Boeing Co and Vietnam Airlines on Monday agreed to negotiate the sale of eight more 787-10 Dreamliners and eight 777-8X aircraft, a move hailed by U.S. and Vietnamese officials as a sign of strengthening trade ties between the two former enemies.

U.S. Deputy Commerce Secretary Bruce Andrews told Reuters the Boeing aircraft sales reflected "an important dimension of a growing relationship" and said both U.S. and Vietnamese officials were committed to further expanding trade.

Vietnam Airlines' Boeing 787-9 is seen making a near vertical takeoff in this still image taken from a Boeing video.

"There is a huge amount of opportunity for American companies in Viet Nam," Andrews said before a ceremony marking the signing of a memorandum about expanding business ties and Boeing's delivery of the first 787 to Vietnam Airlines.

Andrews said negotiators for the United States, Viet Nam and 10 other countries were working to ensure that the high-standard Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) opened key aerospace, manufacturing and other markets in Viet Nam to U.S. firms.

Vietnam Airlines Chairman Pham Viet Thanh said a striking video of a near-vertical takeoff by the company's first 787 had been viewed 12 million times on the Internet, and his company looked forward to expanding its business with Boeing.

(Source: tuoitrenews)