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| | * [[Directory:Vietnam/Vietnam Transportation And Telecommunications|Vietnam Transportation And Telecommunications]] | | * [[Directory:Vietnam/Vietnam Transportation And Telecommunications|Vietnam Transportation And Telecommunications]] |
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| − | == Government And Politics ==
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| | * [[Directory:Vietnam/Vietnam Government And Politics|Vietnam Government And Politics]] | | * [[Directory:Vietnam/Vietnam Government And Politics|Vietnam Government And Politics]] |
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| − | '''Government Overview:''' The Vietnamese Communist Party (VCP) has a monopoly on power. A
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| − | three-person collective leadership consists of the VCP general secretary, the prime minister, and
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| − | the president. President Tran Duc Luong is the chief of state, while Prime Minister Phan Van
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| − | Khai is head of government. General Secretary Nong Duc Manh heads up not only the VCP but
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| − | also the 15-member Politburo. A decision by any member of the triumvirate is vetted by the
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| − | other two. As a result, policy announcements tend to be bland and equivocal.
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| − | In July 2002, the National Assembly voted to keep Prime Minister Khai and President Luong in
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| − | office until 2007. Khai, who is the oldest member of the cabinet and is known for his pro-reform
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| − | policies, is believed likely to complete his 2002–7 term because of the absence of an heir
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| − | apparent. The mechanism for transfers of power suffers from a lack of transparency.
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| − |
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| − |
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| − | '''Constitution:''' Vietnam has had a series of constitutions, introduced in 1946, 1959, 1980, and
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| − | 1992. As of late 2004, the Vietnamese constitution is regarded as the 1992 document, as
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| − | amended in 2001 to continue the reform of the state apparatus, to allow more leeway to the
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| − | private sector, and to promote progress in the areas of education, science, and technology. The
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| − | original 1992 constitution modestly downgraded the roles of the Vietnamese Communist Party
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| − | (VCP) and the government in favor of reform. Instead of being authorized to do whatever was
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| − | necessary to “build socialism,” the VCP was subordinated to the constitution and the law, while
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| − | the government was assigned specific management functions under the direction of a prime
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| − | minister, whose powers also were defined. In addition, the constitution called for a multisector
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| − | economy. Although the autonomy of state enterprises was recognized, a role also was assigned to
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| − | the private sector. Individuals were permitted to acquire lengthy land leases. Foreign investors
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| − | were granted ownership rights and protection against nationalization.
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| − | In 2001 the constitution was amended to increase the role of the National Assembly by giving it
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| − | the authority to decide budget allocations and to stage votes of no confidence in office holders.
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| − | Amendments also boosted the role of the private sector by recognizing the right to operate of any
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| − | businesses not explicitly prohibited and lifting restrictions on their size. These revisions were
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| − | intended to encourage the development of a cottage industry of individual traders and private
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| − | enterprises. In the field of education, amendments established the goals of universal secondary
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| − | education, more vocational and technical training, and easier access to education by the poor and
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| − | handicapped.
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| − |
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| − |
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| − | '''Branches of Government:''' The constitution recognizes the National Assembly as “the highest
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| − | organ of state power.” The National Assembly, a 498-member unicameral body elected to a five-
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| − | year term, meets twice a year. The assembly appoints the president (chief of state), the prime
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| − | minister (head of government), chief procurators of the Supreme People’s Court and the
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| − | Supreme People’s Office of Supervision and Control (the heads of the judiciary), and the 21-
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| − | member cabinet (the executive). Once a rubber stamp, the National Assembly has become more
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| − | assertive in holding ministers accountable and amending legislation. Ultimately, however, the
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| − | Vietnamese Communist Party (VCP) controls the executive and the electoral process. The VCP
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| − | exercises control through the 150-member Central Committee, which elects the 15-member
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| − | Politburo at national party congresses held every five years. Members of the party hold all senior
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| − | government positions.
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| − | The Vietnamese government has ministers in the following areas: agriculture and rural
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| − | development; construction; culture and information; education and training; finance; foreign
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| − | affairs; industry; interior; justice; labor, war invalids, and social affairs; marine products;
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| − | national defense; planning and investment; public health; science, technology and environment;
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| − | trade; and transport and communications.
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| − |
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| − |
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| − | '''Administrative Divisions:''' Administratively, Vietnam consists of 59 provinces and 5
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| − | municipalities. The provinces are An Giang, Bac Giang, Bac Kan, Bac Lieu, Bac Ninh, Ba Ria-
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| − | Vung Tau, Ben Tre, Binh Dinh, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Binh Thuan, Ca Mau, Cao Bang, Dac
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| − | Lak, Dac Nong, Dien Bien, Dong Nai, Dong Thap, Gia Lai, Ha Giang, Hai Duong, Ha Nam, Ha
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| − | Tay, Ha Tinh, Hau Giang, Hoa Binh, Hung Yen, Khanh Hoa, Kien Giang, Kon Tum, Lai Chau,
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| − | Lam Dong, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Long An, Nam Dinh, Nghe An, Ninh Binh, Ninh Thuan, Phu
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| − | Tho, Phu Yen, Quang Binh, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Quang Ninh, Quang Tri, Soc Trang, Son
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| − | La, Tay Ninh, Thai Binh, Thai Nguyen, Thanh Hoa, Thua Thien-Hue, Tien Giang, Tra Vinh,
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| − | Tuyen Quang, Vinh Long, Vinh Phuc, and Yen Bai. The municipalities are Can Tho, Da Nang,
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| − | Haiphong, Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh.
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| − |
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| − |
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| − | '''Provincial and Local Government:''' Provinces and municipalities are subdivided into towns,
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| − | districts, and villages. The provinces and municipalities are centrally controlled by the national
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| − | government. The towns, districts, and villages are locally accountable to some degree through
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| − | elected people’s councils.
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| − |
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| − |
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| − | '''Judicial and Legal System:''' At the apex of the judicial system is the Supreme People’s Court
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| − | (SPC), which is the highest court for appeal and review. The SPC reports to the National
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| − | Assembly, which controls the judiciary’s budget and confirms the president’s nominees to the
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| − | SPC and Supreme People’s Procuracy. The Supreme People’s Procuracy issues arrest warrants,
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| − | sometimes retroactively. Below the SPC are district and provincial people’s courts, military
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| − | tribunals, and administrative, economic, and labor courts. The people’s courts are the courts of
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| − | first instance. The Ministry of Defense (MOD) has military tribunals, which have the same rules
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| − | as civil courts. Military judges and assessors are selected by the MOD and SPC, but the SPC has
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| − | supervisory responsibility.
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| − | Although the constitution provides for independent judges and lay assessors (who lack
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| − | administrative training), the U.S. Department of State maintains that Vietnam lacks an
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| − | independent judiciary, in part because the Vietnamese Communist Party (VCP) selects judges
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| − | and vets them for political reliability. Moreover, the party seeks to influence the outcome of
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| − | cases involving perceived threats to the state or the party’s dominant position. In an effort to
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| − | increase judicial independence, the government transferred local courts from the Ministry of
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| − | Justice to the SPC in September 2002. However, the Department of State saw no evidence that
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| − | the move actually achieved the stated goal. Vietnam’s judiciary also is hampered by a shortage
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| − | of lawyers and rudimentary trial procedures. The death penalty often is imposed in cases of
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| − | corruption and drug trafficking.
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| − |
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| − |
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| − | '''Electoral System:''' Vietnam has universal suffrage at age 18. Elections for the National
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| − | Assembly are scheduled every five years. The last election was held on May 19, 2002. The next
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| − | election is scheduled in 2007. In addition, elections to the people’s councils (local assemblies)
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| − | were last held in April 2004. Although candidates are carefully vetted, about 25 percent of those
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| − | elected were not members of the Vietnamese Communist Party (VCP). By a law enacted in
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| − | 2003, each district has at least two more candidates than the number of elected positions.
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| − |
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| − |
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| − | '''Politics/Political Parties:''' Vietnam is a one-party state. The Vietnamese Communist Party
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| − | (VCP) has a monopoly on power.
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| − | '''Mass Media:''' Vietnam’s mass media are supervised by the Ministry of Culture and Information
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| − | and communicate officially approved information. The government has shut down non-
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| − | compliant newspapers. Only senior officials are permitted access to foreign television via
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| − | satellite. Given Vietnam’s close supervision of official media outlets, dissidents have sought to
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| − | disseminate their views via the Internet, leading the government to impose restrictions on
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| − | Internet use and access. The regime controls Internet access via Vietnam’s sole gateway,
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| − | Vietnam Data Communications. In 2002 the Ministry of Culture and Information began to block
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| − | access to Internet Web sites it considers “subversive,” such as the BBC’s Vietnamese language
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| − | Web site. Also in 2002, the government sent a warning by jailing activists for publishing critical
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| − | commentaries on the Internet. Altogether, Reporters Without Borders documented seven cases of
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| − | dissidents being imprisoned or detained for illicit Internet use. The government also has
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| − | tightened controls over cybercafés. In 2004 the government reprimanded 65 cybercafé owners
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| − | for violating restrictions on Internet access, including the viewing of pornography.
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| − |
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| − |
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| − | '''Foreign Relations:''' During its incursion into Cambodia in 1978–89, Vietnam was isolated
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| − | internationally. However, soon after the conflict was resolved in the Paris Agreement on
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| − | Cambodia in October 1991, Vietnam established or reestablished diplomatic and economic
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| − | relations with most of Western Europe, China, and other East Asian countries. Vietnam joined
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| − | the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1995 and the Asia-Pacific Economic
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| − | Cooperation forum (APEC) in 1998. Vietnam’s foreign policy is aimed at developing good
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| − | relations with a diversified mix of nations.
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| − | In February 1994, the United States lifted its economic embargo against Vietnam, and in June
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| − | 1995 the United States and Vietnam normalized relations. However, these relations remain
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| − | somewhat volatile. Full implementation of a bilateral trade agreement, which came into effect in
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| − | December 2001, is being held up by a dispute over catfish exports. In July 2003, the
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| − | International Trade Commission decided in favor of the United States in the catfish dispute.
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| − | Vietnam’s government is also upset with a bill introduced in the U.S. Congress in July 2004 to
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| − | link non-humanitarian aid to Vietnam’s human rights record. In June 2005, a high-level
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| − | Vietnamese delegation, led by Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, visited the United States and met
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| − | with their U.S. counterparts, including President George W. Bush. This was the first such visit in
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| − | 30 years. The leaders engaged in far-reaching discussions, including lingering issues from the
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| − | Second Indochina War, but the United States did not endorse Vietnam’s bid to join the World
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| − | Trade Organization (WTO) during the visit.
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| − | Ideological affinities are driving improved relations with China, and trade between the nations
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| − | soared to reach US$7.2 billion in 2004. But despite improved relations, Vietnam remains
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| − | suspicious of China’s intentions. In January 2000, China and Vietnam signed a treaty defining a
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| − | common land border. However, the countries both claim sovereignty over the Spratly and
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| − | Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, and this dispute is a potential source of renewed tension.
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| − | Vietnam enjoys a good political and economic relationship with Japan, and the two countries are
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| − | partnering to exploit the disputed offshore oil fields in the South China Sea. At a meeting in
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| − | Hanoi in July 2004, foreign ministers from the two nations pledged to strengthen the partnership.
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| − | Already a major trading partner and investor, Japan promised to boost direct investment in
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| − | Vietnam. Japan also offered support for Vietnam’s bid to join the WTO. In December 2004,
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| − | Japan announced a grant of US$19 million to fight poverty in Vietnam.
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| − | Russia’s predecessor state, the Soviet Union, was a longstanding ally and a major investor.
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| − | Following the break-up of the Soviet Union, Russia reduced its investments in Vietnam. Trade
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| − | also suffered as a result of a dispute over the large debt that Vietnam owed the Soviet Union.
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| − | This debt has been restructured to Vietnam’s benefit so that Vietnam now must repay only 15
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| − | percent, with payments stretched over two decades. Part of the debt is repayable in commodities
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| − | such as rice and coffee.
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| − | '''Membership in International Organizations:''' Vietnam is a member of the Asian Development
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| − | Bank, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, the International Monetary Fund, the
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| − | United Nations, and the World Health Organization. Reflecting Vietnam’s recognition of its
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| − | place in the global economy, in 1995 Vietnam joined the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
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| − | (ASEAN). Now an observer at the World Trade Organization (WTO), Vietnam hopes to become
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| − | a full member of the WTO in 2006.
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| − | Other memberships include the Colombo Plan for Cooperative Economic and Social
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| − | Development in Asia and the Pacific, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations,
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| − | International Atomic Energy Agency, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
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| − | (World Bank), International Civil Aviation Organization, International Development
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| − | Association, International Fund for Agricultural Development, International Finance
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| − | Corporation, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, International
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| − | Labour Organization, International Maritime Organization, Interpol, International Olympic
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| − | Committee, International Telecommunication Union, Nonaligned Movement, Organisation for
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| − | the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development,
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| − | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, United Nations Industrial
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| − | Development Organization, World Confederation of Labor, World Customs Organization, World
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| − | Federation of Trade Unions, and World Intellectual Property Organization.
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| − | '''Major International Treaties:''' With the United States, Vietnam reached the following
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| − | agreements: Normalization of Relations (1995), Bilateral Trade (2001), and Counternarcotics,
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| − | Civil Aviation, and Textiles (2003). With China, Vietnam reached a Land Border Agreement
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| − | (1999), an Agreement on Borders in the Gulf of Tonkin (2000), and a Declaration on the
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| − | Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (2002). With Russia, Vietnam agreed to a Strategic
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| − | Partnership (2001).
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| − | Aside from these bilateral agreements, Vietnam is a signatory to numerous international
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| − | agreements on biological weapons, chemical weapons, civil aviation, counterterrorism,
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| − | diplomatic immunity, nuclear nonproliferation, and war crimes. Notable agreements on the
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| − | environment include the following: Convention on the Prohibition of Military or any other
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| − | Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques (1978), Convention on Early
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| − | Notification of a Nuclear Accident (1986), Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear
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| − | Accident or Radiological Emergency (1987), Convention for Protection of the Ozone Layer
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| − | (1988), Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (1989), and United
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| − | Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (1994).
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| | == National Security == | | == National Security == |
