Paris Peace Accords 23 Oct. 1991

Monday, June 5, 2017

[Vietnamization] Vietnam’s White House lobbying coup [otherwise, very uncharacteristically quiet from Vietnam on Cambodia in recent days]

US President Donald Trump welcomes Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the White House. Reuters

Vietnam’s White House lobbying coup

Khmer Times | 5 June 2017

HANOI (Reuters)  When Vietnam’s prime minister sat down with President Donald Trump at the White House last week, it reflected a concerted Vietnamese lobbying effort unmatched by most Asian peers.

It also underlined the strategic importance the one-time enemy has secured under Mr Trump in the face of China’s increasing regional weight and despite a growing surplus that frustrates US trade hawks.

Among Asian leaders, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s reception followed only those for his Japanese and Chinese counterparts.

Fearful it would lose security and business gains made under the Obama administration, Vietnam’s lobbying began as soon as Mr Trump was elected.

“We were already calculating options,” said Tran Viet Thai, vice head of the communist state's Institute for Foreign Policy and Strategic Studies, Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam.

Vietnam got a call set up between Mr Phuc and Mr Trump more than a month before he took office.

Helping to spearhead contacts was Vietnam’s ambassador in Washington, Pham Quang Vinh, a veteran of successful efforts under the Obama administration to lift an embargo on arms sales. Mr Pham was also instrumental in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade pact, which Mr Trump ditched – to Vietnam’s consternation.

Unlike most Southeast Asian countries, Vietnam retains a Washington lobbying firm – the Podesta Group – which it pays $30,000 a month, according to Justice Department documents.

Both the foreign minister and deputy foreign minister made trips to Washington. Also pressed into service were friends in congress, academics and both US and Vietnamese businesses, according to diplomats and researchers.


Vietnam’s message was taken to the National Security Council, specifically to Matt Pottinger, senior director for East Asia, and to Vice President Mike Pence’s office as well as Defense and State Departments.

Having a career US ambassador in Hanoi helped. Vietnamese-speaking Ted Osius was not among political appointees swept out by Mr Trump.

Vietnam sought multiple routes to Mr Trump.

“They really ‘flooded the zone’ and comprehensively improved the relationship,” said Carl Thayer, of Australia’s Defence Force Academy. “The devil will be in the details, but at this point it does seem to be a success as a piece of pro-active diplomacy from Hanoi.”

There were broad smiles at the White House, where Mr Trump appeared more at ease with Mr Phuc, a business-minded communist bureaucrat, than Western leaders who bridle at his “America First” policies.

China is always near the top of Vietnam’s concerns, although it tries to avoid alienating its neighbour.

The joint statement with Mr Trump was just as supportive for Vietnam as one last year –particularly on the South China Sea, where Vietnam is the most vocal opponent of Chinese claims.

In fact, there was more: a possible US carrier visit, acquisition of US defence equipment and both naval and intelligence cooperation.

Mr Trump is due in Vietnam in November for the meeting of countries in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation group.

The problem for Mr Trump is the trade deficit – the United States’ sixth biggest last year at $32 billion. In the first four months of 2017, Vietnam’s US exports grew over $400 million more than US imports did.

16 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:03 AM

    Vietnam signed 17 billions worth to deals to buy American product/technology. America will import more stuffs from Vietnam, Vietnam will have more money to buy more American products.

    That's how Vietnam become more technological capable and more powerful. Cambodia will be left in the dust.

    Cambodia must bow down to America now. Stop being treacherous ganging up with China. President Trump will deport a lot more Cambodians back to Cambodia.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous2:52 PM

      9:03 AM

      Cambodia could be equal or even better than Vietnam, had
      evil expansionist Yuon not always interfered, intervened and
      installed their third-hands in the Khmer nation.

      Evil expansionist Yuon continuously and systematically are
      destroying and, on a daily basis keeping the Khmer people
      preoccupied with Yuon-created problems.
      Therefore, the Khmer people's utmost and extremely urgent
      mission is to get rid of ALL Yuon's third-hands, prioritizing
      before anything else !!! ✊️⚔️☠️

      Delete
    2. Anonymous12:36 AM

      @2:52 PM

      'Therefore, the Khmer people's utmost and extremely urgent
      mission is to get rid of ALL Yuon's third-hands, prioritizing
      before anything else !!! ✊️⚔️☠️'

      Nice speaking. So what are you going to do?

      Delete
    3. Anonymous10:43 AM

      12:36 AM

      Are YOU stupid ?
      We are voting your Samdach Ach Koar out.
      The preliminary Commune vote results are :

      The CNRP 3,100,000 votes
      The CPP 3,300,000
      even before the votes recounting in at least 20 to 30 polling stations.
      and after the threats by Yuon's Warlord Hun Sen and his mercenaries
      military Generals.

      With the votes this close, the winner of next year general election will
      be the CNRP.
      And when the CNRP forms its government, you know who are going to
      be worried, right ???

      Delete
  2. Anonymous9:15 AM

    Anonymous9:03 AM is a Vietnamese dog eater named Drgunzet.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous9:53 AM

    Vietnamese government's budget last year was 58 billion USD. Cambodian government's budget was only 3.5 billion.

    Of meager 3.5 billion USD budget, Cambodia spent .5 billion on military expenditure. The education budget was a paltry amount of 200-300 million USD or so. No wonder the Cambodian students are performing so poorly.

    Yet Kem Sokha was promising this year to give each communes 500,000 USD for local funding. There are 1,600 communes. So the total would be 800 million USD dollars.

    How would he fund such promise? What a lie!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous12:55 PM

    Anonymous9:53 AM is a Vietnamese dog eater here again named Drgunzet. This poster Drgunzet is bragging too much about evil Vietnam and Vietnamese folks (who are the land thieves and invaders). Vietnam is a combination of three parts, Northern Vietcong is belonged to China, Central Vietcong is belonged to Champa (where all Cham people were wiped out - how cruel and terrified the Vietnamese folks are today and they are real wild animals, very dangerous, especially, the Vietnamese female prostitutes committed crimes to poison anyone to steal land, money, properties, etc) and finally Southern Vietcong is belonged to Cambodia/Khmer (where 18 millions of Khmer/Cambodia people living there - what happened to those Cambodian people living in the Southern Vietcong today. Evil Vietcong/Yuon folks and government lied that only 1 millions of Cambodians or less living in Southern Vietcong. We know that Vietnamese folks and government killed millions of Cambodian people like Cham people). Vietnamese/Yuon folks like the poster @Anonymous9:53 AM (Drgunzet) are so cruel and disgusted today. Now, they tried to fool Mr. President Donald Trump who does not know what has been going on about evil Vietnamese master-minded killers in Hanoi and folks like Drgunzet. Mr. President Trump will find out later about evil Vietnamese leaders like an asshole Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited the U.S. to see Mr. President Trump to exchanged the military weapons to be used to kill Cambodian people by borrowing the third hands of Hun Sen (a Vietnamese puppet). The world should know about the evil Vietnamese leaders in Hanoi. They bragged about the winning war against the American by using China and Russian (Soviet Union) to defeat American and betrayed Pol Pot and Cambodian King Sihanouk helped evil Yuon/Vietcong to fight Americans to win over American war against Communist Vietcong/Yuon. The U.S. almost sent the nuclear to the city of Hanoi to stop evil Vietcong, but Vietcong/Yuon people were lucky that the the U.S. did not drop the Nuclear bombs over Hanoi.

    Vietnamese dog eaters like Drgunzet and Hanoi leaders are very stupid thinkers to these days.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous2:28 PM

      Very typical strategy my friend

      Anti-Vietnamese fascist like CNRP constantly bring up the story about Vietnam once belonged to X, Y and Z then claim Vietnamese is evil. What evil may I ask? Trying to live and fight back invaders mean evil!? Criticize Vietnamese's expansion? Ha, try to look at yourself, didn't Khmer Empire was also built with the force of arms?

      Anti-Vietnamese fascist like CNRP for decades also blabbing about huge number of Khmer living in South Vietnam and huge number of Vietnamese living in Cambodia. Yet they were never ever be able to back their blatant and foolish claim with any sources. Surprisingly some people still believe it.

      'Vietnamese dog eaters like Drgunzet and Hanoi leaders are very stupid thinkers to these days.'

      Oh you claim they're stupid thinkers yet right above you claimed those same people managed to 'fools US's president Trump', manipulate Cambodia, using China and SOV to beat USA, stopping Cambodia genocides and such... lol it's seem they're not that stupid in my opinion.

      And how about you yourself mister? Did you ever done anything

      Delete
    2. Anonymous3:55 PM

      Anonymous2:28 PM, you are bragging too much about the land stolen from Cambodia, China and Champa, you idiot. Go back to do search again. You and your Vietnamese folks are of courses thinking stupid like brainwashed. You should think twice before we posted your comments on blog for everyone read world. So, don't spam or tell the lies, but just tell the truth. Everyone in the world knows that. We know you are Drguznet.

      John

      Delete
    3. Anonymous3:57 PM

      John,
      You are right. Vietcong folks and Drgunzet are stupid and brainwashed thinkers.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous4:03 PM

      LOL, wow, Drgunzet is good at writing to tell the lies and being so hypocrite. This guy Drgunzet will talk like a dog with a tail between two legs while anyone wants to debate this Vietnamese guy Drgunzet. Let's him brag whatever this guy wants. We learn so much about what this brainwashed Vietnamese guy Drgunzet talking nonsense with a good English, bullshitting, and on and on about Vietnamese and Vietnam (or Yuon).

      Delete
  5. Anonymous12:44 PM

    Stolen land? So infantile.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous3:15 PM

    Yes, Vietnamese dog eater Drgunzet. Vietnam country is a stolen land coming from three parts, China, Cambodia/Khmer and Champ.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous12:34 AM

    @3:15 PM

    Oh really? Then may I say Cambodia country is a stolen land coming from Vietnam, Champa, Laos and Thailand? And what's the problem with it anyway? Throughout the history of mankind civilization rise and fall continuously.

    And USA is a stolen land coming from Native American right?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:49 AM

      12:34 AM

      I agree with Khmer Yeurng and John.
      Yuon troll GookGunzet barks fake news !!!

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:02 AM

      A good question.

      Delete