US Secretary of State John Kerry yesterday hailed the “remarkable transformation” of relations with Vietnam 20 years after ties were established, but warned that Hanoi’s poor rights record stood in the way of deeper bonds between the former wartime foes.
Kerry, on the last leg of a trip through the Middle East and Asia, is in Hanoi to mark the diplomatic milestone with the communist nation and hold talks on trade, human rights and regional security — including maritime issues in the contested South China Sea.
Kerry met Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang early yesterday at the Presidential Palace, shaking hands with the official in front of a giant bust of Vietnamese independence hero Ho Chi Minh.
The two nations “have again proven that former adversaries really can become partners,” Kerry said in a speech.
However, progress on human rights is essential for “a deeper and more sustainable” partnership between the countries, which fought a bitter decades-long war which ended in 1975.
“Only you can decide the pace and direction of this progress, but I’m sure you’ve noticed that America’s closest partnerships in the world are with countries that share a commitment to certain values,” Kerry added.
From an eight-fold increase in US visitors to Vietnam, to a 20-fold rise in the number of Vietnamese students studying in the US, the former enemies have come a long way in 20 years, he said.
Bilateral trade has surged from about US$450 million in 1995 to more than US$36 billion, even as the two countries work toward concluding the ambitious US-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal.
“These aren’t just statistics. They’re a measure of one of the most remarkable transformations in the history of world affairs,” the US’ top diplomat said.
However, he cautioned that Vietnam needs to improve its rights record.
“Millions of people in Vietnam are already freely expressing themselves on Facebook,” Kerry said, adding that protecting free speech would “strengthen social cohesion and stability.”
The one-time presidential hopeful has said his political activism was inspired by his experiences patrolling waterways in the Mekong Delta on Swift Boats during the Vietnam War.
He served with the US Navy from 1966 to 1970 as a naval lieutenant and it was on his return after two tours of duty that he became a fierce campaigner against the war, which ended in 1975.
Kerry was to hold talks later yesterday with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, covering regional security and economic ties — including the TPP.
Workers’ rights issues — Vietnam does not allow independent trade unions have been a sticking point in the ongoing trade negotiations, which also include Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and other Pacific Rim countries, but not China.
Hanoi is also locked in a longstanding territorial dispute with Beijing over island chains in the South China Sea.
Kerry said that resolution of disputes in the South China Sea “should depend on who has the better argument not who has the bigger army,” and urged all parties to refrain from “provocative acts” in the contested waters.
Henry Tong (湯偉雄) and Elaine To (杜依蘭) were preparing to spend their first wedding anniversary in separate prison cells until their acquittal for rioting during Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests. There were gasps and tears of relief in court on Friday last week as a judge declared prosecutors had failed to prove that the couple took part in clashes with police in July last year. The pair walked free in a ruling that has potential consequences for hundreds of other protesters facing similar charges. However, they have a long journey ahead as they try to rebuild their lives and business. “We have already been punished,”
WARNINGS OVER COMPLACENCY: The curves of new infections in numerous countries is climbing, while others see the the first new infections in months Spikes in COVID-19 infections in Asia have dispelled any notion that the region might be over the worst, with Australia and India yesterday reporting record daily infections, Vietnam fretting over a new surge and North Korea urging vigilance. Asian nations had largely prided themselves on rapidly containing initial outbreaks after the coronavirus emerged in central China late last year, but flare-ups this month have shown the danger of complacency. “We’ve got to be careful not to slip into some idea that there’s some golden immunity that Australia has in relation to this virus,” Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters. Australia recorded its
‘COVIDIOTS’: Politicians condemned the protest that came amid surging infections in the country, while a marcher said government-induced fear weakened the body Loudly chanting their opposition to masks and vaccines, thousands of people on Saturday gathered in Berlin to protest against COVID-19 restrictions before being dispersed by police. Police put turnout at about 20,000 — well below the 500,000 organizers had announced as they urged a “day of freedom” from months of virus curbs. Despite Germany’s comparatively low toll, authorities are concerned at a rise in infections over the past few weeks and politicians took to social media to criticize the rally as irresponsible. “We are the second wave,” shouted the crowd, a mixture of hard left and right and conspiracy theorists, as they converged
The Australian government yesterday said that it plans to give Google and Facebook three months to negotiate with media businesses fair pay for news content. In releasing a draft of a mandatory code of conduct, Canberra aims to succeed where other nations have failed in making tech firms pay for news siphoned from commercial media companies. Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said that Google and Facebook would be the first platforms targeted by the proposed legislation, but others could follow. “It’s about a fair go for Australian news media businesses, it’s about ensuring that we have increased competition, increased consumer protection and a sustainable
RSS