US Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday defended the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) that US President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to do away with.

Speaking to students in Vietnam, Kerry said he could not predict whether the trade pact would survive. He, however, stressed that United States commitment and interests in the region remain unchanged.

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He stressed his belief in the trade deal, adding that the United States would not be able to grow if it were not able to sell goods to the rest of the world.

"It's no secret that the future of the Trans-Pacific Partnership in itself is uncertain. So I cannot predict what the new American administration is absolutely going to do with respect to trade, but I can tell you that the reasons for the TPP have not changed," Kerry told students at the University of Technology and Education in the southern Vietnamese city of Ho Chi Minh.

Kerry said that a change of American administration in Washington is not going to alter or fundamentally undermine the United State's commitment to the prosperity, stability, and security of the Asia-Pacific.

"Our friendship doesn't depend on individuals or personalities," Kerry stressed.

Kerry also praised the good relations between Vietnam and the United States, pointing out that two-way trade has increased from less than $500 million to more than $45 billion in the 20 years since US-China ties were normalized.

This was his last official trip as an official US diplomat.

US President Barack Obama has made Vietnam the center of his swing towards Asia. Vietnam has benefited immensely after a decades-long embargo was lifted.

Japan and other countries wanted to use the TPP as a means to establish a counter-balance to China's efforts to increase its sphere of economic and political influence in the region.

Trump is however opposed to the deal, saying that it does not fairly address the interests of the United States.

TagsJohn Kerry, Vietnam, Trans-Pacific Partnership