US-Vietnam Mil-Mil Relations: How to Elevate the Relationship

Abstract

Since the normalization of relations in 1995, within the military-to-military arena as well as other diplomatic realms, the United States-Vietnam relationship has accomplished much and arguably is at its height. However, despite the vastly improved status, the relationship is nowhere near the strategic partnership level envisioned by senior U.S. officials. Although there are many limiting constraints, the main culprit appears to be a lack of trust on both sides. For the United States the lack of trust stems from Vietnam's poor human rights record. From the Vietnamese viewpoint, the low level of trust is based on a perceived U.S. emphasis on democratization/peaceful evolution as well as the U.S. record as a fair-weather friend. How to overcome these obstacles is the main purpose of this paper. The paper also will examine the history of the relationship, where it is now, and how the United States can elevate the relationship to the desired strategic partnership level proposed by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton during her visits to Vietnam in 2010.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 2013
Accession Number
ADA590660

Entities

People

  • Patrick D. Reardon

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • C4I
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Agreements
  • Department Of State
  • Foreign Relations
  • Governments
  • Human Rights
  • Humanitarian Assistance
  • International Organizations
  • International Relations
  • Medical Personnel
  • Military Medicine
  • Military Science
  • National Security
  • Navy
  • Students
  • United States Pacific Command
  • Uss George Washington
  • War Colleges

Readers

  • Asian Economic Studies
  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.