Thayer Australia Vietnam Relations

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Background Briefing: Australia-Vietnam Relations: Visit by Nong Duc Manh Carlyle A. Thayer September 8, 2009

[client name withheld]: Question: Can you offer an assessment of the joint statement issues by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Secretary General Nong Duc Manh? ANSWER: Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Secretary General Nong Duc Manh held highly successful discusions. They issued a joint statement announcing the commencement of a comprehensive partnership. This joint statement sets out the all round breadth and depth of relations since 1973 when Canberra and Hanoi opened diplomatic relations. Manh’s reception is Canberra, when compared to that accorded the then secretary general Do Muoi, is evidence of the growth in bilateral relations. Nong Duc Manh was met on arrival by the Prime Minister, President of the Senate and Speaker of the House and accorded a 19 gun salute. Secretary General Manh was also received by the Governor General, Australia’s head of state. And Secretary General Manh was given a welcoming dinner in the Great Hall at Parliament House. Both the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition gave welcoming speeches. In 1995, when Do Muoi visited he was accorded none of these protocol niceties. He was hosted in the smaller private dining room at Parliament House and the Opposition boycotted the dinner. I was present on both occasions. The joint statement took note of Australian aid, trade and investment with Vietnam. It also noted Australia’s major contribution as a service provider of education to Vietnam. 18,000 Vietnamese are currently studying in Australia and 14,000 Vietnamese are studying at Australian institutions in Vietnam. One thousand students come to Australia each month. Prime Minister Rudd announced an increase in scholarships by 25, the second increase under his Government, for a total of 175. Both Vietnam and Australia reaffirmed cooperation to combat illegal trafficking in drugs and people. The joint statement also mentioned cooperation in the defence and security area. This reflects the recent visit by the Australian Vice Chief of Defence Force to Hanoi, Lt. Gen. David Hurley. This was the first vice ministerial level visit in seven years. Both sides will enhance cooperation in counter-terrorism with the Australian Special Air Services (SAS) visiting Vietnam later in the year Prime Minister Rudd also announced his appreciation for Vietnam’s support for his proposal to create an Asia-Pacific community by 2020. Finally, both sides reaffirmed that their comprehensive partnership extended beyond bilateral relations to include close collaboration in multilateral institutions such as ASEAN, APEC, the East Asia Summit, and the WTO. [follow up; client name withheld]: One further question: Australia wants to have a ‘strategic partnership’ with Vietnam within its meaning of the term, and so does Vietnam to some extent. But due to the differences in political systems, especially on the eve of the communist party congress early 2011, and the complexity of the relations between Vietnam and other great powers, especially China, would it be right to say that Vietnam could not go that far? Therefore the two sides must agree on a comprehensive partnership to keep the pace of progress in bilateral ties. Am I right in this?

2 ANSWER: It was Vietnam that first proposed to Australia a strategic partnership. This term was used to describe relations with Russia, India, Japan and China (comprehensive strategic partnership). Prime Minister Rudd wanted to know what the Vietnamese meant by this term. You may recall that the meaning of "strategic partnership" was raised repeatedly at the 3rd international Vietnam Studies Conference in Hanoi late last year. No Vietnamese scholar or official could define the term. Vietnam and Australia have a broad relationship across a number of sectors and a convergence of outlook on regional security issues. The term comprehensive partnership best describes the relationship and both sides are satisfied with this term. Australia does not really care about the kind of political system Vietnam has. Vietnam's socialist system/rule by the communist party is taken in stride. Again, it was Vietnam proposing a strategic partnership and Australia being more cautious. I do not think China relations had any major impact on this. Both countries must deal with China and both have concerns about China's claim in the South China Sea and its military modernization.