David Thomas: “the U.S.-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement marks a milestone in the strengthening of our bilateral relations. This…”

“the U.S.-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement marks a milestone in the strengthening of our bilateral relations. This agreement is a sensible and necessary step. Vietnam has emerged as one of Southeast Asia's more promising economies, and it has the potential to be a strong trading partner for America. Continued engagement with Vietnam must lie at the core of our relationship. It has already produced concrete results in terms of the achievement of U.S. policy objectives, such as the fullest possible accounting of U.S. servicemen missing in action and resolution of remaining emigration cases. This trade agreement--the product of many years of bipartisan effort--will allow this engagement to continue, offering us the opportunity to promote significant change in Vietnam's trade and economic policies, enhancing both internal reform and regional stability. It commits Vietnam to the core principles of a market economy: open goods and services markets, expanded rule of law, and broader economic freedoms. You get off the plane in Vietnam and sense immediately the profound changes that interaction with the world at large has already brought. Vietnam moves at a vibrant pace. Its streets teem with new enterprises alongside the old. Young entrepreneurs sell modern electronic goods beside ancient shopkeepers and purveyors of hand-painted bowls. Joint ventures create modern factories where remote rice paddies once lay. But Vietnam is a work in progress.…”