Vietnamese President’s Letter to American Citizens

Thomas Jefferson tried to obtain rice seeds from Vietnam for his farm in Virginia in 1787, and the Vietnamese declaration of independence starts with the immortal words of Jefferson that “all men are created equal,” according to Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet in a full-page open letter in the June 21 edition of the Washington Post,

Those Americans who read the letter in the Washington Post, which began with “Dear fellow Americans,” on that morning must have realized how quickly the world has changed.

It is almost unprecedented for a head of state to send a letter to the people of a country that he or she is paying a state visit through a newspaper advertisement.

Triet, who paid a visit to the U.S. for the first time in 32 years, introduced the rich history of U.S.-Vietnam relations through the anecdote of Jefferson, who is considered the father of American democracy. The relationship between the two countries has undergone vicissitudes and a sorrowful past, the Vietnamese president said in the paper.

“For Vietnam, the United States will always be a key partner, and our commitment to multi-faced co-operation should not be questioned,” Triet added. And he ended the letter, saying, “Like all Vietnamese, I am very impressed by the dynamism, creativity and openness of the American people. May the friendship and co-operation between our two nations be ever-growing.”

Triet also took a pragmatic approach at both a luncheon and summit talks with George W. Bush held at the White House on Friday. Meanwhile, although President Bush praised his counterpart with regard to increased bilateral trades and strengthened diplomatic cooperation, he indirectly added pressure on Triet over human rights issues of Vietnam, including the imprisonment of anti-government activists.

Triet was, however, more future-oriented and practical than his U.S. counterpart in the talks. “Vietnam has emerged today as one of the most dynamic and rapidly growing economies in the world, and is now known worldwide as a safe and stable country, boasting an attractive business and investment environment,” Triet said. “It is now with the present that unprecedented opportunities lay for both countries to build a more sustainable and fruitful relationship.”

Prior to the summit, Triet had a meeting with the leadership of Congress where some U.S. congressmen continually asked questions over human rights issues of Vietnam for about an hour. However, Triet calmly stated, “Vietnam respects human rights. Those dissidents that lawmakers have referred to are not democratic advocates. They are dangerous people who have violated laws and also a threat to national security.”

Earlier on that day, Vietnamese Deputy Trade Minister Euyuen Gamdu officially singed a U.S.-Vietnam trade investment agreement with Deputy President of the USTR Caran Vatia. The U.S. media stated that this will serve as a cornerstone to reaching the free trade agreement between the two countries. The trade volume between the U.S. and Vietnam, which stood at $1.5 billion, increased six times as of last year, reaching $10.2 billion.

Vietnam’s economy has been fast expanding. Vietnam, which achieved a GDP growth of 8.4 percent in 2005 and 7.2 percent in 2006, aims to achieve a GDP growth of 9 percent in 2008 and increase exports to $50 billion.

sechepa@donga.com