Posted on 06/20/2005 4:19:43 PM PDT by anniegetyourgun
SEATTLE (Reuters) - Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai pledged to combat software piracy as he met with Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates on Monday during the first visit to the United States by the leader of the Communist nation since the Vietnam war. Khai signed two agreements committing Vietnam to work with Microsoft in curbing theft of intellectual property rights and removing licensing barriers for used computers donated to schools, said Microsoft spokeswoman Tami Begasse.
Vietnam, where Microsoft employs 10 people, had a software piracy rate of 92 percent in 2004, highest in the world, according to the Business Software Alliance, a Washington-based lobby group.
Khai's stop in Seattle is the first in a four-city tour that culminates on Tuesday with a meeting with President Bush in Washington. Khai is expected to push to accelerate negotiations for Vietnam's membership to the World Trade Organization by the end of the year.
Hundreds of demonstrators rallied in Seattle against Khai's visit Sunday to register protest about what they said was Vietnam's poor human rights record. Vietnamese exiles, religious activists and ethnic minority opponents of Hanoi also plan rallies in Washington.
Microsoft spokeswoman Begasse said there were no protests at the software maker's campus.
Khai, the first Vietnamese leader to visit the United States since the end of the war 30 years ago, will also travel to Boston and New York as part of the trip to boost commercial and diplomatic ties.
The trip coincides with the 10th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties frozen after the end of "The American War," as it is known to Vietnamese.
Vietnam is also expected to sign a contract to buy four Boeing 787 "Dreamliner" planes, worth around $500 million, during Khai's visit.
Despite growing commercial ties, differences remain between the two nations, in particular over U.S. criticism of Vietnam's record on human rights and religious freedom, and Washington's refusal to compensate the thousands of Vietnamese victims of wartime chemical weapons such as Agent Orange.
Maybe while little Billy is rubbing elbows with the Vietnamese Commies he can get an accounting of the thousands of American POW's & MIA's.
Ford Motor Company certainly hasn't done anything about it since they've been profiting over there.
Semper Fi,
Kelly
These High Tech CEOs just love to hang out with Commies. Just like Armand Hammer.
After little Billy buys the country we can find our fallen warriors.
LVM
Herro, you stupid round eye. gimme you money, now go home or we unreash our war machine on you again.
Ford aint the only ones making money there...
Nike, Adidas, Puma..etc...
Am I the only one hoping this slimy Cong will get killed over here? Then we can make the VC spend thirty years looking for the body.
Retired USAF.
My big brother spent two tours, Army, over yonder.......part of him is still over there.
LVM
Dubya's on CNN right now, sucking up to the pinko.
Wants them to join the WTO.
I guess Chicom slave labor isn't cheap enough for WalMart.
"These High Tech CEOs just love to hang out with Commies."
So does Bush. The dood arrived at the Whitehouse today.
Pou Chen Group, aka Global Brands...
They are a Taiwan based company, a lot of the products we buy here in North America are made by them..
Nike, Adidas, Timberlands, Converse, Reebok, Polo, Champion, Lockport, Columbia, Wilson, Beaverton, ASICS Tiger, New Balance, Coleman Footwear, Hush Puppy...
A LOT of the shoes we all buy here in North America are made in Vietnam and Asia...
PCG is heavilly invested in or manufactures products for; PCChips
Amptron
Protac
Aristo
Minstaple
Eurone
Matsonic
ECS
Syntax
Shuttle
Several CRT & LCD manufacturers
Steel industry
NESO technology
TDV Vision Inc
Chi Mei Optoelectronics Corp
K-Bridge Electronic Co
TECO
Gigabyte
AMW-branded PC (Amphion Media Works)
And a whole lot more...
and as I posted on another thread, I hope that W DEMANDS an accounting of ALL the American POW's & MIA's BEFORE he visits Viet Nam next year!
THIRY YEARS IS LONG ENOUGH!
Semper Fi,
Kelly
Back 35 - 40 years ago, we didn't have the will to knock the Commies down in 'nam. We backed out, tail between our legs. And now, we kow tow to them and kiss their butts. I think I'm gonna puke!
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