SETTING VIETNAM'S IDEOLOGICAL COURSE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 HANOI 000931

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STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/16/12
TAGS: PGOV PINS PREL CH VM DPOL
SUBJECT: SETTING VIETNAM'S IDEOLOGICAL COURSE

REF: FBIS SEP20020307000012


1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY POL/C SCOTT BELLARD, REASON: 1.5
(D)


2. (C) SUMMARY. THE CPV'S CENTRAL THEORETICAL
RESEARCH COUNCIL IS STRUGGLING TO REDEFINE VIETNAMESE
SOCIALISM IN THE FACE OF MARKET-DRIVEN ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT AND GLOBALIZATION, AS WELL AS INTERNAL
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CHALLENGES STEMMING FROM OVERLY BUREAUCRATIC PRACTICES
AND CORRUPTION. ENTRY INTO THE CPV OF PRIVATE
ENTREPRENEURS REMAINS A CONTENTIOUS THEORETICAL ISSUE.
IDEOLOGICAL ORGANS ARE LIKELY DESPERATE TO RETAIN
INFLUENCE IN AN ERA WHEN THEORIES ARE OF LITTLE IF ANY
INTEREST TO MOST OF THE PUBLIC AND WHEN THE IDEOLOGICAL
LEADERSHIP OF THE CPV IS INCREASINGLY IRRELEVANT TO
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL REALITIES. END SUMMARY.


3. (C) IN A MEETING WITH POL/C ON APRIL 15, DR. DAO
DUY QUAT, VICE CHAIRMAN OF COMMISSION FOR IDEOLOGICAL
AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE
COMMUNIST PARTY OF VIETNAM (CPV) AND SIMULTANEOUSLY A
MEMBER OF THE CENTRAL THEORETICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL,
DESCRIBED THE MAJOR ACTIVITIES AND PRIORITIES OF THE
COUNCIL. HE WAS JOINED BY DR. NGUYEN VIET THONG,
DIRECTOR OF THE THEORETICAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF THE
COMMISSION FOR IDEOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS, AND
MS. PHAM THI DAO, AN EXPERT IN ITS DEPARTMENT FOR
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND POPULARIZATION.

ORGANIZATIONAL ASPECTS
--------------


4. (C) DR. QUAT STRESSED THAT ALL THE WORK OF THE
COUNCIL WAS PREMISED ON THE NECESSITY FOR THE CPV TO
"HOLD POWER" AND TO RETAIN ITS "DECISIVE PATH-SETTING"
VIS-A-VIS POLICIES FOR VIETNAM. THE COUNCIL ACTS AS AN
"ADVISER" TO THE POLITBURO, CENTRAL COMMITTEE, AND CPV
GENERAL SECRETARY NONG DUC MANH ON THE THEORETICAL
BASIS FOR EXISTING AND NEW POLICIES, ALTHOUGH HE SAID
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THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBERS DO NOT OFFER SPECIFIC POLICY
RECOMMENDATIONS PER SE. THE COUNCIL ALSO ADVISES THE
CPV ON IDEOLOGICAL CAMPAIGNS TO IMPLEMENT CPV
DECISIONS, SUCH AS TO PROMOTE VIETNAM'S ECONOMIC
MODERNIZATION UNDER "DOI MOI" AND ITS INTEGRATION INTO
THE WORLD ECONOMY.


5. (U) COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE SELECTED FOR FIVE YEAR
TERMS AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH NEW PARTY CONGRESS. DR.
QUAT WAS ELECTED TO HIS SECOND TERM AT THE NINTH PARTY
CONGRESS IN 2001, WHEN THE COUNCIL WAS EXPANDED FROM 23
TO 36 MEMBERS. THE COUNCIL DID NOT EXIST UNDER THIS
NAME OR WITH ITS CURRENT FUNCTIONS BEFORE THE 7TH PARTY
CONGRESS, ALTHOUGH DR. QUAT INDICATED THAT OTHER CPV
ORGANS BEFORE THEN HAD HANDLED RELATED FUNCTIONS.


6. (C) THE COUNCIL INCLUDES FIVE OFFICES: POLITICS,
ECONOMICS, CULTURE AND SOCIETY, PARTY-BUILDING, AND
DEFENSE AND PUBLIC SECURITY. (NOTE: EMBASSY
UNDERSTANDS THAT THERE ARE ALSO FIVE PERMANENT STAFF
MEMBERS, ALTHOUGH DR. QUAT DID NOT DISCUSS THEIR
EXISTENCE OR ROLE. END NOTE) EACH MEMBER IS FOCUSED ON
ONE MAIN SPECIALTY, WHILE EXPECTED ALSO TO BE ABLE TO
CONTRIBUTE ON ALL ASPECTS OF THE COUNCIL'S WORK.
COUNCIL MEMBERS MAY INDIVIDUALLY OR JOINTLY UNDERTAKE
"RESEARCH" PROJECTS, WHICH APPEAR MOSTLY TO TAKE THE
FORM OF VISITS AND INSPECTIONS (BOTH TO CENTRAL ORGANS
IN HANOI AND IN THE COUNTRYSIDE),AS WELL AS LIAISON
AND EXCHANGES OF VIEWS WITH FOREIGN COUNTERPARTS. DR.
QUAT EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN CONTACTS WITH A RESEARCH
ORGANIZATION UNDER THE "RULING PARTY" OF THE UNITED
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STATES.


7. (C) THE COUNCIL MEETS IN PLENUM FOR ABOUT A WEEK
EVERY THREE MONTHS, DR. QUAT SAID, FOR GENERAL
DISCUSSION ON TWO OR THREE SELECTED THEORETICAL ISSUES.
IT USUALLY PREPARES A WRITTEN DOCUMENT FOR REFERENCE
PRIMARILY BY THE POLITBURO AND GENERAL SECRETARY; HE
ADMITTED THAT THESE DOCUMENTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR
PUBLIC PURVIEW OR DISCUSSION. THE POLITBURO ISSUES
GENERAL GUIDANCE ON THEORETICAL PRIORITIES AT THE
BEGINNING OF EVERY PARTY CONGRESS, BUT HE ADDED THAT
THE COUNCIL RECEIVES MORE UPDATED GUIDANCE REGULARLY AS
PRIORITIES CHANGE.

TASKS FOR 2002
--------------


8. (C) THE COUNCIL CONTINUES TO STRUGGLE TO
ARTICULATE A "CLEAR THEORY" ABOUT THE NATURE AND
DIRECTION OF SOCIALISM IN A MARKET-ORIENTED ECONOMY,
DR. QUAT ADMITTED. HE NOTED THE THEORETICAL

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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 03 HANOI 000931

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DIFFICULTIES IN DEFINING THE LEADING ROLE OF THE PARTY
IN AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCREASINGLY DRIVEN BY THE
ROLE OF MARKETS. HE POINTED TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
THE US-VIETNAM BILATERAL TRADE AGREEMENT, AS WELL AS TO
THE EFFECTS OF GLOBALIZATION ON VIETNAMESE AGRICULTURE,
AS OTHER COMPLICATING FACTORS IN THIS THEORETICAL
DEBATE. HOWEVER, HE STRESSED THAT THE SIGNING AND
RATIFICATION OF THE BTA, AS WELL AS ONGOING EFFORTS BY
VIETNAM TO JOIN THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION, CLEARLY
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WERE THE RESULTS OF, AND REFLECTED, CPV POLICY AND
PRIORITIES. HE ALSO POINTED TO THE "LONG TERM POSITIVE
EFFECTS" OF BTA ON VIETNAM'S ECONOMIC GROWTH, AND SAID
THAT ITS IMPLEMENTATION WAS UNDOUBTEDLY IN THE BEST
INTERESTS OF BOTH COUNTRIES. HE NOTED EXPLICITLY THAT
HE WAS "NOT OFFERING PERSONAL OPINIONS."


9. (C) STRENGTHENING THE IDEOLOGICAL LEVEL OF PARTY
AND GOVERNMENT CADRES WAS ANOTHER KEY TASK FOR 2002,
DR. QUAT SAID. HE NOTED THAT "THE REALITY IS THAT SOME
PARTY MEMBERS AND SOME CADRES ARE WEAK" IN THIS DOMAIN.
HE CLAIMED NONETHELESS THAT THE PARTY WAS "MAKING
PROGRESS" IN THIS EFFORT. (REFTEL PROVIDES TEXT OF CPV
GENERAL SECRETARY MANH'S SPEECH TO A JANUARY 29 MEETING
OF THE COUNCIL, AS REPORTED IN TAP CHI CONG SAN, THE
BIMONTHLY THEORETICAL JOURNAL OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE,
IN WHICH HE DISCUSSES THIS PROBLEM EXTENSIVELY.)


10. (C) ANOTHER ONGOING DEBATE REVOLVED AROUND PARTY
MEMBERSHIP BY PRIVATE ENTREPRENEURS, DR. QUAT SAID IN
RESPONSE TO A QUESTION. HE NOTED THAT THE COUNCIL HAD
FOLLOWED CLOSELY THE DEBATE WITHIN THE CHINESE
COMMUNIST PARTY ON THIS ISSUE, BUT THAT THE CCP WAS
FURTHER AHEAD IN ITS DECISION-MAKING. (HE ADDED THAT
HE WAS LEAVING ON APRIL 16 FOR THE PRC TO EXCHANGE
VIEWS ON THIS AND OTHER THEORETICAL ISSUES WITH CCP
COUNTERPARTS.) DR. QUAT REMARKED THAT THE "BIG
DISAGREEMENTS" WITHIN THE CPV ON THIS SUBJECT STEMMED
FROM THE CPV'S SELF-IDENTIFICATION WITH THE "WORKERS"
AND NOT WITH THE "BOSSES" OR "EXPLOITERS." MANY CPV
MEMBERS, OR AT LEAST "A PART" OF THE CPV, FELT STRONGLY
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THAT THE CPV SHOULD MAINTAIN THIS SOLIDARITY. HOWEVER,
THE CPV LEADERSHIP HAS ALREADY AGREED THAT CURRENT CPV
MEMBERS MAY ENGAGE IN PRIVATE BUSINESS, ACCORDING TO
DR. QUAT, WHILE DEFERRING FOR NOW ANY DECISION ON
WHETHER ANY NEW MEMBERS MAY COME FROM THE RANKS OF
PRIVATE BUSINESS OR ENTERPRISE. HE PREDICTED FINAL
RESOLUTION OF THIS ISSUE BEFORE THE 10TH PARTY CONGRESS
IN 2006.

CHALLENGES FOR THE FUTURE
--------------


11. (C) DR. QUAT SAID THAT ESSENTIAL TO THE CPV'S
FUTURE WOULD BE THE CPV'S AND GVN'S ABILITY TO MAINTAIN
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AT SUITABLE LEVELS. THE COUNCIL
IS SEEKING TO FRAME THE THEORETICAL UNDERPINNINGS UNDER
MARXIST-LENINIST THOUGHT FOR THE ACHIEVEMENT OF AN
INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY BY 2020 UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF THE
CPV, HE ADDED. THE OTHER MAIN CHALLENGE OVER THE NEXT
FEW YEARS WILL BE THE CPV'S ABILITY SUCCESSFULLY TO
COMBAT "BUREAUCRATICISM AND CORRUPTION." WHILE
STRESSING THAT ALL SOCIETIES AND SYSTEMS FACE SUCH
PROBLEMS, HE ADMITTED THAT IF THE CPV FAILS AT THIS
TASK -- OR IS PERCEIVED AS FAILING -- IT WOULD BE "VERY
DANGEROUS" FOR THE CPV'S MONOPOLY ON POWER. WHEN ASKED
IF HE WAS "OPTIMISTIC" THAT THE CPV WOULD BE SUCCESSFUL
IN THIS FIGHT, HE RESPONDED ONLY THAT "WE BELIEVE WE
CAN SOLVE" THESE PROBLEMS. HE POINTED TO RECENT
REQUIREMENTS ON THE DECLARATION OF ASSETS BY OFFICIALS
AS EVIDENCE OF THE CPV'S DETERMINATION, WHILE ADMITTING
THAT CULTURAL PRACTICES AND LACK OF ADEQUATE
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SUPERVISION MADE IT DIFFICULT TO ENSURE FULL
DISCLOSURE. DR. QUAT ALSO CLAIMED THAT
"DEMOCRATIZATION" WOULD PLAY AN ESSENTIAL PART IN THIS
STRUGGLE, AND THAT A LARGER ROLE FOR THE MEDIA IN
INVESTIGATING SUCH PROBLEMS COULD BE VALUABLE.


12. (C) COMMENT: THE CPV'S IDEOLOGICAL ORGANS
PROBABLY REMAIN AMONG THE LAST BASTIONS OF COMMUNIST
CONSERVATISM, ALONG WITH ELEMENTS OF THE DEFENSE AND
SECURITY HIERARCHY. AS SUCH, THEY LIKELY ARE
STRUGGLING TO RETAIN THEIR IDENTITY AND A USEFUL ROLE
IN THIS RAPIDLY CHANGING SOCIETY, IN WHICH THE
DIRECTIVES AND THEORETICAL DEBATES OF THE CPV ARE, OR
MAY APPEAR TO BE, OF INCREASINGLY IRRELEVANCE TO THE
LIVES OF MOST VIETNAMESE CITIZENS. WITH MARKET FORCES
REPLACING CPV DIKTATS AS THE BASIS FOR ECONOMIC
DECISIONS, THE LEADERSHIP ROLE OF THE CPV IS
NECESSARILY CIRCUMSCRIBED, EVEN THOUGH THE CPV,
DIRECTLY OR THROUGH THE GVN, RETAINS CONSIDERABLE
COERCIVE AND/OR PUNITIVE CAPACITIES. FOR ALL THE
PUBLICITY IN THE MEDIA GIVEN TO THE "THREATS" FROM

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INFO LOG-00 NP-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 DS-00 FBIE-00
VC-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 VCE-00 NSAE-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02
NFAT-00 SAS-00 /002W
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FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 6196
INFO AMEMBASSY BEIJING
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 03 OF 03 HANOI 000931

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"HOSTILE FORCES" OR FROM "PEACEFUL EVOLUTION," IT IS
NOTABLE THAT DR. QUAT DID NOT CITE SUCH ISSUES AS
PRIORITY TASKS FOR 2002 OR FUTURE CHALLENGES FOR THE
CPV. THIS MAY INDICATE THAT EVEN THE CPV DOES NOT TAKE
ITS OWN PROPAGANDA TOTALLY SERIOUSLY (OR THAT ITS
IDEOLOGICAL LEADERS SEE NO POINT IN DISCUSSING DIRECTLY
WITH A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE USG).
BURGHARDT

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