Vietnam-China relations through the eye of a senior diplomat
What do you think about the US’ involvement in this region? For example, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton was present at the East Asia Summit 2010 in Hanoi, but President Barrack Obama participated in the East Asia Summit 2011 in Indonesia and made strong statements about the role and the involvement of the US in ensuring regional security.
The US’ involvement in the Asia-Pacific region is not new. However, the position of this region emerged in late 20th century and it is more outstanding at present.
Why?
Firstly, the global economy has experienced a difficult period of time but this region has still maintained stable growth rate, though it is a little down.
Secondly, the newly-emerged economies are located in this region. In the 1980s-1990s, there were Asian “dragons” and “tigers” such as South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia or Thailand, especially China. Now the region has India or Indonesia, which is in the Group 20. Vietnam is also considered a potential economy.
Thirdly, many powerful countries focus on this region, including the US, China, Japan, Russia and India. When big countries group up in this region, it becomes significant. That’s geopolitics.
Regards to geo-economics, this is the crossroad of international transport routes, through Malacca strait. In the current situation, materials and energy have become very important.
Now people emphasize the return of the US but actually, America has never left this region. It is not by chance that the US has conducted three wars here: the Pacific War, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
But the US neglected this region for a time…
Because they got stuck in other things, they failed in Vietnam, so they had to withdraw and then they got bogged down in the Middle East in a long time. Changes in Europe also drew this country’s attention. We can describe this as “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.”
Now the situation has changed. China is emerging as a power which can compete with the US. Therefore, they have to gradually withdraw from other places to focus on Asia-Pacific.
The new aspect here is their emphasis in this region, not beginning to focus on this region.
What is the difference between their presences here in the past and at present?
In the past, the US’ presence was broader. Two big wars were carried out here, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Many military bases were built in Japan, South Korea, Thailand, the Philippines, etc. The US’ 7th Fleet also operated here.
After the Vietnam War, the US’ presence in the Asia-Pacific has reduced a lot. So I want to emphasize that their current return has not reached the level in the past.
But there is a new thing: their involvement in this region is not only by military, but by politic and economic relations, for instance, the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement (TPP) is an initiative in the US’ return strategy.
Briefly, the current involvement is more comprehensive.
How about their way of approach? Is their behavior to this region different, with more respect?
For example, Senator Jim Webb, Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs, after visiting five Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam, in August 2009, said that each Southeast Asian country has their own history and they also have their own history in the relations with the US. The goal of his visit is to listen to viewpoints of officials of Southeast Asian countries.
In the past, Vietnam was separated but it is now an united country. State members of ASEAN were weak in the past but they are strong now. Or China was weak and tormented by internal instabilities but it now ranks second in the world for economic potential.
Southeast Asian countries have higher positions while the US faces more difficulties. After the former USSR collapsed, they believed to lay down the law but they could maintain that position for a short period of time. The US currently has to seek multilateral way of approach. For example, they had to sign the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) with ASEAN or join the East Asia Summit (EAS).
Their position and their power have changed so their attitude is different.
Whether the change of the US’ attitude and approach to this region has influenced Vietnam’s attitude and approach towards the US?
The US was Vietnam’s enemy in the past. Though there is still difference but it is still a partner of Vietnam.
Vietnam’s position and power are also different now. In the past, Vietnam was isolated but now we are respected everywhere.
Thus, the attitude and the way of approach to each others of the both sides are different.
What do you think about the strategic partnership that the two countries are looking for?
Through the media I know that the two sides are still in discussion but I have to say that the mutual relations have made great progress compared with the time that I worked at the Foreign Ministry. From nothing with trade, the US is now Vietnam’s biggest market. Before the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) was signed, Vietnam’s textile-garment export revenue from the US was only $50 million but the figure is now $6-7 billion, creating many jobs.
In the past, there were no high-ranking meetings. I was the first Vietnamese official who paid a visit to the White House (in July 2000), but after that many high-ranking officials of Vietnam were there.
Previously, who could imagine that the US President would visit Vietnam but Bill Clinton and George Bush did visit Vietnam. American Secretaries of State all went to Vietnam.
The two sides have had dialogues on strategy and security-defense ties.
Former Deputy Foreign Minister Le Van Bang said that American Ambassador David Shear told him that the story between the US and Vietnam now is not about catfish, but strategy.
Though the two countries have to establish the strategic relations but the two sides’ exchange of opinions has many strategic issues. But I think that the scope, the level and the nature of the Vietnam-US ties cannot compare to those of the Sino-US relations.
I heard that after the two Congresses approved the BTA in late 2001, Deputy PM Nguyen Tan Dung went to the US to exchange the approval letter. In his talk with National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice, Dung mentioned the basa catfish anti-dumping lawsuit in the US while Rice only wanted to talk about strategy, regional and global issues.
After ten year, the story is completely different, isn’t it?
In the past, we only discussed bilateral issues, mainly economics and then politics and security… And then from bilateral issues, we have discussed multilateral, regional and global issues.
It is similar as “escalation” in the wartime but this is “peaceful escalation,” meaning going from low to high, from narrow to wide level. But for the countries which were enemies in the past, changing relations is a very long and hard process.
Even the US has their own issue. When Secretary of State Hilary Clinton went to Vietnam, she mentioned the human right issue.
In fact, Clinton is under the US Congress’ pressure in raising the flag of human rights in the relations with other countries. Therefore, thoroughly understanding the US’ internal politics to avoid having preconception against someone is necessary?
Many people do not understand American institution. Their institution is different from ours. It is unsuitable to apply our institution to evaluate them and vice versa.
I think the most important thing is mutual understanding. If you talk to someone, you have to know who they are, how they are, how their family is, etc.
I’ve just talked with American Ambassador to Vietnam David Shear. When I asked him about the difference between Asian and Western people, he said that instead of difference in lifestyle and thought, there are still common things very deep inside for the two to talk about. He added that if the two sides want to understand each other and try to do that, they would surely understand. Do you agree?
Simply, the American like Gin, the British like Whisky, the French like Cognac while the Vietnamese like rice wine.
They are different but they are all alcohol and everyone likes drinking alcohol.
The common value is general but the character is different.
Huynh Phan
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