ISTANBUL

As President Joe Biden prepares to visit Vietnam, China has called on the US to “abandon Cold War mentality."

“We believe that when dealing with relations with Asian countries, the US should abandon the Cold War mentality of a zero-sum game,” said Mao Ning, spokeswoman of China’s Foreign Ministry.

Beijing said Washington, which seeks to counter its influence in the region, should “abide by basic norms of international relations, not target third parties and not undermine regional peace, stability, development and prosperity."

The US president is flying to Hanoi on Sunday, from New Delhi where he will attend the G-20 summit.

In Hanoi, Biden will meet head of the ruling Communist Party Nguyen Phu Trong and other leaders “to discuss ways to further deepen cooperation between the United States and Vietnam,” according to the White House.

“The leaders will explore opportunities to promote the growth of a technology-focused and innovation-driven Vietnamese economy, expand our people-to-people ties through education exchanges and workforce development programs, combat climate change, and increase peace, prosperity, and stability in the region.”