U.S.-Vietnam Normalization..."Too Much Too Soon or Too Little Too Late"
Abstract
President Clinton ordered an end to the U.S. trade embargo against Vietnam on February 3, 1994. The action was taken after high-level U.S. interaction with Vietnam during the past year, reportedly achieving "tangible results" in resolving POW/MIA cases, and a January 27, 1994 vote in the U.S. Senate urging the embargo be lifted. However, the debate over U.S.-Vietnam normalization continues. There are those who believe the United States is not moving quickly enough toward complete normalization to the extent that it should already be exchanging Ambassadors. Others argue that lifting the trade embargo is too much because by doing so the United States loses its leverage on negotiations over POW/MIA cases. In answering the U.S.-Vietnam normalization question one needs to review U.S. interests and the projected impact of increased versus decreased normalization on these interests. The generally agreed-on U.S. interests with Vietnam are as follows: economics (American business); POW/MIA resolution; Human Rights (humanitarian concerns); and stability among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). This paper discusses these interests.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1994
- Accession Number
- ADA440609
Entities
People
- Jim Woodbridge
Organizations
- National War College