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[The Epoch Times, June 21, 2024](Epoch Occasions reporters Cheng Jing and Luo Ya reported) The Russian President made a lightning go to to Vietnam on Thursday (twentieth), adopted by the go to of the US Deputy Secretary of State for Asia and the Pacific Konda on Friday, saying “The U.S.-Vietnam partnership has by no means been nearer.” Previously yr, leaders from the US, China and Russia have visited Vietnam in flip. Specialists analyze that within the confrontation between the 2 main camps within the Indo-Pacific, Vietnam performs an important position; the US, China and Russia are stepping up their efforts to win over Vietnam, and US-Vietnam relations are escalating.

Simply following Putin’s go to to Vietnam, the US Deputy Secretary of State for Asia and the Pacific paid a go to

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Vietnam on Thursday and signed a sequence of agreements with Vietnamese President To Lam, agreeing to strengthen cooperation in schooling, expertise, oil and fuel exploration and different fields, and likewise agreed to offer Develop a roadmap for constructing a nuclear science and expertise middle in Vietnam.

Putin stated that the 2 international locations have a typical curiosity in “creating a dependable safety structure” within the Asia-Pacific area, and that this structure is predicated on the non-use of power, the peaceable settlement of disputes, and the institution of “closed military-political blocs.”

Nonetheless, what the skin world finds unusual is that Putin arrived in Vietnam and his earlier go to to North Korea at two o’clock within the morning. Su Ziyun, director of the Nationwide Protection Technique Analysis Institute of the Taiwan Institute of Nationwide Protection and Safety, lately instructed The Epoch Occasions that that is very unusual. What’s the cause? All events are nonetheless analyzing it.

Putin’s go to to Vietnam was strongly opposed by the US authorities. The U.S. Embassy in Hanoi blasted Putin as an try to interrupt the worldwide isolation he confronted for invading Ukraine.

Instantly following Putin left, Daniel Kritenbrink, Assistant Secretary of State for Asia-Pacific Affairs of the US State Division, arrived in Hanoi on Friday (twenty first) for a two-day go to.

“Solely Vietnam can determine how finest to safeguard its sovereignty and advance its pursuits,” Khanda stated at a press convention in Hanoi on Saturday when requested regarding his views on Vietnam’s overseas coverage and internet hosting Putin.

When Biden visited Vietnam in September final yr, the 2 sides upgraded US-Vietnam relations to a complete strategic partnership. Reuters quoted Conda as saying that the improve of US-Vietnam relations is a “traditionally vital” determination.

The U.S. State Division said on Thursday that the 2 sides will talk regarding widespread objectives on the ASEAN Ministerial Assembly to be held in Vientiane, Laos subsequent month.

Putin’s three main objectives in wooing Vietnam

Pleasant relations between Vietnam and Moscow date once more to the Soviet period. The Soviet Union educated Communist cadres together with Ho Chi Minh, the daddy of Vietnam’s independence. It offered weapons to battle the US through the Vietnam Conflict and continues to be the principle provider of navy gear to Vietnam.

In accordance with knowledge from the Stockholm Worldwide Peace Analysis Institute, Vietnam’s arms imports from Russia reached US$7.6 billion between 1995 and 2023, accounting for greater than 80% of Vietnam’s complete abroad purchases.

Vietnam, just like the CCP, largely abstained from the vote when the United Nations voted to sentence Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Su Ziyun believes that “Putin’s intention to win over Vietnam is especially to hope that Vietnam can present a brand new base for monetary transfers.”

On June 13, the US introduced the growth of economic sanctions towards Russia to stop China and different international locations from doing enterprise with Moscow. After that, the Moscow Alternate introduced that it might droop U.S. greenback and euro transactions.

Su Ziyun stated that now Russia has adopted a polygonal switch methodology, which can contain utilizing RMB first following which changing it into US {dollars} in Vietnam. Because of this Vietnam can turn into a base for worldwide transfers.

As well as, Vietnam presently doesn’t present ammunition to Russia, and solely North Korea has promised to offer weapons. Su Ziyun stated that for the second objective, Putin might search Vietnam to offer artillery shells. As a result of the Vietnamese Military used to have the identical gear and caliber.

Nonetheless, Su Ziyun assessed, “Vietnam will in all probability not cross this purple line as a result of its pursuits with the US are increased than these of Russia and the Chinese language Communist Celebration. So on this case, I feel Hanoi will in all probability preserve diplomatic settlement with Putin.” Simply well mannered.

As well as, the struggle between Russia and Ukraine is escalating, and the US and the European Union have lately strengthened their help for Ukraine. Zheng Zhengbing, a professor on the Division of Finance at Yunlin College of Science and Know-how in Taiwan, stated: Russia should kind a broader alliance. Now it has turned its whole coverage in direction of Asia, looking for help from many features.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State for Asia and the Pacific: U.S.-Vietnam partnership has by no means been so shut

Conda additionally stated in Vietnam that he hopes to keep up the momentum of U.S.-Vietnam relations and be certain that all agreements reached by the 2 sides are carried out. “We proceed to consider that the U.S.-Vietnam partnership has by no means been nearer than it’s now.”

The USA is upgrading its partnership with Hanoi and viewing it as a accomplice to diversify provide chains and cut back dependence on China, and isn’t ending ties with Moscow or Beijing with Hanoi, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen stated on Thursday. as situation.

Su Ziyun analyzed for The Epoch Occasions that Vietnam initially had a sovereignty dispute with the Chinese language Communist Celebration and on the similar time had a strategic partnership with Russia, so the US tried its finest to convey Vietnam over as a substitute of utilizing coercion to ask Vietnam to chop off its connections with China and Russia. The impact can be Higher.

“Russia and the Chinese language Communist Celebration even have conflicts of curiosity in Vietnam. For instance, in a few of the sovereign areas claimed by the Chinese language Communist Celebration within the South China Sea, Russian oil firms are literally exploiting crude oil there. Due to this fact, within the face of such multi-angular relations, the US technique is more cost effective. “

Su Ziyun stated that the US offers markets and arms gross sales, that are following all enticing to Vietnam. If Vietnam itself determines that cooperation with the US is extra vital, naturally the so-called partnership with China and Russia will turn into nothing greater than rumour. It is a comparatively excellent method. That’s why we are saying that worldwide relations or diplomacy is definitely an artwork.

The connection between the US and Vietnam has been additional upgraded since final yr. The US plane service has visited Da Nang, Vietnam earlier than, and the Reagan plane service visited Da Nang once more. Final September, Biden personally visited Vietnam and signed many cooperation agreements. Probably the most particular one is that the US might promote F16 fighter jets to Vietnam.

Zheng Zhengbing believes that “from a number of features, the alliance between the US and Vietnam will turn into deeper and deeper. Financial cooperation may even turn into deeper and deeper, as will the diplomatic alliance, and navy confrontation may even have some optimistic significance.”

The technique of the 2 main alliances towards the US is to discourage the CCP

In East Asia, the CCP has made important strikes to increase into neighboring international locations lately. The development of islands within the South China Sea conflicts with the Philippines, the navy workout routines round Taiwan intimidate Taiwan, and the harassment of Japan within the East China Sea have prompted these international locations and areas to kind an alliance with the US. Because the Biden administration continues to implement the Indo-Pacific technique proposed by Trump in his later interval, East Asia performs an vital position.

Zheng Zhengbing instructed The Epoch Occasions that the US’ East Asia technique is especially to discourage the CCP, hoping to comprise Beijing in some ways so that it’ll not rashly ship troops to Taiwan or the South China Sea, during which Vietnam performs an important position.

“The CCP’s high precedence now’s to confront the US, and it’s also uniting Russia to battle towards the G7, which is dominated by the US. This confrontation is carried out from a number of angles corresponding to financial and navy, whether or not it’s the ten international locations or the BRICS alliance. This has broad strategic, political New alliance confrontation with diplomatic and navy implications.

However to what extent does the CCP wish to kind an alliance with Russia? “I feel it has been hesitant lately. As a result of China might be very depending on the US and the West for its financial system, it would principally put apart its conflicts with Vietnam within the South China Sea and construct broad alliances.”

Zheng Zhengbing believes that Russia and China wish to set up their very own cost methods and eliminate future financial sanctions from the US and the West. They’ve sturdy incentives to win over Vietnam. Quite the opposite, Vietnam itself has been favored by all events in lots of features, so the non-obligatory technique A lot.

Vietnam’s “Bamboo Diplomacy” U.S. Affect Rising

Previously yr, the leaders of the US, China and Russia visited Vietnam in a revolving door method. Vietnam hosted US President Joe Biden in September final yr and Chinese language Communist Celebration chief Xi Jinping in December. Through the interval, Vietnam additionally promoted Japan to one of many six complete strategic companions alongside the US and China. Russian President Vladimir Putin visited on Thursday.

“Vietnam is taking part in this recreation very nicely,” the Monetary Occasions quoted Nguyen Khac Giang, a researcher on the Yusof Issa Institute of Southeast Asian Research in Singapore as saying.

Vietnam has tried to undertake a balanced diplomatic stance through the years. Amid the deepening competitors between China and the US, in 2016, Normal Secretary of the Communist Celebration of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong proposed the idea of “bamboo diplomacy”, saying that bamboo has the traits of “sturdy roots, thick trunks, and versatile branches.”

Below the management of Nguyen Phu Trong, Vietnam has upgraded its relations with allies corresponding to the US, Australia, Japan and South Korea to the earliest “complete strategic partnership” with Russia. That is the very best degree of diplomatic relations granted by Hanoi.

As for China-Vietnam relations, Zheng Zhengbing believes that following the Sino-Vietnam Conflict in 1979, the connection between Vietnam and China maintained a superficial concord, however there nonetheless existed big nationwide complexes between them and conflicts of pursuits within the South China Sea. Alternatively, resulting from Vietnam’s geographical relationship, China is an important accomplice for Vietnam in each export and import. Due to this fact, China and Vietnam have conflicts, however additionally they have widespread pursuits.

China is presently Vietnam’s largest buying and selling nation, and Russia is Vietnam’s largest arms provider. However the Western allies had been more and more vital.

Lately, below the Western “de-risking” technique, Vietnam has turn into a popular vacation spot for multinational firms corresponding to Apple, as a result of these firms hope to keep away from China and diversify their provide chains. Vietnam hopes to achieve the standing of an vital manufacturing middle on the earth.

Susannah Patton, director of Southeast Asia packages on the Lowy Institute, an Australian assume tank, stated Hanoi has been shrewd in dealing with relations with Beijing and has struck the best steadiness “between resistance and compliance.”

Patton stated Vietnam makes use of its ties with the US and Russia to steadiness Beijing. “Vietnam advantages from its all-encompassing overseas coverage stance and maintains shut relations with many companions.”

Zheng Zhengbing believes that “the US is accelerating its alliance. At current, in contrast with China and Russia uniting, the US’ affect on Vietnam is rising.”

Editor in cost: Fang Xiao#

After ending third within the European elections, the battle between the 2 wings of the Socialist Occasion erupted once more within the open – Doskozil’s beautiful reversal on the problem of exterior border safety

Vienna(OTS) – “Doskozil as soon as once more snubbed SPÖ chief Babul on the ORF press convention. After Doskozil refused to take part in SPÖ’s advertising and marketing presentation surrounding the so-called revised migration plan, it quickly turned clear why: SPÖ nonetheless doesn’t Able to decide to a strict immigration coverage. Yesterday’s Babuliglia defeat was nothing greater than a rehash of the traditional social democratic platform on immigration. Anybody on the lookout for one thing new has to go dwelling dissatisfied on the Socialist Occasion’s obvious lack of ability to behave. — In any other case at the very least some new views will likely be introduced,” stated Individuals’s Occasion Basic Secretary Christian Inventory of Babul and Doskozil’s look on the Socialist Occasion.

“At in the present day’s ORF press convention, Hans-Peter Doskozyl stated that he, like Inside Minister Gerhard Kana, would stop Romania and Bulgaria from becoming a member of Schengen. The actual fact is: Dokozyl publicly expressed his assist Schengen extension. Now the Burgenland governor believes he can obtain his file of simply 290 arrests within the first half of 2024 via deception, however that success is all the way down to the police underneath Inside Minister Gerhard Khanna. ,” Inventory continued, concluding: “Governor Doskozyl’s look at in the present day’s press convention impressively demonstrated that the Socialist Occasion stays a deeply divided social gathering surrounding Mayor Ludwig. Political events. Politicians like Babul shouldn’t even attempt to unite a rustic or a authorities.

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