Head of US marines says training missions with Vietnam a possibility

The head of the US marines has raised the prospect of future training missions in Vietnam - the latest sign of a deepening strategic relationship between Hanoi and Washington that is being closely watched in Beijing.

Marine Corps commandant General Jim Amos was quoted this week in the Marine Corps Times newspaper as saying that an upcoming bomb disposal effort in Vietnam could lead to the country being used for training.

"We are not training in Vietnam," Amos said of the deployment in July that will see US marines teach locals how to dispose of thousands of bombs left over from the Vietnam war.

"But I would hope that someday down the road, with relationships we build over the next year or two, that we'll be able to train in Vietnam, perhaps with air forces, and operate along with them."

Chinese officials have been eyeing warily the emerging relationship between the once bitter enemies, with incoming president Xi Jinping having warned Vietnamese officials about the relationship.

The military relationship has seen limited naval exercises, air force exchanges and visits by US naval vessels to the strategic Cam Ranh Bay for repairs. But weapons sales remain restricted, despite Vietnamese pressure, and diplomatic efforts to formalise a strategic partnership have stalled amid ongoing US concerns over human rights in the Communist Party-ruled state. Hanoi has jailed dozens of dissidents in recent weeks, despite releasing two others amid US protests.