U.S.-Vietnam Relations in 2009: Current Issues and Implications for U.S. Policy (July 29, 2009)

摘要

After communist North Vietnams victory over U.S.-backed South Vietnam in 1975, U.S.- Vietnam relations remained essentially frozen until the mid-1990s. Since then, bilateral ties have expanded to the point where the relationship has been virtually normalized. Indeed, since 2002, overlapping strategic and economic interests have compelled the United States and Vietnam to improve relations across a wide spectrum of issues. Congress played a significant role in the normalization process and continues to influence the state of bilateral relations. In the United States, voices favoring improved relations have included those reflecting U.S. business interests in Vietnams reforming economy and U.S. strategic interests in expanding cooperation with a populous countryVietnam has more than 85 million peoplethat has an ambivalent relationship with China. Others argue that improvements in bilateral relations should be conditioned upon Vietnams authoritarian government improving its record on human rights. The population of more than 1 million Vietnamese-Americans, as well as legacies of the Vietnam War, also drive continued U.S. interest.