A senior Vietnamese lawmaker says America's criticism of religious freedom in Vietnam is affecting relations between the two countries, but the problem can be overcome.
The United States this year designated Vietnam as one of the world's worst offenders on religious freedom.
The vice chairwoman of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs committee, Ton Nu Thi Ninh, says the designation is "an unfortunate development".
She says the US has based its decision on "slander or insufficient information" supplied by elements in Vietnam "who know how to pull the strings of the international community".
Ms Ninh made the comments during a tour of the US, where she is meeting with students, think-tanks, business leaders, journalists and Vietnamese Americans in an effort to promote US-Vietnamese dialogue.
Her visit comes amid ongoing deliberations in Washington over what sanctions Vietnam may face because of the US designation.
Vietnam has lodged an official protest with the US over the designation.