCLE CHINA IS
SHOWING AND SOME OF THE
UNPREDICTABLE CHARACTERISTICS
OF THE RELATIONSHIP NOT ONLY
WITH THE UNITED STATES, BUT
WITH OTHER PARTNERS AROUND THE
WORLD.
THE PRESIDENT WAS CAREFUL,
WANTING TO FOLLOW UP
CONVERSATIONS WITH XI JINPING
WHO HE HAS NOT SPOKEN TO IN
NEARLY A YEAR.
THE PRESIDENT WAS TRYING TO BE
CAREFUL TO SAY WHAT HE IS NOT
TRYING TO DO WITH RESPECT TO
CHINA.
HERE IS HIS RESPONSE.
>> I AM SINCERE ABOUT GETTING
THE RELATIONSHIP RIGHT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS GOING
ON NOW IS CHINA IS BEGINNING TO
CHANGE SOME OF THE RULES OF THE
GAME IN TERMS OF TRADE AND
OTHER ISSUES.
AS I SAID, WE ARE NOT LOOKING
TO HURT CHINA.
SINCERELY.
WE ARE BETTER OFF IF CHINA AS
WELL.
>> Reporter: THAT GIVES A SENSE
OF HOW THE PRESIDENT IS TRYING
TO FIND THE BALANCE, TO NOT SAY
ANYTHING THAT WOULD BE OVERTLY
PROVOCATIVE TO CHINA, TO TRY TO
EXPLAIN SOME OF THE NUANCES OF
THIS RELATIONSHIP, AND AT THE
SAME TIME, BUILD ALLIANCES THAT
GIVES STRENGTH TO THE U.S. WHEN
IT COMES TO THE JUXTAPOSITION
OF THESE TWO SUPERPOWERS, THE
U.S. AND CHINA.
WHILE THE PRESIDENT WAS IN
HANOI, HE MADE A PERSONAL STOP
TO A MEMORIAL SITE THAT
MONITORS THE LATE SENATOR JOHN
McCAIN WHO WAS SHOT DOWN AS A
NAVY PILOT.
GENERATIONS AGO.
SPENT 5.5 YEARS IN A PRISON
HERE.
HE WAS ACCOMPANIED BY JOHN
CAREY WHO IS A CLIMATE ENVOY,
BUT WAS PART OF THEIR
FRIENDSHIP WHEN ALL OF THEM
WERE IN THE SENATE.
>> I WANT TO SWITCH GEARS.
NORTH KOREAN LEADER KIM JONG UN
IS EXPECTED TO TRAVEL TO RUSSIA
TO DISCUSS APPLYING PRESSURE
FOR WEAPONS FOR THE WAR IN
UKRAINE.
WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THAT
VISIT?
TRUE IT IS A CONCERN FOR THE
U.S. BECAUSE RUSSIA HAS LIMITED
PLACES THEY CAN GO TO TRY TO
LOOK FOR ADDITIONAL SUPPORT.
NORTH KOREA HAS BEEN SUCH A
STABLE -- ALL THE SITUATIONS.
THE PRESIDENT WAS ASKED ABOUT
THIS.
HE DID NOT DIRECTLY RESPOND.