(Adds Blinken quotes, embassy project worth)
By Humeyra Pamuk
HANOI, April 15 (Reuters) - Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday expressed a desire to deepen their ties as Washington seeks to solidify alliances to counter an increasingly assertive China.
In his first visit to the southeast Asian country as the top U.S. diplomat, Blinken met with top officials including Vietnamese General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. The main topic was the possibility to upgrade bilateral ties.
"For President Biden, for Washington, this is one of the most dynamic and one of the most important relationships we’ve had," Blinken said at a news conference capping a day of engagements in Hanoi. "It’s had a remarkable trajectory over the last couple of decades. Our conviction is that it can and will grow even stronger."
It remained unclear when an upgrade of formal ties could be agreed, but Blinken expressed hope it could happen "in the weeks and months ahead".
Before his meeting with Blinken, Chinh said both sides were looking to elevate ties "to a new height", following a phone call last month between President Joe Biden and the head of Vietnam's ruling Communist Party, Nguyen Phu Trong, a conversation he said yielded "great success".
The diplomatic anniversary and the Biden-Trong call could lead to a meeting between the two in July or other high-level meetings, analysts say, although it is unclear what exactly the upgraded ties would entail.
Blinken told reporters security was among the key components of the two countries' relations and noted this was growing, with Washington finalising the shipment of a third naval cutter to support Vietnam's coastguard.
Washington and U.S. defence firms have openly said they want to bolster their military supplies to Vietnam - so far largely limited to coastguard ships and training aircraft - as the country seeks to diversify away from Russia, which is currently its main supplier.
But military deals with the U.S. face many potential hurdles, as Washington's lawmakers might block arms sales over human rights issues. U.S. weapons are also expensive, risk triggering Chinese reactions, and may not easily be integrated with Vietnam's legacy weapons, analysts said.
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Blinken's visit was part of a wider U.S. strategy in southeast Asia to build a coalition to counter China and deter any potential action by Beijing against Taiwan. Many countries in the region are reluctant to antagonise their giant neighbour, which is not just a military power but also a key trading partner and source of investment.