VIETNAM UNENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT EAST ASIA SUMMIT

UNCLAS HANOI 000042

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL VM ARF ASEAN
SUBJECT: VIETNAM UNENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT EAST ASIA SUMMIT

REF: A. 04 STATE 275091 B. 04 HANOI 3042


1. (SBU) Summary: Vietnam strongly supports ASEAN as the
best way for smaller Asian countries to ensure that their
interests are respected and sees the East Asian Summit (EAS)
and the East Asian Community (EAC) as an effort by China to
re-form the ASEAN+3 mechanism without ASEAN's solidarity.
Vietnam reluctantly joined the consensus in favor of the EAS
at the end of the Vientiane ASEAN summit, but believes that
if the EAS is to avoid becoming a Chinese tool, it should
open its doors to Australia, New Zealand and India, and
possibly Russia and the United States. The purpose and
agenda of the meeting are not yet decided, but the meeting
will be held in December 2005 and include the current
ASEAN+3 countries. End Summary.


2. (SBU) Duong Hai Hung, Deputy Director of the General
Division of the MFA's ASEAN Department, told Poloff January
4 that Vietnam's highest priority is "ensuring a driving
role" for ASEAN in any pan-Asian regional architecture
mechanism. ASEAN's integration with other Asian countries
should occur "step by step" to prevent "one big power" from
dominating the region. Vietnam is far more cautious in this
respect than Malaysia or Thailand, Hung noted. Thailand's
and Malaysia's enthusiasm for formalizing the ASEAN+3
structure and creating the EAS is difficult to understand
given that the existing structure allows ASEAN to dictate
the agenda and timetable of meetings as well as to produce a
post-meeting "chairman's statement" without consulting the
other participants, Hung said. China's frustration with
this system is understandable, Hung noted, because it
reserves significant power for ASEAN and blunts China's
ability to "dominate" smaller nations.


3. (SBU) Compounding Vietnam's discomfort with the EAS are
the modalities and possible decision-making structure of the
mechanism, neither of which has been formalized, Hung
continued. "Vietnam supports a consensus-based approach
focused on functional cooperation and economic development,"
Hung stated. "The EAS will reflect the concerns of all
countries and could include political, economic and security
issues." This would eliminate ASEAN solidarity and address
larger issues outside of ASEAN, Hung said. In addition,
Vietnam is concerned that the EAS "could have a significant
impact, and could move very fast, unlike ASEAN." [Note:
Vietnam likes ASEAN's measured pace because it allows
Vietnam to keep the organization (and its members) away from
sensitive political and security issues such as human
rights. End note.] As a result, Vietnam supports widening
participation in future EAS meetings to include New Zealand,
Australia and India, and possibly Russia and the United
States. "We will need to balance China in the EAS," Hung
said. Many of these issues will be discussed at an ASEAN
Senior Officials Meeting in Hanoi January 13-14, he added,
and recommendations will be forwarded to the ASEAN Foreign
Ministers for decision. Discussions of the agenda and
purpose of the meeting are "in the future," Hung concluded,
but the first meeting would almost certainly be held in
December 2005 and include only the ASEAN+3 countries.


4. (SBU) Comment: As reported ref B, Vietnam greatly
appreciates the minimalist approach represented by ASEAN,
which values consensus and stays away from sensitive issues.
In addition, the "ASEAN+3" structure allows ASEAN countries
to interact with China and Japan with some degree of parity.
GVN officials - from working level officers like Hung up to
Vice Foreign Minister Le Van Bang - consistently reiterate
that Vietnam wants to avoid a situation where China can
effectively dominate its smaller neighbors. Forced to
accept a one-country-one-vote mechanism in the form of the
EAS, Vietnam will likely actively promote the expansion of
the forum in future years to include other big powers, such
as India and the United States, to balance China's
influence. End Comment.
MARINE