Obama meets Vietnamese Communist leader in Washington

After 40 years after the end of the Vietnam War, US President Barack Obama and the head of the Vietnamese Communist Party sat opposite each other in the Oval Office, talking about the “extraordinary progress” achieved in relations between the two former opponents.

“Of course, the history of relations between our countries in the 20 century was not easy, and there are still significant differences in political philosophy and political systems between the two countries. However, I think, thanks to the efforts of our leaders representing both parties and the leaders of Vietnam, we are seeing the formation of constructive relations based on mutual respect in the interests of the peoples of both countries, ”said President Obama.

On Tuesday, the President received the Secretary General of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Chong, who arrived in the United States to mark the 20 anniversary of the normalization of relations between Washington and Hanoi.

“Twenty years ago, few could have imagined that there could be an interesting, substantive meeting between the Secretary General of the Vietnamese Communist Party and the President of the United States,” said the Vietnamese leader.

This is a historic visit taking place against the background of the concerns of both countries over the territorial claims of China and the actions of the PRC in the South China Sea. Last year, China installed an oil-producing platform approximately 200 kilometers off the coast of Vietnam, and this year began building bulk islands on reefs located in the area claimed by Vietnam.

“We discussed the importance of resolving maritime territorial disputes in the South China Sea and throughout the Asia-Pacific region in accordance with the norms of international law - so that the welfare of countries and freedom of navigation, which ensured the ongoing economic growth in the region, would not suffer in the coming decades” - Obama said.

None of the two leaders mentioned China, Chong only expressed "concern about some actions that do not comply with international law and may complicate the situation."

The parties also discussed the Trans-Pacific Partnership - a free trade agreement, which in addition to a dozen other countries includes Vietnam, but not China.

Some Vietnamese have high hopes that the meeting and membership of Vietnam in the TTP will bring relations between the US and Vietnam to a new level, which will be crucial for countering the strengthening of Chinese influence in the region.

Blogger Le An Huung, who took part in street protests against China's actions, emphasizes: “Vietnam needs such an ally to confront Beijing.”

“Many hope that this visit will be a turning point in the development of relations between Vietnam and the United States, which will help Vietnam resist the political and economic influence of China,” Hyung said. “This symbolic visit allows people to expect a lot from the strengthening of relations between Hanoi and Washington in the future.”

However, along with the discussion of trade issues, inevitably there are questions about the observance of human rights in Vietnam. President Obama noted that in the course of the conversation that took place, “frankly” disagreements between the two countries regarding human rights and freedom of religion were discussed.

The US President clarified that through continued cooperation and diplomatic dialogue, both bilaterally and multilaterally, “these differences can be effectively resolved.”

Near the White House, Vietnamese living in the United States gathered to protest against the visit of the Vietnamese Communist Party’s Secretary General, holding banners and chanting slogans calling for democracy and the release of imprisoned journalists.

California resident Huu Dinh Wo from the Federation of Vietnamese Communities of the United States says that the Vietnamese leadership continues to restrict fundamental freedoms, including freedom of the press, freedom of religion and freedom of speech.

“We want America to be more active in supporting human rights and democracy in Vietnam, and any trade relations should depend on improving the human rights situation in Vietnam, otherwise the establishment of trade relations benefits only the communist leaders, not the people of Vietnam.” - said Huu Dinh Wo.

According to him, the United States should not strive to establish closer ties with Vietnam, if the leadership of this country does not take the path of democratic reforms.

The White House spokesman said Tuesday that the United States would like to see a much more significant improvement in the human rights situation in Vietnam, but noted that rapprochement with Vietnam and its involvement in the TTP would benefit this country, since it would have to accept concrete obligations to protect the rights of workers.

“If you just try to ignore and isolate the country, in some cases it does not have the same strong influence as establishing cooperation with this country,” Ernest said.