Mike Levin: “I simply want to reemphasize that this is not an easy relationship. It is a complex relationship because of the past…”

“I simply want to reemphasize that this is not an easy relationship. It is a complex relationship because of the past, but also because of the present and likely the near future. There should be no rose-colored lenses. We are dealing with a society, a structure, that is very different from ours. Very different. A political structure that is very different and an economic structure that is very different. As a result, there is no automatic factor here. There is no magic wand. One thing will not lead automatically to another. I do not think a free capital market will lead automatically to a free labor market or to human rights. I think, as a result, we need a well-rounded comprehensive approach. I think included must be engagement, including on intellectual property. This agreement covers intellectual property. It has restrictions in terms of how the Vietnamese handle it. But beyond that, I think comprehensiveness must increasingly include, with this authoritarian society, their movement towards a free market in labor as well as in capital. That is why I think we need to both engage and pressure Vietnam.”