VZCZCXRO1379
OO RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHHI #1042/01 2560850
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 120850Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8432
INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH IMMEDIATE 5096
RUEHZS/ASEAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 001042 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OVIP NEGROPONTE JOHN PREL PGOV PHUM ECON SENV AMGT
CH, CONS, VM 
 
SUBJECT: (U) Deputy Secretary Negroponte's September 11, 2008 lunch 
with Vietnam VFM Pham Binh Minh 
 
HANOI 00001042  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. FOR INTERNAL USG USE.  NOT SUITABLE FOR 
INTERNET POSTING. 
 
¶1.  (U) September 11, 2008; 1200; Hanoi, Vietnam. 
 
¶2.  (U) Participants: 
 
U.S. 
The Deputy Secretary 
Ambassador Michael Michalak 
DAS Scot Marciel 
DCM Virginia Palmer 
D Special Assistant Kaye Lee 
D Special Assistant Ted Wittenstein 
PolCouns Brian Aggeler (Notetaker) 
 
VIETNAM 
VFM Pham Binh Minh 
DG Americas Department Nguyen Ba Hung 
Assistant Director Americas Department Le Chi Dzung 
Policy Planning Department Director Bui Thanh Son 
Consular Department Director Duong Chi Dung 
International Organization Department Director Pham Vinh Quang 
Director of Protocol Tran Van Hinh 
 
¶3.  (SBU) SUMMARY.  Vietnam's Vice Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh 
hosted a lunch for the Deputy Secretary on September 11.  VFM Minh 
said that such high level visits reflect the steadily improving 
U.S.-Vietnam relationship, which is the envy of some other ASEAN 
members.  He advocated continued engagement with Burma and the DPRK, 
noting the GVN's good relations with both regimes.  He expressed 
appreciation for the USG's statement of support for U.S. companies 
doing business in the South China Sea.  On the HCMC consular 
district, VFM Minh urged the U.S. to accept the GVN offer of nine 
additional provinces and reiterated Vietnam's desire to open a 
consulate in Houston.  The Deputy Secretary responded that nine 
additional provinces were not sufficient and the issue would need to 
be discussed further.  VFM Minh welcomed the Deputy Secretary's news 
that Under Secretary for Management Patrick Kennedy would visit 
Hanoi to resolve the remaining issues surrounding the construction 
of a New Embassy Compound.  END SUMMARY. 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
HIGH LEVEL VISITS REFLECT IMPROVING RELATIONS 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) VFM Minh began by noting that the high-level exchanges of 
visitors between Vietnam and the United States in recent years could 
not have been imagined even a few years earlier. He noted Vietnam 
was looking forward to the first meeting of the U.S.-Vietnam Joint 
Task Force on Education to be held on September 22, the bilateral 
Political-Defense talks to be held on October 6, and the visit by 
Secretary of Interior Kempthorne later this year.  He said Vietnam 
hopes Kempthorne's visit will help advance cooperation on 
environmental issues, given Vietnam's concern about climate change 
and rising sea levels. 
 
¶5. (SBU) VFM Minh said some fellow ASEAN members are surprised by 
the high level of visits between the U.S. and Vietnam.  He observed 
that some in ASEAN feel that the U.S. has not given enough attention 
to the region.  The Deputy Secretary responded that this could 
certainly not be said of Vietnam, and noted that President Bush and 
senior USG officials have made numerous visits to the region.  He 
said that, whoever wins in the U.S. elections in November, U.S. 
policy toward the region is unlikely to change much beyond some 
shifts in tone and emphasis. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
BURMA AND THE DPRK: VIETNAM ADVOCATES ENGAGEMENT 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶6. (SBU) The Deputy Secretary said our most problematic issue in 
Southeast Asia is Burma.  VFM responded that Vietnam has good 
relations with Burma that include annual political consultations, 
with the most recent round held just the week before.  Vietnam has 
shared its experiences in reconciliation and emerging from 
isolation, he said, and has built trust with Burma.  When Burma was 
recently devastated by a cyclone, for example, Vietnam offered to 
send medical teams - the first time it had offered to send teams 
beyond its border.  The Deputy Secretary said the Burmese regime is 
closed off, afraid of external influences, and asked whether the 
cyclone had led to a more open attitude by the regime.  It was a 
step forward for the regime to receive aid from other countries, VFM 
Minh said, but Burma cannot be pushed to get on a fast track for 
change.  The Deputy Secretary responded that 28 years without 
political progress does not constitute a fast track. 
 
HANOI 00001042  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶7. (SBU) The outside world should make the first step with the 
Burmese regime, VFM Minh said.  The Deputy Secretary responded that 
the first step would be for the regime to open a dialogue with its 
people, including Aung San Suu Kyi.  DAS Marciel added that the 
Burmese authorities have refused to cooperate with UN Special Envoy 
Gambari in any meaningful way and said the Burmese opposition has 
largely lost hope in his mission.  VFM Minh said that in Vietnam's 
experience, the more a country is "encircled and embargoed," the 
more the people of the country suffer.  This is why Vietnam supports 
dialogue and engagement with Burma, including Burmese participation 
in meetings with ASEAN's partners. 
 
¶8. (SBU) On the DPRK, VFM Minh noted that Vietnam has exchanged many 
high-level visits, and has invited Kim Jong Il to visit Vietnam. 
Despite persistent rumors, there are no concrete plans for such a 
visit, Minh said, but this year marks the fiftieth anniversary of 
then-DPRK leader Kim Il Soong's visit to Vietnam so this would be a 
good time for Kim Jong Il to visit.  The GVN has no information 
about Kim Jong Il's health beyond the rumors being reported in the 
news, VFM said.  If the U.S. wanted to pass a message to the DPRK, 
VFM offered that Vietnam is happy to do it.  He noted that Japan and 
the DPRK had held talks in Hanoi on the abductee issue.  The Deputy 
Secretary responded that we generally meet with the DPRK's 
representatives in Beijing or New York. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
COMPANIES IN SOUTH CHINA SEA: U.S. SUPPORT WELCOME 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶9. (SBU) VFM Minh expressed appreciation for the USG's statement of 
support for U.S. oil and gas companies working in the South China 
Sea.  Vietnam is having successful discussions with China on 
resolving land border issues, but the South China Sea remains a 
problem in their otherwise good bilateral relations given China's 
maritime claims stretching 1,000 miles beyond her borders. 
Ambassador Michalak said ASEAN could play a constructive role by 
expressing support for Vietnam.  VFM responded that ASEAN repeats 
the 2002 Declaration of Conduct and the South China Sea, while 
Vietnam seeks a more binding Code of Conduct that China will never 
accept. 
 
------------------------- 
CONSULAR DISTRICT AND NEC 
------------------------- 
 
¶10. (SBU) On the HCMC consular district, VFM Minh said the 
additional nine provinces the GVN had offered were a first step that 
he urged the USG to accept, and after "a period of time" it could be 
expanded.  The key issue is security in the provinces, VFM Minh 
explained.  The Deputy Secretary said we would not be satisfied with 
nine provinces and would need to discuss the issue further.  VFM 
Minh asked that the U.S. not be made a "special case;" even China is 
only entitled to nine provinces in its HCMC consular district.  The 
Deputy Secretary responded that not all countries have to be treated 
the same way; Mexico for example has dozens of consulates in the 
U.S. to handle a very different relationship than the one Vietnam 
has with the U.S.  VFM responded that in practice the work of the 
Consulate in HCMC is not limited.  Meanwhile, he said, Vietnam very 
much wants to open a consulate in Houston.  Ambassador Michalak 
responded that we would be happy to see Vietnam open a consulate in 
Houston as soon as the issue of the HCMC consular district is 
resolved so we can serve effectively American citizens as well as 
Vietnamese citizens in the south who want to do business with the 
U.S. 
 
¶11. (SBU) On the New Embassy Compound (NEC), the Deputy Secretary 
told VFM Minh that Under Secretary Patrick Kennedy would be visiting 
Vietnam to resolve the remaining issues and that there was good will 
to settle this issue.  Minh said Kennedy would be welcome and the 
GVN looks forward to working constructively to resolve this issue. 
 
¶12. (SBU) VFM Minh also raised concern about the U.S. Religious 
Freedom report and draft bills in Congress concerning the human 
rights situation in Vietnam.  The Deputy Secretary said he would 
look into the situation.  Noting the recent arrests of 
Vietnamese-Americans in New Jersey for violating the U.S. Foreign 
Corrupt Practices Act, Minh said Vietnam stood ready to cooperate 
and takes seriously the need to fight corruption in Vietnam. 
 
MICHALAK