US embassy cable - 02HANOI2309

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 002309 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV, EAP/CM, INR/EAP/SEA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PBTS, PREL, PINR, CH, VM, CVR 
SUBJECT:  PRC-VIETNAM BORDER:  GVN COUNTERING 
--          PERSISTENT CRITICISM 
 
REF:  A.  HANOI 2148  B.  FBIS SEP200209000081 
 
1.  (SBU) SUMMARY.  SINCE THE CONCLUSION OF THE NINTH ROUND 
OF BILATERAL BOUNDARY TALKS WITH THE PRC ON AUGUST 23, THE 
GVN HAS ENGAGED IN A PUBLIC RELATIONS BLITZ, INCLUDING THE 
APPARENTLY UNPRECEDENTED PUBLICATION OF THE 1999 LAND BORDER 
TREATY ON THE INTERNET, TO COUNTER PERSISTENT DOMESTIC 
CRITICISM THAT IT MADE TOO MANY CONCESSIONS TO THE PRC IN 
CONCLUDING THAT TREATY.  THE TWO SIDES ALSO DISCUSSED THE 
TONKIN GULF AND SOUTH CHINA SEA AT THE BOUNDARY TALKS.  THE 
2000 BILATERAL AGREEMENT ON THE TONKIN GULF HAS YET TO BE 
RATIFIED BY EITHER SIDE.  THE GVN'S AWKWARD HANDLING OF THIS 
ISSUE IS UNLIKELY TO PLACATE THE TREATY'S CRITICS.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
LAND BORDER - DID THE GVN GIVE AWAY TOO MUCH? 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
2.  (SBU)  THE PRC AND VIETNAM SHARE A COMMON LAND BORDER OF 
ABOUT 1,375 KILOMETERS.  AMID CONSIDERABLE FANFARE, THE TWO 
COUNTRIES SIGNED A LAND BORDER TREATY ON THE LAST DAY OF 
1999.  VIETNAM'S NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AND THE PRC'S NATIONAL 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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PEOPLE'S CONGRESS RATIFIED THE TREATY THE FOLLOWING YEAR. 
DESPITE A STATED GOAL TO PLANT 1,500 BORDER MARKERS OVER THE 
FOLLOWING THREE YEARS, ONLY FOUR HAVE YET BEEN PUT IN PLACE. 
 
3.  (SBU)  THE GVN AND COMMUNIST PARTY OF VIETNAM (CPV) 
(ESPECIALLY FORMER CPV GENERAL SECRETARY LE KHA PHIEU) HAVE 
FACED CONSIDERABLE CRITICISM OVER THE TREATY, MAINLY FROM 
OVERSEAS VIETNAMESE, BUT ALSO FROM SOME DEMOCRATIC ACTIVISTS 
INSIDE VIETNAM.  REF A PROVIDES TEXT OF A LETTER SENT ON 
AUGUST 1 BY 20 PROMINENT DISSIDENTS, INCLUDING FORMER PARTY 
MEMBERS AND MILITARY VETERANS, TO THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY 
CALLING FOR THE GVN TO PUBLISH THE TREATY, ALONG WITH CALLS 
FOR MORE DEMOCRACY AND EFFORTS AGAINST CORRUPTION. 
 
4.  (SBU)  PUBLIC CRITICISM HAS FOCUSED ON THE AMOUNT OF 
LAND CEDED TO THE PRC.  IN A MEETING WITH POLOFF ON 
SEPTEMBER 19, MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (MFA) CHINA DESK 
DIRECTOR TRAN DUY HAI DISAGREED WITH THIS CLAIM, STRESSING 
THAT "BOTH SIDES AGREED TO SPLIT THE DISPUTED AREAS ABOUT 
EVENLY."  HE CLAIMED THAT THE CRITICISM OF THE TREATY WAS 
COMING FROM "HOSTILE ELEMENTS TRYING TO SUBVERT THE 
AGREEMENT." 
 
5.  (SBU)  THE INSTITUTE OF CHINA STUDIES' DR. NGUYEN HUY 
QUY SAID SEPARATELY THAT THE CRITICISM IS MOTIVATED BY A 
COMBINATION OF CONCERN FOR THE NATIONAL INTEREST AND FROM 
OTHERS, "MOSTLY FROM ABROAD," WHO GENERALLY OPPOSE THE SRV. 
DR. QUY ADMITTED THAT HE HAD BEEN "SURPRISED" BY THE EXTENT 
OF INTERNAL CRITICISM, BECAUSE "IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO 
EXPRESS THIS TYPE OF DISSENT INSIDE THE COUNTRY."  HE OPINED 
THAT THE TREATY NONETHELESS REPRESENTED A "REASONABLE 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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COMPROMISE" AND SHOULD SERVE TO FACILITATE BUSINESS AND 
POLITICAL CONTACTS IN THE FUTURE. 
 
------------------ 
READ IT ON THE WEB 
------------------ 
 
6.  (U)  STARTING AROUND THE BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER, THE 
STATE-CONTROLLED MEDIA BEGAN A VIGOROUS CAMPAIGN TO DEFEND 
THE LAND BORDER TREATY.  VIETNAM TELEVISION FEATURED A LONG 
INTERVIEW WITH VICE FOREIGN MINISTER LE CONG PHUNG, THE 
OFFICIAL IN CHARGE OF THESE BORDER ISSUES AND SOUTHEAST 
ASIA.  IN ADDITION, AN INTERVIEW WITH PHUNG APPEARED IN THE 
PRINT MEDIA (REF B), ALONG WITH NUMEROUS OTHER ARTICLES 
DESCRIBING THE "POSITIVE" ASPECTS OF THE TREATY.  IN AN 
APPARENTLY UNPRECEDENTED MOVE, THE GVN ALSO ALLOWED THE 
CPV'S FLAGSTAFF NEWSPAPER "NHAN DAN" (PEOPLE'S DAILY) TO 
PUBLISH THE TEXT OF THE TREATY ON ITS VIETNAMESE LANGUAGE 
WEBSITE.  (FBIS PLANS TO TRANSLATE THIS TEXT IN THE NEAR 
FUTURE.)  THE MFA'S HAI SAID THE REASON FOR DOING THIS WAS 
TO COUNTER "DISINFORMATION COMING FROM OVERSEAS" AND TO SHOW 
THE VIETNAMESE PEOPLE THAT "THE GOVERNMENT HAS NOTHING TO 
HIDE." 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ2613 
 
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ACTION EAP-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AIT-03   CIAE-00  C-00     DINT-00  DOEE-00 
      DOTE-00  SRPP-00  DS-00    EB-00    FAAE-00  FBIE-00  UTED-00 
      VC-00    H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   L-00     VCE-00   MOFM-05 
      MOF-01   AC-01    NSAE-00  OMB-01   PA-00    PM-00    PRS-00 
      ACE-00   P-00     SP-00    SS-00    TEST-00  TRSE-00  T-00 
      USIE-00  EPAE-00  PMB-00   DSCC-00  PRM-00   DRL-02   G-00 
      NFAT-00  SAS-00     /014W 
                  ------------------EBE2BE  240943Z /38 
R 240929Z SEP 02 
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7614 
INFO AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY 
AMEMBASSY BEIJING 
AMCONSUL CHENGDU 
AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 
AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 
AMCONSUL SHENYANG 
AMCONSUL HONG KONG 
AIT TAIPEI 0705 
ASEAN COLLECTIVE 
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI 
NSC WASHDC 
SECDEF WASHDC//ISA/ACHAO// 
 
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 HANOI 002309 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV, EAP/CM, INR/EAP/SEA 
 
 
7.  (U)  ACCORDING TO A SEPTEMBER 16 MFA PRESS RELEASE AND 
OTHER PRESS REPORTS, OVER THE COURSE OF THE TREATY 
NEGOTIATIONS THE TWO SIDES COMPARED THEIR RESPECTIVE MAPS 
AND FOUND THAT THERE WERE ABOUT 227 SQUARE KILOMETERS IN 
DISPUTE.  VIETNAM AND THE PRC AGREED TO SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE 
ABOUT EVENLY - 113 SQUARE KILOMETERS TO VIETNAM AND 114 
SQUARE KILOMETERS TO THE PRC.  THIS PROCEDURE WAS DESCRIBED 
IN A SEPARATE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING THAT BECAME PART 
OF THE 1999 TREATY. 
 
---------------------- 
SEA ISSUES REMAIN OPEN 
---------------------- 
 
8.  (SBU)  DURING THE AUGUST 2002 BORDER TALKS, THE TWO 
SIDES CONTINUED DISCUSSION OF SEA BORDER ISSUES.  WHILE THE 
TWO SIDES SIGNED AN ACCORD IN DECEMBER 2000 SETTING OUT 
TONKIN GULF SEA BORDERS, THIS TREATY HAS NOT YET BEEN 
RATIFIED BY EITHER SIDE.  THE MFA'S HAI SAID "TECHNICAL 
ISSUES" REMAIN CONCERNING BOTH THE GULF OF TONKIN AND THE 
FISHERIES AGREEMENTS.  THESE CENTER AROUND MARITIME 
DEMARCATION AS WELL AS THE NUMBER AND SIZE OF FISHING 
VESSELS ALLOWED IN THE COMMON FISHING GROUND.  ACCORDING TO 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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HAI, THE TWO SIDES HAVE AGREED TO WORK ON THE TECHNICAL 
ISSUES IN ORDER TO "SPEED UP IMPLEMENTATION."  HAI 
EMPHASIZED THAT BOTH SIDES HAVE AGREED TO "RESPECT THE 
SOVEREIGNTY OF THE OTHER" IN BOTH THE TONKIN GULF AND WHAT 
THE VIETNAMESE CALL THE EAST SEA (AKA SOUTH CHINA SEA). 
 
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COMMENT 
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9.  (SBU)   VIETNAM'S OBSESSION WITH CHINA STEMS BOTH FROM 
HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY FACTORS.  THE GVN'S AWKWARD 
HANDLING OF THE BORDER AGREEMENT -- FIRST, ITS APPARENT 
RELUCTANCE TO SHARE INFORMATION AT THE TIME OF THE SIGNING 
AND THE RATIFICATION, AND LATER THIS BELATED EFFORT TO 
DEMONSTRATE HOW "NORMAL" AND BENEFICIAL THE AGREEMENT IS -- 
IS AN INDICATION BOTH OF THE SECRETIVE NATURE OF MOST 
DECISION-MAKING IN VIETNAM AND THE SENSITIVITY ABOUT PUBLIC 
PERCEPTIONS OF CAVING IN TO ITS LARGE NORTHERN NEIGHBOR. 
EMBASSY DOUBTS THAT THIS LATEST PUBLIC RELATIONS CAMPAIGN 
WILL SATISFY CRITICS OF THE TREATY, AND EXPECTS ACTIVISTS 
INSIDE AND OUTSIDE VIETNAM TO CONTINUE TO NEEDLE THE GVN ON 
THIS ISSUE. 
BURGHARDT 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED