US embassy cable - 05HANOI42

UNCLAS HANOI 000042 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, VM, ARF, ASEAN 
SUBJECT: VIETNAM UNENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT EAST ASIA SUMMIT 
 
REF:  A. 04 STATE 275091 B. 04 HANOI 3042 
 
1. (SBU) Summary: Vietnam strongly supports ASEAN as the 
best way for smaller Asian countries to ensure that their 
interests are respected and sees the East Asian Summit (EAS) 
and the East Asian Community (EAC) as an effort by China to 
re-form the ASEAN+3 mechanism without ASEAN's solidarity. 
Vietnam reluctantly joined the consensus in favor of the EAS 
at the end of the Vientiane ASEAN summit, but believes that 
if the EAS is to avoid becoming a Chinese tool, it should 
open its doors to Australia, New Zealand and India, and 
possibly Russia and the United States.  The purpose and 
agenda of the meeting are not yet decided, but the meeting 
will be held in December 2005 and include the current 
ASEAN+3 countries.  End Summary. 
 
2. (SBU) Duong Hai Hung, Deputy Director of the General 
Division of the MFA's ASEAN Department, told Poloff January 
4 that Vietnam's highest priority is "ensuring a driving 
role" for ASEAN in any pan-Asian regional architecture 
mechanism.  ASEAN's integration with other Asian countries 
should occur "step by step" to prevent "one big power" from 
dominating the region.  Vietnam is far more cautious in this 
respect than Malaysia or Thailand, Hung noted.  Thailand's 
and Malaysia's enthusiasm for formalizing the ASEAN+3 
structure and creating the EAS is difficult to understand 
given that the existing structure allows ASEAN to dictate 
the agenda and timetable of meetings as well as to produce a 
post-meeting "chairman's statement" without consulting the 
other participants, Hung said.  China's frustration with 
this system is understandable, Hung noted, because it 
reserves significant power for ASEAN and blunts China's 
ability to "dominate" smaller nations. 
 
3. (SBU) Compounding Vietnam's discomfort with the EAS are 
the modalities and possible decision-making structure of the 
mechanism, neither of which has been formalized, Hung 
continued.  "Vietnam supports a consensus-based approach 
focused on functional cooperation and economic development," 
Hung stated.  "The EAS will reflect the concerns of all 
countries and could include political, economic and security 
issues."  This would eliminate ASEAN solidarity and address 
larger issues outside of ASEAN, Hung said.  In addition, 
Vietnam is concerned that the EAS "could have a significant 
impact, and could move very fast, unlike ASEAN."  [Note: 
Vietnam likes ASEAN's measured pace because it allows 
Vietnam to keep the organization (and its members) away from 
sensitive political and security issues such as human 
rights.  End note.]  As a result, Vietnam supports widening 
participation in future EAS meetings to include New Zealand, 
Australia and India, and possibly Russia and the United 
States.  "We will need to balance China in the EAS," Hung 
said.  Many of these issues will be discussed at an ASEAN 
Senior Officials Meeting in Hanoi January 13-14, he added, 
and recommendations will be forwarded to the ASEAN Foreign 
Ministers for decision.  Discussions of the agenda and 
purpose of the meeting are "in the future," Hung concluded, 
but the first meeting would almost certainly be held in 
December 2005 and include only the ASEAN+3 countries. 
 
4. (SBU) Comment: As reported ref B, Vietnam greatly 
appreciates the minimalist approach represented by ASEAN, 
which values consensus and stays away from sensitive issues. 
In addition, the "ASEAN+3" structure allows ASEAN countries 
to interact with China and Japan with some degree of parity. 
GVN officials - from working level officers like Hung up to 
Vice Foreign Minister Le Van Bang - consistently reiterate 
that Vietnam wants to avoid a situation where China can 
effectively dominate its smaller neighbors.  Forced to 
accept a one-country-one-vote mechanism in the form of the 
EAS, Vietnam will likely actively promote the expansion of 
the forum in future years to include other big powers, such 
as India and the United States, to balance China's 
influence.  End Comment. 
MARINE