VZCZCXRO8397
RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHHI #0414/01 1010932
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 100932Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7582
INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH 4559
RUEHZS/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HANOI 000414 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM ECON PGOV KCOR KPAO SOCI PREL VM
 
SUBJECT: POLITBURO MEMBER SEEKS ANTI-CORRUPTION TRAINING FOR PARTY 
INSPECTORS AT U.S. INSTITUTIONS 
 
REF: Hanoi 152 
 
HANOI 00000414  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) In an April 9 meeting with Ambassador, Politburo member 
Nguyen Van Chi asked for U.S. help in selecting American 
institutions with expertise in anti-corruption work which could 
cooperate with Vietnam to enhance its capacity in that regard.  The 
Ambassador and Chi discussed Hanoi's fight against corruption as 
well as U.S.-Vietnam relations and reform of Vietnam's educational 
system.  Chi is Chairman of the Communist Party's powerful Central 
Inspection Commission, responsible for supervising and disciplining 
Party officials and, along with the Personnel Commission, 
recommending leaders for promotion and demotion.  He appealed for 
the USG to deepen relations with Hanoi in the interests of 
"comprehensive long-term stability" in Southeast Asia, and responded 
positively to the Ambassador's call for greater interaction between 
Party and USG officials to improve understanding about how the 
countries' respective systems operate.  Nguyen Van Chi's official 
biography is in paragraph 11.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) On April 9, the Ambassador met Communist Party of Vietnam 
(CPV) Politburo member and Chairman of the CPV's Central Inspection 
Commission Nguyen Van Chi.  Seven officials from the Party's Central 
Inspection and External Relations Commissions accompanied Chi to the 
meeting in an ornate room at CPV headquarters. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The Central Inspection Commission is one of the most 
powerful of the CPV's six commissions; current Minister of Public 
Security Le Hong Anh headed the Central Inspection Commission before 
Chi took charge.  The Commission receives and analyzes the asset 
declarations of Politburo and Party Commission members (as the 
Government Inspectorate does for GVN officials), supervises and 
disciplines Party officials and works with the Party's Personnel 
Commission in recommending leaders for promotion and demotion.  The 
Commission also reviews Government projects and policies for 
Vietnam's senior-most leaders. 
 
U.S.-Vietnam Relations 
---------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Relations between the USG and GVN in the past were "not so 
healthy," but now they are "much improved," Chi told the Ambassador. 
 Chi agreed that increased investment and trade have served as the 
foundation for deeper U.S.-Vietnam relations.  There are now many 
U.S.-based corporations invested in Vietnam, he declared. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Chi made special note of the increasing number of 
high-level exchanges between the two sides.  He said he supported 
then-Defense Secretary William Cohen's 2000 visit to Vietnam, 
visited the State and Defense Departments in early 2003 to lay the 
groundwork for Defense Minister Pham Van Tra's visit to Washington 
later that year, and helped the GVN prepare for then-Defense 
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's 2006 visit to Vietnam.  Chi appealed for 
 
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the USG to enhance relations with the GVN in the interests of 
"comprehensive long-term stability" in Southeast Asia. 
 
Desire for CPV Officials To Study in United States 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Chi took note of the Ambassador's offer of USG technical 
assistance for efforts to fight corruption.  Education is the 
"driving force for the economy" and the GVN appreciates USG help in 
improving Vietnam's educational system, Chi said.  The Party wants 
to send, on an annual basis, 20-30 cadres who are under 50 years of 
age to study the efforts of foreign governments in fighting 
corruption.  Corruption is a transnational issue, he declared. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Chi inquired if there any U.S. educational institutions 
that specialize in anti-corruption areas.  The GVN has sent cadres 
to Germany and Australia for anti-corruption training and would like 
to send some officials to the United States to do the same.  The 
Ambassador responded that many American and foreign non-governmental 
organizations provide training on anti-corruption.  He promised to 
have his staff get back to Chi on which U.S. educational 
institutions offer this kind of training. 
 
Human Rights 
------------ 
 
¶8. (SBU) Chi agreed with the Ambassador's assertion that the USG and 
GVN have differences on human rights, but that it is important that 
the two sides continue to talk about these differences.  The 
Chairman followed this up, however, by asserting that the Party and 
GVN "fully respect all political and religious views."  Chi saw few 
churches, pagodas and religious followers during his time in the 
South from 1954 to 1965.  However, since 1975, their numbers have 
grown significantly, he stated.  This growth shows that there is "no 
 
HANOI 00000414  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
reason" to say the CPV and GVN do not respect human rights, he 
argued. 
 
Increasing Mutual Understanding 
------------------------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) The Ambassador appealed to Chi for greater interaction 
between Party and USG officials to improve understanding about how 
the countries' respective systems operate.  The Ambassador 
encouraged Party officials to participate in the U.S. 
Embassy-sponsored seminars on the November American elections.  The 
Ambassador also said he would like to meet Chi again soon -- perhaps 
after the Ambassador returns to Hanoi from an upcoming trip to the 
United States sponsored by the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council.  Future 
discussions with Chi and other Party officials could focus on how 
the U.S. system works, the Ambassador stated. 
 
Comment: Opening to Greater Governance Cooperation 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶10. (SBU) Nguyen Van Chi is a Party stalwart who has headed the 
CPV's Central Inspection Commission since 2002.  Chi and several of 
his colleagues visited Australia last November, studying how the 
Australian Government prevents and fights corruption.  The 
Ambassador had also met earlier with Chi's government counterpart, 
Tran Van Truyen, head of the Government Inspectorate, who also 
requested technical assistance (Reftel).  That Chi wants to send CPV 
cadres for anti-corruption training in the United States is a 
welcome sign, and we will follow up in the context of our efforts to 
establish a regular dialogue with senior CPV leaders that will help 
facilitate the expansion of our programs in support of good 
governance in Vietnam. 
 
¶11. (SBU) Begin biography: 
 
Nguyen Van Chi 
 
Date of birth   July 28, 1945 
 
Place of birth  Hoa Tien Commune, Hoa 
Vang District, Da Nang City 
 
Joined Party   June 14, 1965 
 
Education   Bachelor's Degree in 
      Economics 
 
1954-1964 Primary and secondary school student and secret Party 
courier 
 
1964 Officially joined "revolution" 
 
1965-1969   Member, Deputy Head of 
Hoa Vang District's Economic Committee, Deputy Secretary of the Hoa 
Vang District Area No. Two 
 
1971-1973  Member of Quang Nam/ 
Da Nang Party Committee, Chief of 
Provincial Party Committee 
 
1974-1976   Studied political 
      theory at Ho Chi Minh 
      National Political 
      Academy 
 
1976-1979   Chairman and Party 
      Secretary of Hoa Vang 
      District 
 
1979-1982  Vice Chairman, then Director of Planning Department of 
Quang Nam-Da Nang Province 
 
1983-1984   Quang Nam-Da Nang 
Province's "Special Envoy" 
 
1984-1986   Party Deputy Secretary,    Da Nang City 
 
Dec 1986  Joined CPV's Central Committee (6th Congress), Party 
Secretary of Quang Nam-Da Nang Province 
 
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Jul 1991  Joined CPV's Central Committee (7th Congress), Party 
Secretary of Quang Nam-Da Nang Province 
 
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1994-1995  Party and Government Special Envoy to Central provinces 
and Central Highlands 
 
May 1995  CPV Central Committee member (8th Congress), Deputy Head 
of CPV's Internal Political Protection Commission (which Party 
merged with Personnel Commission in 2007) 
 
HANOI 00000414  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
 
2000-2002 Central Committee member (9th Congress), Head of CPV's 
Internal Political Protection Commission 
 
April 2001 Joined Politburo (9th Congress) 
 
2002-Present  Chairman, Party's Central Inspection Commission, 
Central Committee and Politburo member 
 
MICHALAK