Posted on 06/21/2005 10:08:38 AM PDT by Pyro7480
Bush supports Vietnam in WTO
By Tabassum Zakaria
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush told Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai on Tuesday that he supports Vietnam's bid to join the World Trade Organization, in the first visit by the Vietnamese leader since the war.
Bush also said he would visit Vietnam in 2006, the year it plays host to the annual summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
"We talked about our desire for Vietnam to join the WTO," Bush told reporters in an Oval Office picture-taking session after their talks.
Vietnam has set a goal of joining the WTO at the trade organization's next ministerial meeting in December in Hong Kong. The U.S. Congress would have to vote on any deal to allow Vietnam to join the WTO, as it did with China in 2000.
Khai said his visit "shows that Vietnam-U.S. relations have in fact entered a new stage of development."
Chanting "VC (Viet Cong) go home" and "No money for Communists," about 100 Vietnamese exiles and a few American war veterans staged a raucous protest on Pennsylvania Avenue outside the White House and could be heard in the Rose Garden as Bush met Khai.
As they flew the yellow and red-striped flag of former South Vietnam, they burned a Vietnam flag and hung a life-sized mannequin of communist revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh in effigy.
Bush and Khai had been expected to address U.S. concerns about human rights and religious freedom in Vietnam.
Bush made no mention of it in his Oval Office statement, except to note that "we signed a landmark agreement that will make it easier for people to worship freely in Vietnam." He gave no details.
Khai said he and Bush agreed that "there remain differences between our two countries due to the different conditions that we have, the different histories and cultures, but we also agreed that we should work together through a constructive dialogue based upon mutual respect to reduce those difficulties."
MISSING AMERICANS
In the first visit by the leader of communist Vietnam to the United States since the Vietnam War, Bush and Khai also talked about efforts to account for Americans missing from the war. The two countries resumed ties a decade ago.
Bush said Khai told him his government was willing to find the remains of missing Americans, an issue of interest to many U.S. lawmakers.
"I remain deeply concerned that the government of Vietnam could be more forthcoming and transparent in providing the fullest accounting," Rep. Christopher Smith, a New Jersey Republican on the House International Relations Committee, said in a statement for a congressional hearing on Monday.
Since the United States and Vietnam restored diplomatic ties, two-way trade has risen to $6.4 billion in 2004 from $451 million in 1995. After a bilateral trade pact in 2001, the United States has emerged as Vietnam's key commercial partner.
Khai planned to meet Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to discuss improving security ties. Military relations have advanced cautiously but steadily in the past decade.
Khai told the Washington Post in an interview before leaving Hanoi that the two countries will announce Vietnam's modest new participation in the Pentagon's International Military Education and Training (IMET) program.
IMET provides funds for foreign military officers to attend senior defense colleges in America and to send U.S. training teams to other countries to provide guidance in military resources management and civilian-military affairs.
(Additional reporting by Steve Holland, Charles Aldinger and Paul Eckert)
Well, soon once again there will be American warships in Viet Nam. Just down the coast from China.
Yep... Better get all of the allies you can..
You think so?
I'm sure the National Guard/Vietnam jokes will just write themselves...
Well I hope while W was rubbing elbows with the Vietnamese Commie he DEMANDED an accounting of ALL American POW's & MIA's BEFORE he visits Viet Nam!!!
THIRTY YEARS IS LONG ENOUGH!
Semper Fi,
Kelly
Yes.
Bush has never met a communist he didn't like. We have never had a president so eager to destroy capitalism in the name of globalization.
the vietnamese and the Chinese fought a short war in the late 70's I believe.
they aren't exactly friends let's say...
amen... bro
The Chinese are squirming in their seats at the sight of their once stalwart ally Vietnam cozying up to us. Not only is this a potential military problem for China, but also an economic one. Just as China has become our primary manufacturer of imported goods, Vietnam could easily take away some of that business due to their incredibly low labor costs. Vietnam's manufacturing ability is 10-20 years behind China (perfect for textiles and clothing), just where China was positioned years ago when they started to take business away from Korea and Japan.
True, but China was a main weapons and military training source for N. Vietnam during the Vietnam war. They're enemies, until one of them is facing down a Western nation, then they're close allies.
Vietnam was never their ally. China even invaded Vietnam in the 1970s. They, the Phillipines and China have also been arguing over some oil rich islands.
Actually, the Soviets were and Vietnam was a Soviet ally vs China in that region.
An excellent point.
He tried to volunteer to go to Vietnam.
"I'm sure the National Guard/Vietnam jokes will just write themselves..."
Already have a guy in my office (liberal) giving me the 35 years to late business. And as I am typning this he is saying over the cube that in the long run pulling out of Vietnam didn't hurt us and we should do same in Iraq.
Excuse me while I go kick my coworker in the nuts
At first blush I felt as you do about this. However, I kinda think opening relations benefits the goal of a full accounting (We have had teams working there over the years anyway, buddy of mine in USAF made several trips there working MIA/POW issues).
I also think it will make China nervous, and anything that makes China nervous is a good thing. I guess I am torn on the issue, maybe it can heal some of the wounds my older brothers in arms suffered there. Who knows.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.