Analysts believe Vietnamese Communist Party chief ­Nguyen Phu Trong's meeting with US President Barack Obama is a breakthrough for Vietnam-US bilateral relations and could be seen as a move to further ­suppress China.

Trong, first general-secretary of the Vietnamese Communist Party to visit the United States, is on a five-day visit starting Tuesday.

He was also given a rare Oval Office meeting at the White House with Obama.

During the meeting, Trong invited Obama to visit Vietnam and the US president said he would make the trip "sometime in the future."

Vietnam and the US have reached agreements on trade cooperation and national defense cooperation and have discussed issues related to the South China Sea region during the two sides' White House talks.

Gu Xiaosong, an expert on Southeast Asian studies at the Guangxi Academy of Social ­Sciences, told the Global Times Wednesday that the visit is a breakthrough.

Since the US is Vietnam's biggest trade partner, it is ­understandable to see the two sides to strengthen ­bilateral trade ties, while through ­enhancing maritime defense cooperation, it could suppress China in the South China Sea disputes, Gu believed.

"Vietnam has been developing ties with China and now it is trying to strengthen its ties with the US, which is an act to try to balance relation and strive to get the biggest advantages from it," he said.

The visit took place after the 40-year anniversary of the ­liberation of Saigon during the Vietnam War and 20th ­anniversary of the restoration of diplomatic ties between the former enemies. 

The White House called the meeting "historic" and "remarkable progress."

Zhuang Guotu, head of the Center of Southeast Asian Studies at Xiamen University, told the Global Times ­Wednesday that the ­fundamental ­reason for the two to cooperate is to ­suppress China in the Asia-Pacific region because of the weakening of US power in the region, and the South ­China Sea disputes has ­provided a platform.

However, he doubted the relationship between Vietnam and the US could further develop because of disagreement over issues such as human rights in Vietnam.

He also noted that by strengthening trade cooperation with Vietnam including the "One Belt, One Road" initiative, China could expand its friendly cooperation with its neighbor.