NONG DUC MANH VISITS CHINA: BOTH SIDES REAFFIRM FRIENDSHIP, CONDEMN TERRORISM

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 003294

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
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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:
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--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.

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TRIP VIEWED AS A GREAT SUCCESS
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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

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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.
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TERRORISM CONDEMNED
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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.

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REASONS FOR THE VISIT
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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.
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BILATERAL TRADE
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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.

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WHAT'S NEXT
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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
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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

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