POLITBURO MEMBER SEEKS ANTI-CORRUPTION TRAINING FOR PARTY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HANOI 000414 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM ECON PGOV KCOR KPAO SOCI PREL VM SUBJECT: POLITBURO MEMBER SEEKS ANTI-CORRUPTION TRAINING FOR PARTY INSPECTORS AT U.S. INSTITUTIONS REF: Hanoi 152 HANOI 00000414 001.2 OF 003 Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) In an April 9 meeting with Ambassador, Politburo member Nguyen Van Chi asked for U.S. help in selecting American institutions with expertise in anti-corruption work which could cooperate with Vietnam to enhance its capacity in that regard. The Ambassador and Chi discussed Hanoi's fight against corruption as well as U.S.-Vietnam relations and reform of Vietnam's educational system. Chi is Chairman of the Communist Party's powerful Central Inspection Commission, responsible for supervising and disciplining Party officials and, along with the Personnel Commission, recommending leaders for promotion and demotion. He appealed for the USG to deepen relations with Hanoi in the interests of "comprehensive long-term stability" in Southeast Asia, and responded positively to the Ambassador's call for greater interaction between Party and USG officials to improve understanding about how the countries' respective systems operate. Nguyen Van Chi's official biography is in paragraph 11. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) On April 9, the Ambassador met Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Politburo member and Chairman of the CPV's Central Inspection Commission Nguyen Van Chi. Seven officials from the Party's Central Inspection and External Relations Commissions accompanied Chi to the meeting in an ornate room at CPV headquarters. ¶3. (SBU) The Central Inspection Commission is ONE of the most powerful of the CPV's six commissions; current Minister of Public Security Le Hong Anh headed the Central Inspection Commission before Chi took charge. The Commission receives and analyzes the asset declarations of Politburo and Party Commission members (as the Government Inspectorate does for GVN officials),supervises and disciplines Party officials and works with the Party's Personnel Commission in recommending leaders for promotion and demotion. The Commission also reviews Government projects and policies for Vietnam's senior-most leaders. U.S.-Vietnam Relations -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Relations between the USG and GVN in the past were "not so healthy," but now they are "much improved," Chi told the Ambassador. Chi agreed that increased investment and trade have served as the foundation for deeper U.S.-Vietnam relations. There are now many U.S.-based corporations invested in Vietnam, he declared. ¶5. (SBU) Chi made special note of the increasing number of high-level exchanges between the two sides. He said he supported then-Defense Secretary William Cohen's 2000 visit to Vietnam, visited the State and Defense Departments in early 2003 to lay the groundwork for Defense Minister Pham Van Tra's visit to Washington later that year, and helped the GVN prepare for then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's 2006 visit to Vietnam. Chi appealed for SIPDIS the USG to enhance relations with the GVN in the interests of "comprehensive long-term stability" in Southeast Asia. Desire for CPV Officials To Study in United States -------------- -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Chi took note of the Ambassador's offer of USG technical assistance for efforts to fight corruption. Education is the "driving force for the economy" and the GVN appreciates USG help in improving Vietnam's educational system, Chi said. The Party wants to send, on an annual basis, 20-30 cadres who are under 50 years of age to study the efforts of foreign governments in fighting corruption. Corruption is a transnational issue, he declared. ¶7. (SBU) Chi inquired if there any U.S. educational institutions that specialize in anti-corruption areas. The GVN has sent cadres to Germany and Australia for anti-corruption training and would like to send some officials to the United States to do the same. The Ambassador responded that many American and foreign non-governmental organizations provide training on anti-corruption. He promised to have his staff get back to Chi on which U.S. educational institutions offer this kind of training. Human Rights -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Chi agreed with the Ambassador's assertion that the USG and GVN have differences on human rights, but that it is important that the two sides continue to talk about these differences. The Chairman followed this up, however, by asserting that the Party and GVN "fully respect all political and religious views." Chi saw few churches, pagodas and religious followers during his time in the South from 1954 to 1965. However, since 1975, their numbers have grown significantly, he stated. This growth shows that there is "no HANOI 00000414 002.2 OF 003 reason" to say the CPV and GVN do not respect human rights, he argued. Increasing Mutual Understanding -------------- ¶9. (SBU) The Ambassador appealed to Chi for greater interaction between Party and USG officials to improve understanding about how the countries' respective systems operate. The Ambassador encouraged Party officials to participate in the U.S. Embassy-sponsored seminars on the November American elections. The Ambassador also said he would like to meet Chi again soon -- perhaps after the Ambassador returns to Hanoi from an upcoming trip to the United States sponsored by the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council. Future discussions with Chi and other Party officials could focus on how the U.S. system works, the Ambassador stated. Comment: Opening to Greater Governance Cooperation -------------- -------------- ¶10. (SBU) Nguyen Van Chi is a Party stalwart who has headed the CPV's Central Inspection Commission since 2002. Chi and several of his colleagues visited Australia last November, studying how the Australian Government prevents and fights corruption. The Ambassador had also met earlier with Chi's government counterpart, Tran Van Truyen, head of the Government Inspectorate, who also requested technical assistance (Reftel). That Chi wants to send CPV cadres for anti-corruption training in the United States is a welcome sign, and we will follow up in the context of our efforts to establish a regular dialogue with senior CPV leaders that will help facilitate the expansion of our programs in support of good governance in Vietnam. ¶11. (SBU) Begin biography: Nguyen Van Chi Date of birth July 28, 1945 Place of birth Hoa Tien Commune, Hoa Vang District, Da Nang City Joined Party June 14, 1965 Education Bachelor's Degree in Economics 1954-1964 Primary and secondary school student and secret Party courier 1964 Officially joined "revolution" 1965-1969 Member, Deputy Head of Hoa Vang District's Economic Committee, Deputy Secretary of the Hoa Vang District Area No. Two 1971-1973 Member of Quang Nam/ Da Nang Party Committee, Chief of Provincial Party Committee 1974-1976 Studied political theory at Ho Chi Minh National Political Academy 1976-1979 Chairman and Party Secretary of Hoa Vang District 1979-1982 Vice Chairman, then Director of Planning Department of Quang Nam-Da Nang Province 1983-1984 Quang Nam-Da Nang Province's "Special Envoy" 1984-1986 Party Deputy Secretary, Da Nang City Dec 1986 Joined CPV's Central Committee (6th Congress),Party Secretary of Quang Nam-Da Nang Province SIPDIS Jul 1991 Joined CPV's Central Committee (7th Congress),Party Secretary of Quang Nam-Da Nang Province SIPDIS 1994-1995 Party and Government Special Envoy to Central provinces and Central Highlands May 1995 CPV Central Committee member (8th Congress),Deputy Head of CPV's Internal Political Protection Commission (which Party merged with Personnel Commission in 2007) HANOI 00000414 003.2 OF 003 2000-2002 Central Committee member (9th Congress),Head of CPV's Internal Political Protection Commission April 2001 Joined Politburo (9th Congress) 2002-Present Chairman, Party's Central Inspection Commission, Central Committee and Politburo member MICHALAK