This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.


2001HANOI03294 - UNCLASSIFIED
 
 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ9982

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FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5054
INFO AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY 
AMEMBASSY BEIJING 
AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 
AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 
AMCONSUL SHENYANG 
AMCONSUL CHENGDU 
AMCONSUL HONG KONG 
AIT TAIPEI 0634
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI
NSC WASHDC
ASEAN COLLECTIVE
SECDEF WASHDC//ISA/ABLAGG//

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 003294 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        HANOI  03294  01 OF 02  201049Z 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV, EAP/CM, INR/EAP/SEA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PINR CH TW VM CVR CTERR
SUBJECT: NONG DUC MANH VISITS CHINA:  BOTH SIDES REAFFIRM FRIENDSHIP, CONDEMN TERRORISM 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY.  NONG DUC MANH, COMMUNIST PARTY OF 
VIETNAM (CPV) GENERAL SECRETARY, VISITED CHINA NOVEMBER 30 
TO DECEMBER 4.  THIS WAS HIS FIRST VISIT TO CHINA SINCE 
BECOMING GENERAL SECRETARY LAST APRIL, AND WAS PROBABLY 
DESIGNED TO ASSUAGE ANY CHINESE FEARS THAT VIETNAM WAS 
MOVING "TOO CLOSE" TO THE U.S. WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF 
THE US-VIETNAM BILATERAL TRADE AGREEMENT (BTA) EARLIER THIS 
MONTH.  THE VIETNAMESE DELEGATION CONSISTED MAINLY OF SENIOR 
CPV OFFICIALS.  BOTH SIDES JUDGED THE TRIP A "GREAT 
SUCCESS."  THEY CONDEMNED TERRORISM AND EXPRESSED SUPPORT 
FOR THE ONGOING US-LED EFFORT AGAINST TERRORISM.  THE VISIT 
DID NOT BREAK ANY NEW GROUND, BUT THE TWO SIDES REAFFIRMED 
PREVIOUS AGREEMENTS, SUCH AS THE LAND BORDER TREATY, TONKIN 
GULF AGREEMENT, AND THE AGREEMENT ON FISHERIES COOPERATION. 
IN ADDITION, THEY SIGNED A GENERAL "FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT" ON 
ECONOMIC AND TECHNICAL COOPERATION.  THE VISIT GENERATED A 
LARGE AMOUNT OF POSITIVE PRESS COVERAGE AND COINCIDED WITH 
CHINA'S ACCESSION TO THE WTO AND PASSAGE OF THE BTA.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (U)  ACCORDING TO PRESS REPORTS, A NUMBER OF HIGH-LEVEL 
PARTY AND GVN OFFICIALS ACCOMPANIED MANH ON HIS VISIT.  THEY 
INCLUDED: 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        HANOI  03294  01 OF 02  201049Z 
--VU KHOAN OF THE CPV CENTRAL COMMITTEE SECRETARIAT (NOTE: 
VU KHOAN IS ALSO TRADE MINISTER.  END NOTE.); 
--NGUYEN DY NIEN, MEMBER OF THE CPV CENTRAL COMMITTEE AND 
FOREIGN MINISTER; 
--NGUYEN VAN SON, CPV CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEMBER AND DIRECTOR 
OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE'S EXTERNAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENT; 
--NGO VAN DU, CPV CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEMBER AND DIRECTOR OF 
THE CPV CENTRAL COMMITTEE OFFICE; 
--HO TIEN NGHI, CPV CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEMBER AND DIRECTOR OF 
THE CPV CENTRAL COMMITTEE OFFICE; 
--TA QUANG NGOC, CPV CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEMBER AND MINISTER 
OF MARINE PRODUCTS; 
--DANG VU CHU, MINISTER OF INDUSTRY; AND 
--BUI HONG PHUC, GVN AMBASSADOR TO CHINA. 
 
------------------------------ 
TRIP VIEWED AS A GREAT SUCCESS 
------------------------------ 
 
¶3.  (U) SOURCES VIEWED THE TRIP AS A "GREAT SUCCESS." 
SENIOR MFA CHINA EXPERT DANG MUNG KHOI TOLD POLOFF ON 
DECEMBER 10 THAT MANH MET WITH SEVEN CHINA POLITBURO 
MEMBERS, "THE SAME NUMBER THAT THEN-PRESIDENT CLINTON MET 
DURING HIS VISIT TO CHINA."  ACCORDING TO KHOI, MEETING THIS 
MANY POLITBURO MEMBERS IS "RARE," INDICATING THE "IMPORTANCE 
ATTACHED TO THE VISIT."  XI HUI, THE CHINA EMBASSY'S FIRST 
SECRETARY, TOLD POLOFF ON DECEMBER 18 "THE TRIP "REAFFIRMED 
 
SIPDIS 
BILATERAL COOPERATION ON BIG PROJECTS, SUCH AS MINING."  THE 
TWO SIDES DID SIGN A "FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT" ON ECONOMIC AND 
TECHNICAL COOPERATION INCLUDING A LOAN PROVISION FOR THE 
MINING PROJECT, SHE ADDED. 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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------------------- 
TERRORISM CONDEMNED 
------------------- 
 
¶4.  (U)  THE JOINT DECLARATION ALSO STATED THAT "THE TWO 
SIDES STRONGLY CONDEMN TERRORISM IN ANY FORM."  PROF. NGUYEN 
HUY QUY, DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE OF CHINA STUDIES TOLD 
POLOFF ON DECEMBER 13 THAT THERE HAD BEEN DISCUSSIONS WHERE 
THE TWO SIDES "AGREED TO SUPPORT INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS 
AGAINST TERRORISM, BUT WANTED TO ENSURE THAT THERE WAS 
MINIMAL HARM TO CIVILIANS."  WHILE THE TWO SIDES SUPPORTED 
THE US-LED EFFORT AGAINST TERRORISM, THEY ALSO STRESSED THE 
NEED TO ENSURE "AFGHANISTAN'S NATIONAL INTERESTS AND 
INDEPENDENCE," HE ADDED. 
 
--------------------- 
REASONS FOR THE VISIT 
--------------------- 
 
¶5.  (U)  PROF. QUY SAID THERE WERE ESSENTIALLY THREE REASONS 
MANH VISITED CHINA AT THIS TIME: 
--TO RECIPROCATE LI PENG'S SEPTEMBER VISIT AND CONTINUE THE 
"TRADITION" OF HIGH-LEVEL VISITS. 
 
 
--TO CONTINUE THE CPV GENERAL SECRETARY'S USUAL CUSTOM OF 
VISITING LAOS AND CHINA DURING HIS FIRST YEAR. 
--TO "REAFFIRM" BOTH COUNTRIES' DETERMINATION TO "CONTINUE 
TO RESOLVE REMAINING ISSUES" ON PREVIOUSLY-SIGNED 
AGREEMENTS, SUCH AS LAND BORDER TREATY, TONKIN GULF 
AGREEMENT, AND THE AGREEMENT ON FISHERIES COOPERATION. 
SINGAPORE EMBASSY'S FIRST SECRETARY, DARRYL LAU KAI MUN, 
TOLD POLOFF ON DECEMBER 19 THAT THE LAND BORDER DEMARCATION 
AGREEMENT IS "NEARLY COMPLETED" EXCEPT FOR A SMALL AMOUNT OF 
DISPUTED TERRITORY.  HOWEVER, THERE ARE "SIGNIFICANT ISSUES" 
CONCERNING THE GULF OF TONKIN AND FISHERIES AGREEMENTS. 
THESE CENTER AROUND MARITIME DEMARCATION AND THE NUMBER AND 
SIZE OF FISHING VESSELS ALLOWED IN THE COMMON GROUND.  THE 
CHINA EMBASSY'S HUI SAID WORKING-LEVEL INTERMINISTERIAL 
MEETINGS TO RESOLVE THESE ISSUES "WILL CONTINUE." 
 
¶6.  (U)  PROF. QUY SAID IT APPEARED MANH DID NOT HAVE A ONE- 
ON-ONE MEETING WITH HIS COUNTERPART, JIANG ZEMIN; RATHER, 
THEY MET WITH THEIR DELEGATIONS AND AT CEREMONIAL DINNERS. 
ACCORDING TO PROF. QUY, THIS INDICATED THE VISIT WAS 
"PROBABLY LESS SUBSTANTIVE."  HOWEVER, THE TRIP WAS A GOOD 
OPPORTUNITY FOR THE LEADERS "TO KNOW EACH OTHER BETTER AND 
UNDERSTAND THEIR COUNTRIES' RESPECTIVE POLICIES," HE ADDED. 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        HANOI  03294  02 OF 02  201049Z 
 
--------------- 
BILATERAL TRADE 
--------------- 
 
¶7.  (U)  PROF. QUY AND HUI STATED SEPARATELY THAT THE VISIT 
INCLUDED GENERAL DISCUSSION OF BILATERAL TRADE POLICY. 
PROF. QUY NOTED THAT CHINA WANTED TO ASSURE VIETNAM THAT 
CHINA'S ACCESSION TO THE WTO "WILL NOT IMPACT" ITS TRADE 
RELATIONSHIP WITH VIETNAM."  (NOTE:  BILATERAL TRADE IS 
EXPECTED TO REACH USD 3 BILLION BY THE END OF 2001; THE TWO 
COUNTRIES PLEDGED TO TRY TO REACH USD 5 BILLION BY THE END 
OF 2005.  END NOTE.)  SIMILARLY, HUI STATED THAT CHINA 
SOUGHT ASSURANCES FROM VIETNAM THAT RECENT PASSAGE OF THE 
US-VIETNAM BTA WILL NOT AFFECT CHINA'S ACCESS TO VIETNAM'S 
MARKETS OR THE GVN'S FOCUS ON REGIONAL TRADE. 
 
----------- 
WHAT'S NEXT 
----------- 
 
¶8.  (U)  THE CHINA EMBASSY'S HUI STATED THE PACE OF HIGH 
LEVEL VISITS SHOULD CONTINUE FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. 
SHE NOTED THAT MANH INVITED JIANG ZEMIN TO VISIT VIETNAM 
"NEXT YEAR."  WHILE IT APPEARS LIKELY HE WILL VISIT VIETNAM 
DURING 2002, SHE WAS UNABLE TO SAY WHEN. 
 
¶9.  (SBU)  COMMENT.  AS EXEMPLIFIED BY THE VIETNAMESE 
DELEGATION, THE MANH VISIT WAS MAINLY A POLITICAL ONE. 
PERHAPS NOT COINCIDENTALLY, THE VISIT OCCURRED DURING TWO 
VERY IMPORTANT ECONOMIC EVENTS-CHINA'S ACCESSION TO THE WTO 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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AND SIGNING OF THE US-VIETNAM BTA.  VU KHOAN, GVN TRADE 
MINISTER AND A KEY FIGURE IN THE BTA, ATTENDED WEARING HIS 
OTHER HAT AS A SENIOR POLITBURO MEMBER.  ALTHOUGH NOT STATED 
OFFICIALLY, IT APPEARS THE VISIT MAY HAVE BEEN AN ATTEMPT BY 
SENIOR PARTY MEMBERS OF BOTH COUNTRIES TO REASSURE EACH 
OTHER PRIOR TO DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER DZUNG'S TRIP TO THE 
U.S. THAT, WHILE THE WORLD TRADE AND INVESTMENT LANDSCAPE 
HAS CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY, THE POLITICAL AS WELL AS ECONOMIC 
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE 
FORWARD.   BURGHARDT 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED