[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 112 (Wednesday, July 12, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9820-S9821]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                NORMALIZATION OF RELATIONS WITH VIETNAM

 Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, yesterday afternoon, President 
Clinton announced his decision to fully normalize relations with 
Vietnam. I rise today to offer my strong support for this initiative.
  I believe it is time for the United States to close the final chapter 
on a 

[[Page S 9821]]
sad history with Vietnam, and open a new chapter with the optimism that 
a mutually beneficial relationship is now warranted, appropriate, and 
possible.
  Mr. President, last year in response to Vietnam's heightened efforts 
to help account for the American servicemen lost in the war in 
Southeast Asia, President Clinton ended our economic embargo of 
Vietnam. At that time, many argued that ending the embargo would halt 
Vietnam's efforts to help us locate these men.
  In fact, Mr. President, just the opposite has occurred, and Vietnam 
has actually strengthened its efforts to resolve POW/MIA cases.
  By normalizing relations with Vietnam, we will continue on this path 
of mutual participation and strong efforts to account for these men, 
and increase our access to evidence in Vietnam.
  The Veterans of Foreign Wars, which represents over 600,000 Vietnam 
veterans, now supports normalizing relations with Vietnam. They are 
optimistic that normalizing relations will in fact further progress on 
accounting for POW/MIAs in Southeast Asia.
  A senior-level Presidential delegation, including Assistant Secretary 
of State Winston Lord and Deputy Secretary for Veterans Affairs Hershel 
Gober, visited Vietnam in May to review the four categories the 
President laid out for examining progress on the POW/MIA issue; their 
findings were highly reassuring.
  The Vietnamese government provided them with valuable new 
information, including analyses, maps, and witness data, that will help 
in reaching the fullest possible accounting of POWs and MIAs.
  Mr. President, we made a commitment to the Vietnamese government. The 
Bush administration laid out specific goals that the Vietnamese would 
have to meet as conditions for normalization, and the Vietnamese have 
worked diligently to meet them. We should keep our commitment.
  A sad truth of war is that many who courageously fought and gave 
their lives for the sake of freedom will never be located. The 
distinguished Senators from Arizona and Massachusetts, who have 
provided outstanding leadership on this issue, have pointed out that 
efforts to account for MIAs in Vietnam have been far more extensive 
than similar efforts after any previous war:
  They emphasize that of the approximately 2,000 Americans who remain 
technically classified as missing-in-action, only 55 cases still hold 
serious questions, and all of these cases have been investigated at 
least once.
  Mr. President, we must remember that there are over 8,000 remaining 
MIA cases from the Korean war and 78,000 from World War II, as noted by 
the Wall Street Journal. And the Vietnamese, who have made great 
strides in accounting for our MIAs, must live with the knowledge that 
300,000 of their own people remain unaccounted for, according to the 
Vietnam Veterans for Reconciliation, a group of veterans who, although 
now involved in an array of fields from law to public policy, volunteer 
their time to try and resolve MIA cases.
  All United States military personnel who have been involved in 
efforts with Vietnam to account for MIAs and POWs, including General 
John Vessey, who has led these
 efforts, state unequivocally that Vietnam's cooperation has been 
extensive.

  Of course, the families and loved ones of the missing deserve our 
strongest efforts to know what happened to these brave Americans. But I 
believe that, at this point in time, 22 years after the United States 
withdrew from Vietnam, to normalize relations will be the best way to 
reach whatever closure to these cases is realistically possible.
  Mr. President, normalizing relations with Vietnam will not only 
further our interests in accounting for our missing servicemen, it will 
serve other important United States interests in the region as well, 
particularly by advancing U.S. commercial interests in Asia.
  The Pacific Rim holds 60 percent of the world's population today. It 
is the fastest growing trade area of the world, with many strong and 
dynamic economies. The Vietnamese economy has been growing at a rate of 
8 percent a year and foreign investment in this nation has been rapidly 
increasing, according to the Wall Street Journal.
  Just last month, the European Union announced an expansive economic 
agreement with Vietnam, including providing Vietnam with most-favored-
nation status. This agreement will give the EU a substantial edge in 
trading in one of the world's fastest growing markets. And the EU is 
not alone: a total of 160 countries, including all of our major trading 
partners, enjoy full diplomatic relations with Vietnam.
  With a population of over 70 million and enormous economic potential, 
Vietnam could become a major market for American services and products. 
Already, dozens of major United States companies are establishing a 
presence in Vietnam. But until now, they have been unable to reach 
their full potential.
  Some of the companies involved in setting up ventures in Vietnam are 
Caterpillar, Inc., Proctor and Gamble, Boeing, Eastman Kodak, IBM, 
Lockheed Martin, and McDonnell Douglas. And the list goes on and on: 
Citibank, Nike, General Electric. In fact, over 100 companies belong to 
the Coalition for U.S.-Vietnam Trade, which endorses fully normalized 
relations. These companies are awaiting the opportunity to invest in 
Vietnam's dynamic economy.
  Mr. President, for Americans, these opportunities mean more jobs at 
home. One of the great benefits of this new chapter in United States-
Vietnamese relations will be that ordinary Americans will benefit 
economically from the trade that will result.
  There is an additional benefit that will flow from fully normalized 
relations with Vietnam. Greater contacts and expanded trade will put 
the United States in a better position to encourage respect for human 
rights and democracy in Vietnam. Increased cooperation and contact will 
lead to a more active exchange of ideas.
  As we saw with the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, when the barriers 
began to come down, Western ideas about democracy and freedom soon took 
hold. So too, with Vietnam: as the American and Vietnamese peoples come 
into greater contact with each other, the people of Vietnam will 
benefit by enjoying greater democratization.
  Mr. President, today is a day of hope and optimism for the United 
States and Vietnam. Today, we put the tragedies of the past behind us 
and begin to work together to build a better relationship. Our 
children, and the children of Vietnam, will have a brighter future 
because of this decision. I commend President Clinton for taking this 
bold step.


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