JIANG ZEMIN VISITS VIETNAM: FRIENDSHIP

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 HANOI 000614 SIPDIS SENSITIVE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HANOI 00614 01 OF 04 151753Z STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV, EAP/CM E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PINR CH TW VM CTERR CVR SUBJECT: JIANG ZEMIN VISITS VIETNAM: FRIENDSHIP -- "REAFFIRMED" REF: BEIJING 1958 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. CHINESE HEAD OF STATE AND PARTY JIANG ZEMIN VISITED VIETNAM FEBRUARY 27 TO MARCH 1 IN HIS FIRST FOREIGN TRIP OF THE YEAR AND HIS FIRST TO VIETNAM SINCE ¶1994. WHILE THERE WAS NO FORMAL JOINT COMMUNIQU FROM THE VISIT, A GVN COMMUNIQU CONDEMNED TERRORISM WHILE ODDLY OMITTING A REFERENCE TO "ONE CHINA." THE VISIT APPARENTLY BROKE NO NEW GROUND BUT REAFFIRMED EARLIER AGREEMENTS, INCLUDING THE LAND BORDER TREATY, TONKIN GULF AGREEMENT, AND D THE AGREEMENT ON FISHERIES COOPERATION. THERE ARE STILL "SIGNIFICANT ISSUES" CONCERNING THE GULF OF TONKIN AND FISHERIES AGREEMENTS. WORKING-LEVEL INTER-MINISTERIAL MEETINGS TO RESOLVE THESE ISSUES "WILL CONTINUE." THE MFA DISMISSED REPORTS OF DISSENT OVER THE LAND BORDER AS "OVERBLOWN." END SUMMARY. -------------- FRIENDLY TALKS -------------- ¶2. (SBU) ACCORDING TO PRESS REPORTS AND PRC EMBASSY FIRST UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HANOI 00614 01 OF 04 151753Z SECRETARY XI HUI, THE TRIP WAS A "GREAT SUCCESS." MFA CHINA SIPDIS DESK DIRECTOR TRAN DUY HAI SEPARATELY TOLD POLOFF THAT PRESIDENT JIANG HAD "FRIENDLY MEETINGS" WITH "ALL THE TOP LEADERSHIP," INCLUDING CPV GENERAL SECRETARY NONG DUC MANH, PRESIDENT TRAN DUC LUONG, PRIME MINISTER PHAM VAN KHAI, AND CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY NGUYEN VAN AN. IN ADDITION, HE ALSO MET WITH FORMER GENERAL SECRETARIES OF THE CPV CENTRAL COMMITTEE DO MUOI AND LE KHA PHIEU. HAI SAID THE MEETINGS WITH THE FORMER GENERAL SECRETARIES WERE ESSENTIALLY "COURTESY CALLS," SINCE JIANG HAD WORKED WITH THEM CLOSELY DURING THEIR TENURES AND WANTED TO "PAY HIS RESPECTS." PRC EMBOFF XI SAID THAT THE VISIT HAD "REAFFIRMED THE STRONG BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP." ACCORDING TO XI, JIANG FOUND RELATIONS "MUCH BETTER" THAN ON HIS PREVIOUS VISIT IN 1994. DEPUTY MILITARY ATTACHE LIEUTENANT COLONEL ZHEN ZHONG XING OF THE PRC EMBASSY, WHO ACCOMPANIED JIANG DURING MOST OF THE VISIT, CLAIMED THAT JIANG HAD BEEN "GRATIFIED" BY WARM RECEPTION OF THE GVN'S LEADERS AND THE PEOPLE. -------------- -------------- NO JOINT COMMUNIQUE AND NO MENTION OF ONE CHINA POLICY -------------- -------------- �00A; ¶3. (SBU) IN CONTRAST TO THE JOINT DECLARATION THE TWO SIDES ISSUED AFTER GENERAL SECRETARY MANH'S NOVEMBER 2001 VISIT TO THE PRC, THIS TIME THERE WAS ONLY A SINGLE COMMUNIQU ISSUED BY VIETNAM'S MFA. ACCORDING TO PRC EMBOFF XI, THE LEADERS HAD AGREED THERE WAS NO NEED FOR ANOTHER JOINT DECLARATION SO SOON AFTER THE MANH VISIT. THE INSTITUTE OF CHINA STUDIES' DR. NGUYEN HUY QUY SUGGESTED UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 HANOI 00614 01 OF 04 151753Z THAT, SINCE VIETNAM HOSTED THE VISIT, IT WAS APPROPRIATE FOR THE HOST MFA TO ISSUE THE COMMUNIQU. ¶4. (SBU) THE MFA COMMUNIQU FAILED TO REAFFIRM VIETNAM'S ONE CHINA POLICY, NOR WAS VIETNAM'S POSITION ON ONE CHINA DESCRIBED IN MEDIA ACCOUNTS OF THE VISIT. ROBERT HSIEH BOR- HUEI OF THE TAIPEI ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL OFFICE (TECO) SAID THAT FROM TAIWAN'S PERSPECTIVE, THIS WAS "POSITIVE." PRC EMBOFF XI SAID THAT CHINA "KNOWS" THE GVN SUPPORTS THE ONE CHINA POLICY AND IS SATISFIED WITH VIETNAM'S "NORMAL ECONOMIC RELATIONS" WITH TAIWAN. DR. QUY STATED THAT THE ONE CHINA POLICY HAS BEEN REAFFIRMED "MANY TIMES" IN THE PAST. HE ALSO NOTED THAT VIETNAM HAD NOT WISHED TO HAVE THE ONE CHINA POLICY CITED IN THE JOINT COMMUNIQU FOLLOWING NONG DUC MANH'S VISIT BUT THAT THE PRC "STRONGLY REQUESTED" THAT IT BE INCLUDED. SINCE THE CHINESE DID NOT REQUEST IT THIS TIME, VIETNAM WAS ABLE TO OMIT IT. THIS ALLOWED ED VIETNAM TO "BE NICE" TO TAIWAN WITHOUT CONFRONTING THE PRC, HE CLAIMED. THE MFA'S HAI SEPARATELY AFFIRMED THAT THE ISSUE OF TAIWAN DID NOT EVEN COME UP DURING THE VISIT. -------------- TERRORISM CONDEMNED UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PTO0094 PAGE 01 HANOI 00614 02 OF 04 151753Z ACTION EAP-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AIT-03 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 C-00 USNW-00 DINT-00 DOEE-00 DOTE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00 FAAE-00 FBIE-00 UTED-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 L-00 VCE-00 MOFM-05 MOF-01 AC-01 DCP-01 NSAE-00 OMB-01 PA-00 PC-01 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SS-00 TEST-00 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00 EPAE-00 ECA-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /016W -------------- 7572B9 151754Z /38 R 151726Z MAR 02 FM AMEMBASSY HANOI TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5835 INFO AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY AMEMBASSY BEIJING AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU AMCONSUL SHANGHAI AMCONSUL SHENYANG AMCONSUL CHENGDU AMCONSUL HONG KONG AIT TAIPEI 0684 USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI NSC WASHDC ASEAN COLLECTIVE SECDEF WASHDC//ISA/ABLAGG// UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 04 HANOI 000614 SIPDIS SENSITIVE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HANOI 00614 02 OF 04 151753Z STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV, EAP/CM -------------- ¶5. (SBU) THE GVN'S COMMUNIQU CONDEMNED "ALL FORMS OF TERRORISM" AND PLEDGED TO COOPERATE WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IN ANTITERRORISM ACTIVITIES "ON THE BASIS OF THE UN CHARTER AND THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF INTERNATIONAL LAW." ACCORDING TO THE MFA'S HAI, BOTH SIDES ALSO PLEDGED TO CONTRIBUTE TO INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO AID THE PEOPLE OF AFGHANISTAN. THE INSTITUTE OF CHINA STUDIES' DR. QUY TOLD POLOFF THAT THESE STATEMENTS WERE CONSISTENT WITH PREVIOUS DECLARATIONS CONDEMNING TERRORISM, ESPECIALLY THE EMPHASIS ON THE NEED TO "WORK WITHIN AN INTERNATIONAL FRAMEWORK." DR. QUY ADDED THAT VIETNAM HAD CONSISTENTLY SHOWN CONCERN FOR THE FATE OF INNOCENT CIVILIANS IN CONFLICT SITUATIONS. THIS IS PROBABLY A "LEGACY OF THE AMERICAN WAR," HE OPINED. -------------- REASONS FOR THE VISIT -------------- ¶6. (SBU) DR. QUY SAID THE LEADERS DID NOT BREAK NEW GROUND ON THIS VISIT; RATHER THEY FOCUSED ON "REAFFIRMING" PREVIOUS UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HANOI 00614 02 OF 04 151753Z AGREEMENTS AND DECLARATIONS. HE SUGGESTED SEVERAL REASONS FOR THE VISIT AT THIS TIME: -- TO RECIPROCATE NONG DUC MANH'S NOVEMBER VISIT AND CONTINUE THE SERIES OF HIGH-LEVEL VISITS; -- TO CONTINUE THE FOCUS ON INCREASING BILATERAL ECONOMIC ACTIVITY. THE MFA'S HAI POINTED OUT THAT TRADE IN 2001 REACHED CLOSE TO USD 2.8 BILLION AND THE GOAL IS TO REACH USD 3.5 BILLION THIS YEAR AND USD 5 BILLION BY 2005; AND, --TO "REAFFIRM" BOTH COUNTRIES' DETERMINATION TO "CONTINUE TO RESOLVE REMAINING ISSUES" ON PREVIOUSLY-SIGNED AGREEMENTS, SUCH AS THE LAND BORDER TREATY, TONKIN GULF AGREEMENT, AND THE AGREEMENT ON FISHERIES COOPERATION. ¶7. (SBU) SINGAPORE EMBASSY'S FIRST SECRETARY DARRYL LAU KAI MUN TOLD POLOFF THERE ARE STILL "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. COLONEL TRAN NHUNG, DIRECTOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT FOR "PEOPLES' ARMY" NEWSPAPER, SAID THAT THE "LARGE NUMBER" OF FISHING VESSELS CHINA WANTS TO HAVE IN THE "OVERLAPPING" AREAS IS "UNACCEPTABLE" TO VIETNAM. PRC EMBOFF XI SAID WORKING-LEVEL INTER-MINISTERIAL MEETINGS TO RESOLVE THESE ISSUES "WILL CONTINUE." ¶8. (SBU) PRC EMBOFF XI SAID THAT THAT THE TWO SIDES HAD SIGNED TWO DOCUMENTS DURING THE VISIT. ONE WAS A NON- REPAYABLE LOAN OF ABOUT USD 6.2 MILLION. THE OTHER WAS A FRAMEWORK TO PROVIDE A PREFERENTIAL LOAN FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR THE SAME AMOUNT. ONE SPECIFIC USE OF THE LOANS IS TO SUPPORT BILATERAL YOUTH EXCHANGES. PRC EMBOFF UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 HANOI 00614 02 OF 04 151753Z XI WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE SPECIFICS REGARDING THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ASPECT. DR. QUY SAID THESE LOANS WOULD BE VALUABLE FOR VIETNAM AND THAT INCREASING ECONOMIC COOPERATION WILL "INEVITABLY" LEAD TO FURTHER POLITICAL COOPERATION. ¶9. (SBU) BOTH DR. QUY AND XI HUI POINTED TO THE VISIT'S FOCUS TOWARDS YOUTH. ASIDE FROM THE YOUTH EXCHANGE SUPPORT, DURING THE VISIT JIANG ALSO ADDRESSED STUDENTS AT THE HANOI NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, WHERE HE URGED YOUNG PEOPLE TO "TAKE OVER THE BATON" OF FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES AND "FURTHER THE CAUSE OF PEACE" IN ASIA AND THE WORLD. -------------- VISIT NOT A SURPRISE -------------- ¶10. (SBU) JIANG'S VISIT APPEARED WELL PLANNED AND INCLUDED A LARGE ENTOURAGE, ACCORDING TO DR. QUY. PRC EMBOFF XI TOLD POLOFF LAST DECEMBER THAT JIANG WAS EXPECTED TO VISIT DURING ¶2002. DR. QUY VIEWED THE VISIT AS PART OF THE PATTERN OF REGULAR, SENIOR-LEVEL BILATERAL VISITS. DR. QUY SUGGESTED THAT SINCE JIANG WILL SOON BE RETIRING, THIS VISIT COULD ALSO HAVE BEEN A "FAREWELL" TO THE PRESENT VIETNAMESE UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PTQ8445 PAGE 01 HANOI 00614 03 OF 04 151753Z ACTION EAP-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AIT-03 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 C-00 DINT-00 DOEE-00 DOTE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00 FAAE-00 FBIE-00 UTED-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 L-00 VCE-00 MOFM-05 MOF-01 AC-01 DCP-01 NSAE-00 OMB-01 PA-00 PC-01 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SS-00 TEST-00 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /016W -------------- 7572C7 151753Z /38 R 151726Z MAR 02 FM AMEMBASSY HANOI TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5836 INFO AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY AMEMBASSY BEIJING AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU AMCONSUL SHANGHAI AMCONSUL SHENYANG AMCONSUL CHENGDU AMCONSUL HONG KONG AIT TAIPEI 0685 USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI NSC WASHDC ASEAN COLLECTIVE SECDEF WASHDC//ISA/ABLAGG// UNCLAS SECTION 03 OF 04 HANOI 000614 SIPDIS SENSITIVE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HANOI 00614 03 OF 04 151753Z STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV, EAP/CM LEADERS, SOME OF WHOM WILL CHANGE FOLLOWING THE MAY NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS. -------------- DISSENT OVER LAND BORDER "OVERBLOWN" -------------- ¶11. (SBU) THE MFA'S HAI SAID BOTH SIDES REAFFIRMED THE COMMITMENT TO FINISH MARKING THE LAND BORDER "ON TIME." WHEN ASKED ABOUT REPORTS THAT THERE ARE SOME GROUPS WHO ACCUSE THE GVN OF GIVING AWAY TOO MUCH TO CHINA IN THE LAND BORDER TREATY, HAI SAID THAT "OUTSIDE GROUPS" ARE THE SOURCE FOR THESE REPORTS, WHICH ARE "OVERBLOWN." IN DR. QUY'S VIEW, DISSENT COULD BE DUE TO "LOCAL SENSITIVITIES," SINCE SOME PEOPLE FOUND THEMSELVES ON THE "WRONG SIDE" OF THE BORDER. DR. QUY SAID THAT WHILE THE LAND BORDER ISSUE "IS SETTLED," IT IS NECESSARY TO "STABILIZE" THE POPULATION BY PROVIDING ALTERNATIVE LAND FOR DISPLACED FAMILIES. HE SAID IT WAS ALSO IMPORTANT TO (1) FINISH THE BORDER DEMARCATION "AS SOON AS POSSIBLE" AND (2) EDUCATE PEOPLE "BETTER TO UNDERSTAND" THE BORDER ARRANGEMENTS. UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HANOI 00614 03 OF 04 151753Z -------------- CAM RANH BAY/SOUTH CHINA SEA -------------- ¶12. (SBU) SOURCES HERE WERE UNABLE TO CONFIRM THAT THE LEADERS HAD DISCUSSED THE FUTURE OF CAM RANH BAY (AS NOTED IN EMBASSY BEIJING'S EXCELLENT WRAP-UP OF THE VISIT - REFTEL); THE ISSUE WAS NOT MENTIONED IN THE GVN COMMUNIQU OR PRESS ACCOUNTS. HOWEVER, TECO'S HSIEH SAID THAT IT SEEMED UNLIKELY THAT THERE HAD BEEN ANY MEANINGFUL DISCUSSIONS ON THIS SUBJECT. GIVEN CAM RANH BAY'S PROXIMITY TO THE DISPUTED SPRATLY ISLAND CHAIN, VIETNAM "WILL NEVER" GRANT CHINA ACCESS TO THE BASE, HE PREDICTED. THE TWO SIDES DID REITERATE THEIR DESIRE FOR "PEACEFUL NEGOTIATIONS" TO SETTLE OUTSTANDING SOUTH CHINA SEA ISSUES. WHILE PRC EMBOFF XI SAID THE TWO SIDES "MADE SOME PROGRESS" ON THIS ISSUE, SHE WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE SPECIFICS. -------------- PARTY DISCUSSION -------------- ¶13. (SBU) COLONEL NHUNG OF THE "PEOPLES ARMY" SAID THAT JIANG HAD ALSO BRIEFED GVN LEADERS ABOUT THE UPCOMING 16TH PARTY CONGRESS AND DISCUSSED SOME POTENTIAL MODIFICATIONS OF PARTY PHILOSOPHY, SPECIFICALLY REGARDING THE NEED TO "CONSIDER THE BASIC INTERESTS OF THE CHINESE PEOPLE" AND TO EMPHASIZE THAT THE PARTY SHOULD ALSO KEEP IN MIND THAT IT REPRESENTS "CHINESE CULTURE." ACCORDING TO COLONEL NHUNG, THIS REPRESENTS SOME IDEOLOGICAL CHANGE FROM THE PARTY'S PRIMARY FOCUS ON THE STRUGGLE OF THE WORKERS. COLONEL NHUNG UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 HANOI 00614 03 OF 04 151753Z OPINED THAT IT IS HIS SENSE THE CCP IS GRADUALLY CHANGING ITS IDEOLOGICAL FOCUS AND JIANG WANTED TO CONVEY THIS MESSAGE TO HIS COUNTERPARTS IN VIETNAM. HE NOTED THAT THE LEADERSHIP IN THE CPV HAD "NOTICED" THIS, BECAUSE THEY PAY "VERY CLOSE ATTENTION" TO WHATEVER GOES ON IN CHINA. COLONEL NHUNG SAID THAT THE CPV LEADERSHIP HAD FORMED "FOCUS GROUPS" TO STUDY THESE CHANGES AND TO JUDGE WHAT EXTENT THEY COULD APPLY TO VIETNAM. THE LEADERSHIP IN VIETNAM WILL TAKE A "CAUTIOUS APPROACH," HE PREDICTED. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶14. (SBU) THE JIANG VISIT APPEARS TO HAVE SERVED ITS BASIC PURPOSE OF REAFFIRMING THE INCREASINGLY STRONG BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP, ALTHOUGH WE AGREE WITH EMBASSY BEIJING THAT THE VISIT WAS MORE ABOUT FORM THAN SUBSTANCE. WE ARE PUZZLED THAT THE PRC DID NOT PUSH THE GVN FOR A FORMAL REAFFIRMATION OF ITS "ONE CHINA" POLICY, HOWEVER. IN ANY EVENT, THE WARMTH OF JIANG'S RECEPTION HERE AND THE HIGH PROFILE COVERAGE IT RECEIVED IN THE LOCAL MEDIA ARE ACCURATE INDICATORS OF THE IMPRESSIVE PROGRESS IN BILATERAL TIES THAT THE TWO SIDES HAVE MADE OVER THE PAST DECADE. UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PTQ8447 PAGE 01 HANOI 00614 04 OF 04 151753Z ACTION EAP-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AIT-03 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 C-00 DINT-00 DOEE-00 DOTE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00 FAAE-00 FBIE-00 UTED-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 L-00 VCE-00 MOFM-05 MOF-01 AC-01 DCP-01 NSAE-00 OMB-01 PA-00 PC-01 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SS-00 TEST-00 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /016W -------------- 7572C9 151753Z /38 R 151726Z MAR 02 FM AMEMBASSY HANOI TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5837 INFO AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY AMEMBASSY BEIJING AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU AMCONSUL SHANGHAI AMCONSUL SHENYANG AMCONSUL CHENGDU AMCONSUL HONG KONG AIT TAIPEI 0686 USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI NSC WASHDC ASEAN COLLECTIVE SECDEF WASHDC//ISA/ABLAGG// UNCLAS SECTION 04 OF 04 HANOI 000614 SIPDIS SENSITIVE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HANOI 00614 04 OF 04 151753Z STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV, EAP/CM -- "REAFFIRMED" BURGHARDT UNCLASSIFIED