Vietnam politburo weighing U.S. trade deal
HANOI - Vietnam's elite Communist Party
politburo is debating the country's stalled trade agreement with
the United States, official media reported on Tuesday in rare
remarks about the landmark pact.
The Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper quoted Prime Minister Phan
Van Khai as saying the government had sought guidance from
the 19-member politburo on the deal.
Vietnam's Trade Ministry and other government agencies
negotiated the pact, but the secretive politburo wields ultimate
authority and vets all major decisions.
``This is a very big issue...The government has sent a report to
the politburo seeking guidance,'' Khai was quoted as telling local
journalists in Ho Chi Minh City on Monday.
``The government will continue to negotiate with the American
side after the politburo reaches a consensus and assigns the
government to work on the issue,'' Khai said with giving more
details.
Reaching internal consensus has been the key obstacle to the
trade deal, which was agreed in principle last July.
Financial sources say the politburo has already discussed the
agreement several times last year, without reaching a decision on
how to proceed.
They say the deal has fallen victim to a wider debate within the
party about the merits of opening up the economy and the threat
this might pose to party control.
The agreement would open Vietnam's economy and liberalise its
investment policies. It would also allow Vietnamese goods to
enter the U.S. at the same low tariffs accorded to most nations
once approval had been given by the U.S. Congress.
Official comment from Hanoi on the pact has been rare.
Hanoi and Washington were enemies during the Vietnam War
that ended in 1975. They normalised diplomatic ties in 1995.
Reuters - January 10, 2000.
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