Biden's Vietnam ambassador nominee vows to press Hanoi on rights, trade
David Brunnstrom – Reuters
2021-07-13
WASHINGTON -
President Joe Biden's nominee to be the next U.S. ambassador to Vietnam vowed at
his Senate nomination hearing on Tuesday to boost security ties with Hanoi while
seeking equitable market access and pressing Hanoi to respect human rights.
Marc Knapper,
a career diplomat currently serving as deputy assistant secretary for Japan and
Korea, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee the relationship between
Washington and its former Vietnam War foe had undergone a "profound
transformation" since normalization of ties in 1995.
"Our two countries have moved from a history of conflict to a comprehensive
partnership that spans political, security, economic, and people-to-people
ties," he said, while adding that the relationship was not without its
challenges.
"We have serious, serious concerns," Knapper said. "Only when we see significant
progress on human rights can our partnership reach its fullest potential."
Knapper highlighted Hanoi's restrictions on internet freedoms and referred to a
"troubling trend of harassment, arbitrary or unlawful arrests, unjust
convictions, and harsh sentences of journalists and activists."
He said he would "press" Hanoi "to respect the freedoms of expression,
association, peaceful assembly, and religion or belief."
Knapper, a linguist who speaks Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese, said bilateral
trade with Vietnam had grown from nearly nothing in 1995 to more than $90
billion in 2020, but said there were challenges as well.
He said he would "advocate for a level playing field for U.S. companies and
investors, including by urging Vietnam to maintain equitable market access for
U.S. digital services and agricultural products."
Knapper, the son of a Vietnam War veteran, vowed to strengthen security ties,
saying Hanoi and Washington both believed there was "no greater challenge" than
that posed by China, including in the South China Sea, where Vietnam and China
have rival claims.
"Right now, we have what we call a comprehensive partnership; we hope to raise
it to a strategic partnership, and I will take steps to do that by strengthening
even further our security relationships with Vietnam," he said.
Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Dan Grebler
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