Vietnam arrested a trade reformer. Why this is worrisome.

President Biden and Vietnam’s Communist Party leader, Nguyen Phu Trong, elevated the relationship between former enemies on Sept. 10 to a “comprehensive strategic partnership,” which Mr. Biden sees as a counterweight to China. In the aftermath, Vietnam is pressing the United States to overturn its 2002 designation of Vietnam as a nonmarket economy under trade law. The designation results in higher tariffs on some Vietnamese products, and now the United States’ 10th largest trading partner, Vietnam wants to be rid of that burden.