Jiang warms Vietnam ties but disputes remain unresolved
HANOI - China's President Jiang Zemin wound up
the serious part of a swansong visit to neighbouring
Vietnam on Thursday with vows to continue to work on
improving ties, but leaving key disputes between the
Communist states unresolved.
After talks with Vietnamese leaders on Wednesday and
Thursday in Hanoi, Jiang was bid an official farewell at the presidential palace and
headed south to see the sights in central Vietnam.
Diplomats said the visit, Jiang's first to Vietnam since 1994 and his last before he is due
to step down as Communist Party leader this year, should help build confidence with the
Vietnamese leadership, and bolster its position.
Festering territorial disputes over the Paracel and Spratly Islands in the South China Sea
were touched upon, but there was, as expected, no obvious progress in resolving them.
Vietnam's state media said that in Jiang's talks with Communist Party chief Nong Duc
Manh and President Tran Duc Luong on Wednesday, both sides had pledged to resolve
territorial disputes peacefully and in a mutually acceptable way.
It said they expressed determination to complete land border demarcation under an
agreement reached in late 1999 -- which has been criticised by Vietnamese dissidents for
giving too much away -- and to work for quick realisation of a fisheries agreement.
Two agreements signed on Wednesday were only modest in scope -- one on economic
and technical cooperation and the other a framework for a 100 million yuan ($12.08
million) credit to Vietnam. The countries also agreed to boost student exchanges.
Vietnam has been hoping for similar tariff breaks to those China offered to Myanmar,
Laos and Cambodia to soften the impact of its World Trade Organisation accession, but
Beijing has yet to reply on the issue.
China and Vietnam currently have the fastest growing economies in east Asia and have
vowed to further increase trade from $2.8 billion last year to $3.5 billion this year and $5
billion in 2005.
But despite repeated pledges of enhanced economic cooperation, China's recent WTO
accession has rekindled age-old fears in Vietnam about being swamped by its giant
northern neighbour.
Keynote speech
On Thursday, Jiang delivered a keynote speech at Hanoi National University seen as an
effort to redress an often negative perception about China among Vietnamese and
indifference among youth about shared ideological ties.
Jiang alluded to past difficulties in relations but said the future was brighter and appealed
for the help of young people to ensure this.
"The friendship tree needs to be nurtured regularly and watered," he said. "Friendship
and cooperation need to be enhanced non-stop and expanded.
"In the 21st century, a better future for Sino-Vietnamese relations is opening, and the
common effort of the two countries' youth can not be separated from this."
Only 23 years ago, in February 1979, Beijing launched a brief but bloody border war to
punish Hanoi for ousting the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia.
Ties were not normalised until 1991, but they have grown steadily since and now involve
frequent exchanges at all levels.
"Relations between our countries had gone through a winding road, but between the
people there is still a warm friendship," Jiang said.
Prime Minister Phan Van Khai told Jiang in talks on Thursday morning that he was
pleased by the talks the previous day. Diplomats said Vietnam's leaders had reason to
be, despite little obvious progress.
"The fact Jiang has come here so quickly after Manh's visit to Beijing in December shows
a certain amount of respect on the part of the Chinese for both Vietnam and Manh," an
Asian diplomat said.
"It shows they value the relationship. The chemistry between the leaders seemed to be
pretty warm."
Yan Xuetong, director of the Institute of International Studies at Beijing's Tsinghua
University, said Jiang's visit should help Manh, who took over as party chief in April last
year after an acrimonious leadership struggle, consolidate his position. It should also help
the communist regime itself.
"I think for the security of the regime in Vietnam they need China's political support more
than anything else," he said, adding that Vietnam's Party could point to China as an
example of an economically successful socialist country.
"Vietnam's government should tell the people 'Look at that. We have great hope. Ten
years ago, China was in the same position as us and look at China now'."
"China can say 'We strongly support your socialist system, and we support your
economic and political reforms, meanwhile we have a lot of experience to help you'."
"It's better than any other country's strong political support."
By David Brunnstrom - Reuters - February 28, 2002.
China Beach is China's beach as Jiang hits town
CHINA BEACH - After winding up the serious leg of his
visit to Vietnam on Thursday, China's President Jiang Zemin headed south for a spot of R
& R.
Following a day-and-a-half of meetings with Vietnamese leaders in Hanoi, Jiang made a
two-hour stopover in the old imperial city of Hue and its famous citadel, scene of fierce
fighting between U.S. and communist forces during the Vietnam War.
He and his delegation then moved to Danang, about 100 km (60 miles) to the south and
to the Furama, a luxury resort in the middle of "China Beach", a surfing spot popular with
U.S. soldiers taking rest and recreation during the war, in which China supported the
eventually victorious communists.
Hotel staff said Jiang's entourage, visiting Chinese media and Vietnamese officials had
taken up about 160 of the 197 rooms at the resort, where the visiting delegation attended
an evening banquet hosted by local officials.
They said Jiang himself was staying in a $400 a night two-room suite overlooking China
Beach.
Jiang's entourage has not let on whether the 75-year-old president, a keen swimmer,
plans to test the waves. He created a splash in 1997 when he took a surprise public
swim at Hawaii's Waikiki beach surrounded by bodyguards.
A manager at the Furama said it would be a pity if Jiang missed the opportunity for a dip
at China Beach.
"It's definitely nice weather for it," he said. It's very inviting."
Before leaving Vietnam on Friday after a three-day visit, Jiang is due to visit the historic
port town of Hoi An, about half and hour's drive from Danang.
Reuters - February 28, 2002.
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