U.S. Assistance to Vietnam (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
Revised June 17, 2005 |
| Report Number |
RL32636 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Mark E. Manyin, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
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Summary:
U.S.-Vietnam diplomatic and economic relations were non-existent for more than fifteen years
following communist North Vietnam's victory in 1975 over U.S. ally South Vietnam. Normalization
of relations, particularly in the economic sphere, between the United States and unified Vietnam
began in earnest in the 1990s. As the normalization process has proceeded, the U.S. has eliminated
most of the Cold War-era restrictions on U.S. aid to Vietnam, and U.S. assistance has increased
markedly from around $1 million when assistance was resumed in 1991 to nearly $50 million in
FY2004.
In recent years, many Members of Congress have become interested in linking U.S. aid to the
human rights situation in Vietnam. One initiative in the 108th Congress, H.R. 1587 ,
proposed capping existing non-humanitarian U.S. assistance programs to the Vietnamese
government at FY2004 levels if the President did not certify that Vietnam is making "substantial
progress" in human rights, including religious freedom. In the near term, the substantive impact of
H.R. 1587 on U.S. aid would likely have been negligible because at present, no U.S.
non-humanitarian assistance is given directly to the government of Vietnam. Thus, if it had been
enacted, the bill's principal impact would likely have been symbolic. Proponents of the measure
argued that it would pressure the Vietnamese government to improve the country's human rights
situation. Critics argued that the bill could chill the warming of bilateral political and security ties
that has been taking place slowly over the past several months. On July 19, 2004, the House passed
H.R. 1587 . Attempts to include stripped-down versions of the measure in the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005 ( H.R. 4818 ) did not succeed.
U.S. bilateral assistance programs are likely to come under additional scrutiny in the future. At
some point in the coming year or two, Congress is expected to consider granting permanent
normal trade relations (PNTR) status to Vietnam as part of Vietnam's bid to join the World Trade
Organization (WTO). Hanoi has set a goal of attaining WTO membership by the end of 2005.
This report quantifies and briefly describes U.S. assistance programs to Vietnam. It includes
an appendix detailing funding levels for U.S. aid programs. The report will be updated
periodically.
