Obama in Vietnam says freedom of navigation important

HANOI (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama said during a visit to Vietnam on Monday it was important to maintain freedom of navigation in Asia and disputes over the South China Sea should be resolved peacefully, not by whoever "throws weight around". He was speaking after announcing that Washington would completely lift its ban on the sale of lethal weapons to Vietnam, its former war enemy. Without mentioning China, he said the advance in relations between the United States and Vietnam reflected "common concerns about sovereignty and independence". (Writing by John Chalmers; Editing by Robert Birsel)