US embassy cable - 01HOCHIMINHCITY755

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HO CHI MINH CITY 000755 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON, ETRD, PGOV, VM 
SUBJECT: CONOFF VISITS MEKONG DELTA IN SUPPORT OF U.S. BUSINESS AND UNIQUE JULY 4 CELEBRATION 
 
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 SUMMARY 
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                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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1.  A CONSULAR OFFICER VISITED CAN THO JUNE 8-9 AS A 
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CONSULATE GENERAL AT THE OPENING 
OF THE AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL ASSURANCE OFFICE.  CONOFF 
ALSO RECEIVED A FORMAL PROPOSAL BY THE UNION OF 
FRIENDSHIP ORGANIZATIONS TO HOST THE FIRST JULY 4TH 
CELEBRATION SINCE 1975 IN THE PROVINCE, WHICH WILL 
INCLUDE PARTICIPATION BY THE CONSUL GENERAL.  IN 
ADDITION, CONOFF FOLLOWED UP ON A SUCCESSFUL EFFORT BY 
THE CONGEN TO HELP SHUT DOWN A LOCAL RESTAURANT 
ILLEGALLY USING THE MCDONALD'S FRANCHISE LOGO. 
 
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LIFE INSURANCE FOR THE MASSES 
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2.  FESTIVITIES IN CAN THO ON FRIDAY MARKED THE OPENING 
OF AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL ASSURANCE (AIA) VIETNAM'S 
FOURTH OFFICE, FOLLOWING ON THE HEELS OF SUCCESSFUL 
VENTURES IN HO CHI MINH CITY, HA NOI AND MOST RECENTLY, 
DA NANG.  AIA, A SUBSIDIARY OF AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL 
GROUP (AIG) INSURANCE, HAS A LICENSE TO SELL LIFE 
INSURANCE IN VIETNAM AND IS ATTEMPTING TO GET A LARGER 
SHARE OF A RAPIDLY GROWING MARKET. 
AIA IS COMPETING WITH OTHER INDUSTRY GIANTS SUCH AS 
PRUDENTIAL AND CHINFON MANULIFE, AS WELL AS A FEW LOCAL 
OPERATORS.  THE NEW OFFICE IN CAN THO IS COMPRISED OF 
APPROXIMATELY 250 SALES AGENTS, A NUMBER EXPECTED TO 
REACH 900 WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR. 
 
3.  IN ADDITION TO LIFE INSURANCE, AIA HAS BEEN ACTIVE 
IN VIETNAM'S RECENT MOTORBIKE SAFETY MOVEMENTS.  IT WAS 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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ONE OF THE PRIMARY ORGANIZERS OF THE HELMETS FOR KIDS 
CAMPAIGN FOR MOTORBIKE SAFETY LAST YEAR, PROVIDING OVER 
100,000 HELMETS TO CHILDREN IN SELECTED VIETNAMESE 
SCHOOLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.  AIA, THROUGH CHARITABLE 
FUNDS OF ITS PARENT COMPANY, AIG, IS PLANNING TO OPEN 
THE COUNTRY'S FIRST VIETNAMESE-OWNED AND OPERATED 
HELMET FACTORY.  AIA IS ONLY THE SECOND US-OWNED 
COMPANY IN CAN THO, ACCORDING TO THE CAN THO OFFICE OF 
PLANNING AND INVESTMENT; THE FIRST WAS A WASTE 
TREATMENT COMPANY. 
 
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THE UNION OF FRIENDSHIP ORGANIZATIONS, CAN THO PROVINCE 
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4.  CONOFF MET JUNE 9 WITH NGUYEN THI CAM HONG, 
PRESIDENT OF THE CAN THO UNION OF FRIENDSHIP 
ORGANIZATIONS.  THE UNION, A REGIONAL SUBSET OF THE 
NATIONAL UNION OF FRIENDSHIP ORGANIZATIONS, WAS FOUNDED 
IN THE EARLY 1990'S WITH A TWOFOLD PURPOSE: TO EXPOSE 
THE PEOPLE OF CAN THO TO FOREIGN CULTURES IN ORDER TO 
IMPROVE UNDERSTANDING, AND TO ATTRACT FOREIGN NGOS TO 
THE PROVINCE TO DO WORK IN THE AREAS OF HEALTH, 
EDUCATION AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT.  THERE ARE CURRENTLY 
SCORES OF SUCH NGOS WORKING IN CAN THO PROVINCE.  THEY 
WORK WITH AND THROUGH THE GOVERNMENT AND, 
INTERESTINGLY, RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS. 
 
5.  THE US-VIETNAM FRIENDSHIP ORGANIZATION OF CAN THO 
(US-VNFO), ONE OF FIFTEEN COUNTRY-SPECIFIC GROUPS UNDER 
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THE UMBRELLA OF THE CAN THO UNION OF FRIENDSHIP 
ORGANIZATIONS, WILL HOST A FOURTH OF JULY PARTY TO 
COMMEMORATE AMERICA'S INDEPENDENCE DAY.  PARTICIPATING 
IN THE CELEBRATION WILL BE THE CONSUL GENERAL AND THE 
PRESIDENT OF THE US-VNFO. 
 
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CONGEN PROTECTS THE GOLDEN ARCHES 
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6.  AN ARTICLE IN THE MAY 12, 2001 SAIGON TIMES WEEKLY 
WHICH TOLD OF A NEW KOREAN FAST FOOD RESTAURANT IN CAN 
THO PROVINCE, RAN A PHOTO OF THE ESTABLISHMENT, 
COMPLETE WITH A "MCDONALD'S" SIGN AND THE FAMOUS GOLDEN 
ARCHES.  CONSUL GENERAL PASSED THE ARTICLE TO THE 
AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN HO CHI MINH CITY, TO BE 
PASSED TO THE LAW FIRM THAT ACTS AS LOCAL 
REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE MCDONALD'S CORPORATION.   AMCHAM 
WAS UNAWARE OF THIS TRADEMARK VIOLATION. 
 
7. CONOFF VISITED THE RESTAURANT FORMERLY KNOWN AND 
ADVERTISED AS MCDONALD'S IN THE HEART OF CAN THO.  THE 
SIGNS NO LONGER READ MCDONALD'S, THOUGH A LARGE PICTURE 
OF A BURGER AND FRIES IS STILL OUTSIDE WITH THE GOLD 
"M" EMBLEMS ERASED OFF THE PACKAGING.  AMERICAN TALK 
RADIO WAS BLASTING IN THE ENTRY, AND INSIDE A LARGE 
GROUP OF CUSTOMERS WERE WATCHING AN AMERICAN WESTERN 
DUBBED INTO VIETNAMESE AND SUBTITLED IN CHINESE.  UPON 
ENTERING THE RESTAURANT, A VIETNAMESE MAN SPEAKING 
PERFECT - THOUGH HEAVILY ACCENTED - ENGLISH CAME FLYING 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        HO CHI  00755  02 OF 02  210331Z 
OUT OF HIS CHAIR TO SEE WHAT CONOFF WANTED.  HE QUICKLY 
INFORMED US THAT THE RESTAURANT WAS UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP 
AS OF 9 DAYS PRIOR, THE FORMER KOREAN OWNERS HAD LEFT, 
AND THE NAME HAD CHANGED.  IT SEEMS THAT THE PREVIOUS 
OWNERS HAD SOME FEARS OF LITIGATION FROM THE MCDONALD'S 
CORPORATION, AS THEY HAD NEVER GOTTEN PERMISSION TO USE 
THE TRADEMARK NAME. 
 
RAY 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED