European leaders are planning visits to Vietnam in coming months to strengthen ties with the Southeast Asian nation, officials said, amid tensions with Washington that could impact their exports to the United States. Former U.S. President Joe Biden pushed hard to boost U.S. influence in the former foe, considering the country a key partner in his strategy to contain China, but bilateral relations may weaken if his successor Donald Trump imposes duties on Hanoi, which is a potential target of his threatened reciprocal tariffs due to its large trade surplus. Amid this growing uncertainty, European countries are intensifying their contacts with Vietnam, with the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and France's President Emmanuel Macron both planning visits in the next months, European officials and diplomats said, noting the trips have long been planned and are not yet finalised.