Is Vietnam replacing Thailand as America's main partner in mainland SE Asia

[dozer]

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha denied the submarine deal was another bid to curry favor with China, the region's rising power. "There is no need for that," he said. "We have a good relationship with China already. Every country is good to us, except those who are still stuck on the word 'democracy.'" (Associated Press)

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http://thediplomat.com/2015/07/biden-la ... ric-visit/

U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden lauded the future promise of U.S.-Vietnam relations earlier today after participating in the first ever meeting between U.S. President Barack Obama and General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong as both countries celebrate the 20th anniversary of the normalization of ties.

Biden, who called for an end to the Vietnam War when he was first elected as a senator in 1972, said it was remarkable that he was standing with the general secretary celebrating the 20th anniversary “with nothing but promise on the horizon” for bilateral ties. For all the progress that had been achieved thus far, he said that both Obama and himself viewed this as just the beginning of a relationship.

“As remarkable as the past two decades have been, I believe, and more importantly, the president believes, that our relationship is just getting started,” Biden said in lunch remarks in honor of Trong.

Earlier, before their White House meeting, Obama had said that his interaction with Trong had provided a good opportunity for both sides to lay out the future vision for their comprehensive partnership which they signed back in 2013.

In an indicator of this future promise, the United States and Vietnam inked several agreements to boost their bilateral relationship further still. They reached memorandums of understanding (MoUs) on the prevention, early detection and response to dangerous pathogens and the exchange visits of defense and military delegations on peacekeeping operations. Both sides also agreed on a double taxation avoidance agreement and a grant to promote aviation safety. Separately, Biden also announced that the government of Vietnam will grant a license to allow a new Fulbright University of Vietnam to begin construction and investment process at a fifteen hectare site in the Saigon Hi-Tech Park.

Other commercial deals are expected to be signed tomorrow in an event hosted by the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Biden also noted the burgeoning partnership between Boeing and Vietnam Airlines, which took center stage yesterday when the very first Boeing 787 Dreamliner – one of 19 new aircraft to be delivered – was unveiled to Trong at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. More deliveries are also in the works.

Looking ahead, the main goal for both sides in 2015, Biden said, should be to focus on strengthening their economic relationship. This includes working to ensure the full implementation of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a twelve-member, U.S.-led free trade agreement.

“There’s more work to do. But after five years of negotiations, we’re hopeful that we’ll be able to achieve this goal in the coming weeks,” Biden said.

Beyond this, Biden said cooperation between the two nations will continue to grow in diverse areas including defense, maritime security, civil nuclear programs, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, climate change, sustainable development and clean energy in the Mekong region. Both countries would also continue to work together in the Asia-Pacific as the U.S. rebalances to a region where they have several converging interests, including regional peace and stability and the prosperity of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

While acknowledging remaining war legacy issues, the different political systems of both sides and outstanding disagreements over Vietnam’s human rights record, Biden stressed the need to continue to have honest, inclusive conversations while pursuing cooperation where it is possible.

Alluding to the symbolic importance of Trong’s historic visit, the vice-president said that an important part of strengthening bilateral ties is building personal relationships. Amending former U.S. House Speaker Tipp O’Neill’s famous line that “all politics is local,” Biden said that “all politics is personal,” particularly in the conduct of foreign policy because it begins with building trust among people.

“Unless you can establish a personal relationship, it’s hard to establish trust. And that’s ultimately what all agreements are based upon,” Biden said

[Bamboo Grove]

I wouldn't be surprised as Thailand is turning more towards China so in the battle for hegemony in South-East Asia U.S.A. will turn to China's long time enemy, Vietnam.

[dozer]

"We have a good relationship with China already. Every country is good to us, except those who are still stuck on the word 'democracy.'"

This is just what you expect from a man, who believes that the military, the civilian elite and the middle-class understand democracy and the ignorant, rural poor do not

[pharvey]

I wouldn't be surprised as Thailand is turning more towards China so in the battle for hegemony in South-East Asia U.S.A. will turn to China's long time enemy, Vietnam.

Couldn't agree more...

[JamesWest]

I was just in Saigon, except for the hammer and sickle crap everyhere you would never know they were commies, at least in the South. Very modern city with many western corporations present.

So in a strange way I think the war has been won.

I was shocked to see the highways built just like US interstate highways. And normal traffic flow and safe highways, just like the States. The US Army corp of engineers showed them how to do it years ago.

The French influence in older building architecture and food is everywhere. At the beach it felt just a little bit like Nice.

Ironic Viet Nam just bought four subs to protect their country from China.

I am a American born in Tokyo nine years after the end of WWII.
I lived near Adolf Hitler 's bunker nineteen years after the end of WWII.
The USA rebuilt Europe after the war with the Marshall Plan, with $120 billion in current dollar value.

So anything is possible... except getting the Russians on board. Thats never going to happen.

[Bristolian]

Off topic but it took the UK 61 years to pay back the loan under the Marshall Plan, finally making last payment in 2006. The original loan was $4.34bn - equivalent to more than 25bn today. A lot of cash but it did stop the UK from going financially under.

[Name Taken]

That's great news, so Thailand becomes an even more backwards and third-world country than it already is.

[Bamboo Grove]

Not surprising.

Vietnam, US eager to beef up defense cooperation

Tuoi Tre News

Updated : 07/14/2015 16:21 GMT + 7

Assistant Secretary Rose, who is in charge of arms control, verification and compliance, made the promise during his meeting with Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Defense Nguyen Chi Vinh in Hanoi on Monday, according to the Vietnamese government portal.

Such cooperation will be centered on dealing with post-war consequences and collaborating on maritime security, military medicine, and UN peacekeeping activities, Assistant Secretary Rose said.

On July 7, Deputy Minister Vinh and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs David Shear co-chaired a ceremony to sign the memorandum of understanding on UN peacekeeping cooperation in Washington, D.C.

The MoU aims to boost bilateral defense collaboration through UN peacekeeping activities, such as exchanging and sharing experience and skills in UN missions, enhancing the capability of each soldier and their units in pre-deployment training, giving assistance in technical equipment to UN peacekeeping forces, disbursing the support package for the building of the Vietnam Peacekeeping Center, and other activities.

At yesterday’s meeting, Deputy Minister Vinh laid emphasis on the role of the U.S. in the region and said Hanoi expects to further cooperate with Washington based on the respect for the UN Charter, international law as well as each nation’s political system, independence, sovereignty and integrity.

He expressed his appreciation of the U.S. having partially lifted its ban on the sale of lethal weapons to Vietnam in association with maritime security.

Vietnam wishes that the U.S. will totally remove the ban soon, as a contribution to the promotion of the comprehensive partnership between the two countries, Deputy Minister Vinh said.

The Vietnamese military official suggested the two sides continue strengthen cooperation in the spirit of their comprehensive partnership established in 2013, the Memorandum of Understanding on Boosting Bilateral National Defense signed in 2011, and the 2015 Joint Vision Statement on Defense Relations.

The host and guest also praised the results gained during the five-day visit to the U.S., from July 6 to 10, by Vietnam’s Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

The visit created a new momentum for the relations between the two nations at a time when they are celebrating the 20thanniversary of normalized diplomatic ties.

http://tuoitrenews.vn/politics/29223/vi ... ooperation

[Deep Blue]

So in a strange way I think the war has been won.

No way Jose - greatest mistake since slavery.