Vietnam President Departs.

[Carl Robinson]

I should've posted this yesterday but a bit too busy back here in Saigon where I've popped up for a few days from Australia.   

Only 54 years old and a protege of long-serving Communist Party Boss President Nguyen Phu Trong, Vo Van Thuong sure didn't last very long after his predecessor, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, was sacked just over a year ago.  Personally, I was thinking that perhaps President Thuong would bring a younger and more vigorous leadership to the country.   

But, no, he's gone down just like all the others -- and business folks too -- in a cloud of corruption.   

 Vietnam's president resigns, raising questions over stability | Reuters

Rumours abound but very early on a relative was caught in the infamous "Toothpaste Smuggling Scandal" involving Vietnam Airlines cabin attendants on a flight from France.  More recently, very gauche behaviour during US President Biden's visit pictured answering a mobile phone call during a state dinner and toast.  (Was that China's President Xi calling, people joked.)   But formally, this goes back to earlier behaviour when he was in Quang Ngai.    He's a Delta Boy from Vinh Long. 

Carl

[Carl Robinson]

Correction:  Sorry the Toothpaste Scandal was a relative of the last VN president who quit.  Sigh.

Carl

[David A. Andelman]

Thought folks might enjoy seeing this from the State Department that just landed !

Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Son

Readout

March 25, 2024

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son in Washington, D.C. for the inaugural Comprehensive Strategic Partnership foreign ministerial meeting.

Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Son reaffirmed the strength of the U.S.-Vietnam relationship and reflected on progress since the elevation of ties during President Biden’s historic visit to Hanoi in September 2023. The Secretary and Foreign Minister addressed ways in which the United States and Vietnam can expand cooperation in key areas, including the semiconductor ecosystem, supply chain diversification, education and culture, security, and human rights. The Secretary and Foreign Minister also discussed shared regional priorities, including a free, open, connected, prosperous, resilient, and secure Indo-Pacific region and promoting stability and prosperity in the South China Sea.

btw....please don't hesitate to subscribe (free!) to my SubStack page: Andelman Unleashed ....  https://daandelman.substack.com/

  (I folo all sorts of items like this all the time!!)

and thanks!

in good health,

d.

David A. Andelman

  Executive Director / The RedLines Project

Columnist CNNOpinion 
A Red Line in the Sand: Diplomacy, Strategy & the History of Wars That Might Still Happen

Chevalier, Légion d’Honneur

President Emeritus  The Silurians Press Club

                                 Overseas Press Club of America

Substack: Andelman Unleashed

570-595-8628
917-325-2822

+33-(0)-603376734 (Paris mobile)

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Vietnam Old Hacks" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to vietnam-old-ha...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/vietnam-old-hacks/CADHX3p%3DA77eaf_P%3DfDo6R9fLzdGFgvQwb9bZbESUkKH3HGvxwg%40mail.gmail.com.