Vietnam Communist Party Chief Trong to Meet Obama in U.S. (Source: Bloomberg)

Thời gian sẽ trả lời câu nói "Đừng tin....." cũa ông Thiệu vẫn còn đúng hay sai:

1. "Chúng ta ( Mỹ và VN) hiểu rõ VN nằm vào vị trị chiến lược của vùng Đông Á. Tôi (NP Trọng) hy vọng Hoa Kỳ sẽ tiếp tục dùng giọng điệu và hành động thích hợp đễ mang đến đồng thuận hòa bình trong sự tranh chấp ở Biển Đông so cho phù hợp với công pháp quốc tế"

2. "Chúng ta đồng hiễu rõ VN như là một nước đang phát triển và khả năng kinh tế nằm dưới so với các thành viên của TPP; do đó, VN cần những nổ lực cải tiến về hệ thống pháp luật, chính sách đầu tư, để tạo môi trường thương mại phù hợp cho đầu tư ngoại quốc"


The head of Vietnam’s Communist Party will meet President Barack Obama in the coming week, the first party chief to visit the U.S. as the two countries seek closer ties 40 years after they fought a war.

Obama will welcome Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on July 7, the White House said in an e-mailed statement Friday. While Trong holds no government rank, he’s deemed to be the state leader under the constitution.

Obama’s meeting with Trong is a break with protocol, said Alexander Vuving, a security analyst at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Hawaii. The visit underscores the converging interests of the two countries at a time of China’s assertiveness over a territorial dispute with Vietnam in the South China Sea, and reflects a gradual shift in strategy among Vietnam’s Communist elite.

Trong, 71, said in written answers to questions from Bloomberg that Vietnam would prioritize ties with the U.S. “as one of the most important partners in our foreign policy.” Economic and security links have grown even as the U.S. continues to press Vietnam to improve its record on human rights.

“I do hope this is a chance for our two sides to have an open and frank discussion on issues where differences still exist,” Trong said. “This would enhance mutual understanding, narrow the differences and gradually build up trust between us to add more substance and efficiency to long-term relations between our two countries.”

Trade, Taxation

Trong said he will use his U.S. trip to discuss issues including the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact, security cooperation and climate change. Obama will discuss ways to strengthen the U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership, in addition to talking about the trade accord, human rights and bilateral defense cooperation, the White House said.

Trong will meet Obama on Tuesday and will also talk with Cabinet officials, members of Congress, business leaders and nongovernmental groups, according to U.S. officials. On Thursday, July 9, he’s due to travel to New York for two days.

The visit may produce accords on avoiding double taxation, a health initiative and several business deals, and potentially set the stage for Obama to visit Vietnam later this year, said a State Department official who asked not to be named in accordance with policy.

Trong may press the U.S. to fully lift its ban on selling lethal weapons, the official said. That’s not going to happen soon, the official said, as the U.S. first wants to see Vietnam make more progress on human rights and further development of military-to-military ties.

Alignment of Interests

Bilateral trade between the countries soared to $36 billion last year from $451 million in 1995, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The countries are cooperating more on the strategic front: The U.S. is providing Vietnam with six patrol boats, part of an $18 million military aid package.

Last year the U.S. partially lifted a ban on the sale of weapons to Vietnam, allowing transfers of nonlethal arms. Trong said the fact the U.S. is “working to fully remove the ban in the future is a strong testimony of our mutual trust.”

The interests of the U.S. and Vietnam became more aligned when China placed an oil rig in waters near the contested Paracel Islands last year, triggering clashes between boats and anti-Chinese riots in Vietnam. Tensions have also risen over China’s reclamation of reefs in the South China Sea, even as its Communist neighbor remains by far Vietnam’s largest trading partner.

China

“They have to reach out to the U.S.,” Vuving said by phone, speaking of Vietnam. “They need to do something to strengthen Vietnam’s capability to stand up to China. It has reached a tipping point.”

Trong said Vietnam “appreciates” statements from the U.S. supporting a peaceful approach to settling disputes between claimant states to the South China Sea, through which some of the world’s busiest shipping lanes run.

“We are all aware of the strategic location of the East Sea,” he said, using Vietnam’s term for the South China Sea. “I hope that the U.S. will continue to have appropriate voice and actions to contribute to peaceful settlement of disputes in the East Sea in accordance with international law.”
Trong is viewed as friendlier toward China than the U.S., and thus his visit to the U.S. is even more significant, Le Dang Doanh, an economist and former government adviser in Hanoi, said by phone. While Vietnamese leaders have increased their meetings with U.S. officials, they also often visit China.

Human Rights

“People can change to suit new situations,” Doanh said. “We should see more progress in the cooperation between Vietnam and the U.S., and that will be good for both sides.”

The countries are willing to navigate differences on issues such as human rights for the sake of stronger ties, Vuving said
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Vietnam held about 125 political prisoners at the end of 2014, fewer than in previous years, in part because of a drop in convictions, according to the U.S. State Department.

Trong’s visit comes as parties to the U.S.-led Pacific trade pact seek to renew momentum for a deal. Asian governments have welcomed the U.S. Senate’s passage of legislation granting Obama fast-track trade-negotiating authority.

Vietnam and other countries are working to conclude talks on the TPP at the earliest possible time, Trong said.

“We are aware that as a developing country with a lower level of development compared to other partner countries in the TPP, Vietnam needs to make greater efforts to improve the legal system, investment policies and procedures in order to create a business environment more conducive to foreign investment,” he said.