(Dan Tri) - Former Ambassador Ted Osius assessed that there is no reason to think that the Vietnam - US relationship has limits. Both countries benefit from the strong partnership and friendship that we have created.
"I am very happy," said Ted Osius, former US Ambassador to Vietnam, when he learned that US President Joe Biden would visit Vietnam on September 10-11. "This visit demonstrates the commitment from the top leaders of the two countries and will mark another historic milestone in Vietnam-US relations."
During his three years as US Ambassador to Vietnam (2014-2017), Mr. Osius witnessed four consecutive high-level visits between the leaders of the two countries. The most memorable trip for the former Ambassador was when General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong visited the US in 2015 at the invitation of the Obama administration.
"After the General Secretary visited Washington, the bilateral relationship improved in all aspects: security, education, trade and investment...", Mr. Osius said, adding that he expected the upcoming visit to be a similar boost.
Speaking with Dan Tri on the occasion of President Biden's visit, Mr. Osius recounted his memories of the General Secretary's visit to the US, while sharing his hopes for Vietnam-US relations and what he believes are key to diplomatic work.
General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Barack Obama at the White House in July 2015 (Photo: AFP).
Beyond the system
Sir, what is the significance of US President Joe Biden's upcoming visit to Vietnam on September 10-11 for Vietnam-US bilateral relations?
- This visit is of great significance because it demonstrates the commitment from the top leaders of the two countries, and can also create new momentum for bilateral relations.
During his visit, President Biden will meet with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and other Vietnamese leaders to discuss ways to deepen ties in a variety of areas.
This is not the first time the two leaders have met. Mr. Biden hosted a luncheon after General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong held talks with President Barack Obama in the Oval Office, during the General Secretary’s visit to the US in 2015.
Looking back, I realize that meeting in the Oval Office changed history. It was the most important moment of my time as ambassador and perhaps the most important moment in the 10 years of our Comprehensive Partnership.
After the General Secretary visited Washington, bilateral relations improved in all aspects: security, education, trade and economic relations, investment, climate change response, and energy. Health cooperation, which was already strong, continued to accelerate.
We can continue what we have done in the past 10 years through this visit. I believe that after President Biden's visit, we will be able to do things that we could not do before. This visit will mark another historic milestone in the Vietnam-US relationship.
You believe that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's visit to the US in 2015 was a historic milestone in Vietnam-US relations. As one of the figures who helped promote the visit, what difficulties did you face?
- The biggest difficulty is that the political systems of Vietnam and the US are not the same. Some people in President Obama's team believe that the US has never had a precedent of receiving the head of a party in the Oval Office.
Therefore, I discussed with the US side that the political systems of the two countries are different. Inviting the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam to the White House is correct and appropriate.
I asked my friend, Thomas Vallely (Director of the Vietnam Program at Harvard University and later Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Fulbright University Vietnam - PV). Thomas then talked to his friend, Mr. John Kerry (then US Secretary of State), and Mr. Kerry in turn talked to his "boss" - President Obama.
It was a rather unusual way to send a message to the President that this was important to do. I went outside the normal process but I thought it was the right thing to do for our two countries. I was happy to go outside the system and take the risk.
Even those who initially had different opinions later agreed that the meeting changed the relationship and that it was necessary to flexibly adjust our system to suit Vietnam's system.
Former Ambassador Ted Osius said that President Biden's upcoming visit to Vietnam will mark another historic milestone in the Vietnam-US relationship (Photo: Reuters).
During that visit, the meeting between General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Obama in the Oval Office went well. What do you remember most about that historic meeting?
- I remember advising President Obama to affirm "We respect different political systems" in the meeting with the General Secretary. The President said that and even much more than what I suggested.
The two leaders had a very productive and meaningful exchange. They made a connection and the exchange lasted twice as long as expected.
They talked a lot about the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) that we were negotiating at that time. The US is unfortunately no longer a member of the CPTPP as it is now called, but Vietnam is still a member and is benefiting from this agreement.
The TPP negotiation process has shown that we can solve problems if we approach them with goodwill from both sides. That is a very useful lesson even if we do not end up being a member of the TPP or CPTPP.
Vice President Joe Biden hosted a reception for General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong after talks between the two leaders in the Oval Office of the White House in 2015 (Photo: AP).
Immediately after the talks, the US side held a reception and the host was Mr. Joe Biden - then the US Vice President. Could you describe the moments of interaction between General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Mr. Joe Biden at the party?
- I remember that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Mr. Joe Biden met before the party started on the 8th floor of the US State Department headquarters. That interaction was very positive. General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was very happy because the talks with President Obama went well, and Mr. Joe Biden was always friendly.
When speaking at the party, Mr. Biden quoted two lines of Kieu in English, the original text is "Heaven still allows us to have today/The mist at the end of the alley clears, the clouds in the sky part."
The Tale of Kieu is one of the most important works in Vietnamese literature. It says a lot and it is a very important story when it comes to Vietnamese culture and values.
Mr. Biden’s interest in learning about the most important work in Vietnamese literature is an act of respect. And I think if we can show respect, we can build trust. Once we have trust, we can do many things together and continue to build trust.
I believe that personal relationships and trust between leaders can create momentum to promote relations between the two countries.
Former US Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius said that "Nothing is impossible" in Vietnam - US relations (Photo: New York Times).
"Nothing is impossible in Vietnam - US relations"
You have repeatedly said that "nothing is impossible" when talking about Vietnam - US relations. Could you please elaborate on this point of view?
- That saying actually did not come from me first but from Mr. Pete Peterson, the first US Ambassador to Vietnam.
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the normalization of relations between the two countries, Mr. Peterson said: "I believe that nothing is impossible in the US-Vietnam relationship", and I thought: "He is right". So I said it over and over again during my 3 years as ambassador.
Many Vietnamese people when meeting me said that they also agree that "Nothing is impossible" in our relationship. And I think that became most clear to me after the visit of the General Secretary, when we accelerated cooperation in all areas.
After President Obama visited Vietnam in 2016, a series of agreements were signed and we were able to complete what both sides had been working on for many years. That also created conditions for extraordinary development in the economic and trade relationship between Vietnam and the United States.
When I first came to Vietnam 30 years ago, the Vietnamese economy was small. But last year, two-way trade was $138 billion, while Vietnam was America’s eighth-largest trading partner. That’s no coincidence.
The US has invested more than $11 billion in Vietnam by the end of 2022. Where I work, the US-ASEAN Business Council, many companies now look to Vietnam first when they are looking for business opportunities in ASEAN. They see a government that is supportive of foreign direct investment and has business-friendly policies.
What the above shows me is that what once seemed unusual and extraordinary is now just part of our normal cooperative activities.
How has the "nothing is impossible" relationship between Vietnam and the US had a positive impact on the lives of people in the two countries?
- Let me take the example of cooperation in overcoming the consequences of war. During the time I have been directly involved in this relationship, one of the things both sides have been doing together is to look frankly at the past. It is precisely by being frank with the past that we will create a very different future.
During the normalization of relations, the United States said from the beginning that accounting for Americans missing in action was very important to our people, especially to the families of those missing. And the Vietnamese leaders listened to us on that very important issue.
Since then, we have been able to recover the remains of 731 missing soldiers and bring answers to their families. Now, we are able to assist Vietnam in searching for missing soldiers.
On the other hand, Vietnamese leaders and people believe that dioxin remediation is important. Our job, therefore, will be to convince the US government that this is important and that the two countries need to work together.
Thus, we have been able to clear a large amount of unexploded bombs and mines in the provinces, clean up dioxin at Da Nang airport, support people with disabilities, and continue to clean up dioxin at Bien Hoa airport. Earlier this year, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced an additional $73 million in funding to treat dioxin at Bien Hoa airport.
Finding the resources to do these projects is a difficult process, but both countries are trying very hard and are committed to being honest with the past. I think that is an important lesson: Be honest with the past and the future will be limitless.
Cooperation in overcoming the consequences of war is the foundation for the Vietnam-US relationship (Photo: Tien Tuan).
"Sometimes you have to be stubborn to get things done"
I understand that finding funding for dioxin remediation projects can sometimes be difficult. During your time working, what have you done to continue to call for such support?
- During President Obama's time in office, I had many allies on the issue of dioxin, such as John Kerry and John McCain. McCain was still alive and a Senator at the time, and John Kerry was Secretary of State. They knew the importance of being honest about the past and they understood that cleaning up dioxin was necessary.
Finding resources remains difficult, but President Obama made a commitment to this in a joint statement with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in 2015 and then in a joint statement when Obama visited Vietnam in 2016.
And then there was a time when the dioxin cleanup was no longer a big focus. I wrote to many White House officials like Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, General McMaster (former US National Security Advisor), and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, but they were not very supportive. But I was still very determined.
The good news is that I am not alone in this determination, as are Senator Patrick Leahy and his assistant, Tim Rieser. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Leahy has been working tirelessly to ensure that the dioxin cleanup is done. I have provided ammunition for his arguments.
There were times when we were told to stop sending letters to the Pentagon or the Secretary of State, but we persisted. My team, as well as USAID and the US Department of Defense officials directly involved on the ground, agreed that we would not stop.
And then Senator Leahy and Tim Rieser had a breakthrough. Secretary Jim Mattis finally agreed to allocate funds to clean up dioxin at Bien Hoa Airbase. Sometimes you have to be stubborn to get things done.
Mr. John Kerry (left) and Mr. John McCain, two figures who made great contributions to Vietnam - US relations, at a hearing in 1992 in Washington DC (Photo: AP).
What are your expectations for the Vietnam-US relationship?
- I see no reason to think that our relationship has limits. Both countries benefit from the strong partnership and friendship that we have created. I hope that this positive trajectory will continue and that we will work together to solve the problems of the whole region.
Take health cooperation, for example. Our health cooperation has helped us together respond to HIV/AIDS, SARS, and Covid-19. We have provided vaccines to Vietnam, and Vietnam has provided personal protective equipment to the United States. Together, we have solved one crisis after another.
When Vice President Kamala Harris visited Vietnam in 2021 on one of her first trips abroad, the US opened the CDC Regional Office for Southeast Asia in Hanoi. Imagine the implications of such a health cooperation move for years to come.
We will cooperate not only bilaterally, but also on all important regional and global issues, such as pandemic preparedness, climate change, and responding to rapidly changing technologies such as artificial intelligence. We will build enough trust so that our two countries can move forward together, creating peace and prosperity in the region and the world.
Thank you very much for your interview with Dan Tri newspaper!
Dantri.com.vn
![[Photo] Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chairs Government Conference with localities on economic growth](https://vstatic.vietnam.vn/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2025/2/21/f34583484f2643a2a2b72168a0d64baa)
Comment (0)