Normalization of U.S.-Vietnam Diplomatic Relations

On July 11, 1995, President Clinton announced the normalization of diplomatic relations--that is, full mutual diplomatic recognition--between the United States and Vietnam (McManus, 1995, p. A1). This move touched one of the rawest of American political nerves. It raised immediately the question of the uncertain fate of service members still missing from the war, and ultimately that of the outcome of the Vietnam War itself and of whether American opponents of the war, including President Clinton, bore a share of responsibility for the American defeat in the war.

Thus, the normalization of relations was immediately denounced by Republican congressional leaders Newt Gingrich and Robert Dole, as well as by the American Legion and organizations active in the issue of Americans still missing in action from the Vietnam War (Kempster, 1995, p. A7). Yet Republican Senator John McCain, who had been a prisoner of war in North Vietnam, stood at President Clinton's side to symbolize his own support for the normalization of relations, thus denying the GOP congressional leadership the solidity within their own ranks that they would need to effectively challenge the normalization policy.

Although the Republican congressional leadership thus could not act to block the move, the normalization of diplomatic relations with Vietnam had the potential of re-opening deep political wounds. To many Americans, this normalization of relations marks the final bitter acknowledgement of defeat.

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back some 2,000 years. Much of Vietnam's national tradition is rooted in its successful struggle to resist domination by China. Today, Vietnam's leadership views China with deep suspicion and distrust. For this reason, Vietnam was recently admitted to ASEAN, the economic cooperation organization of East and Southeast Asian states. In short, every practical economic and political consideration has for some time argued strongly in favor of the normalization of Vietnamese-American relations. Vietnam is eager for American economic investment. American firms are equally eager to invest in Vietnam and fear that delays in normalization would permit foreign competitors to get into Vietnam and establish themselves there ahead of them. Full diplomatic relations strengthen the position of Vietnam as a counterweight to an unfriendly China. Americans who have traveled in Vietnam report that they are well received there--indeed, that their reception at the hands of ordinary Vietnamese, north and south, is frequently enthusiastic. Even the investigation into the fate of missing American service members is likely to be easier in an atmosphere of Vietnamese-American friendship and cooperation. On every level, closer Vietnamese-Ame

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