It seems everyone's moved on but some in the US ruling class are still bitter. So are they going to vote for granting VN Permanent Normal Trading Relations? and When?

The US has worn all international observers out, as much with its overly lengthy bilateral WTO negociations with Vietnam, and again with this PNTR. I looked at the news in many languages, but it does seem nobody really cares any more about this -- excepted in the US, and also in Vietnam.

Anyway, this is an intra-US issue which they, the US, will probably get settled in the course of this (coming) week.

You can follow the news -> here and here <- if you so wish.

It looks like PNTR will come but very reluctantly, look at this: "The House passed the trade bill by a 212-184 vote" ... F'king hell, most of the 184 voting against are just bitter and unable to move on

PNTR passed through both houses. You guys should be happy now.


http://vietnamnet.vn/tinnoibat/2006/12/642297/

The reason why the ratio was so close is because Haiti was in the package.

At the upper house/Senate, the ratio was 79/9.

What the House Representative want is for the government in Vietnam to show that they are serious about reform in both politic, social, and economic. It will only benifit Vietnam in the long run. Even without PNTR, vietnam is still has normal trading relationship with the United States. PNTR will come eventually as soon as there are some progress reform made in Vietnam. Maybe months if not a years or two depend on what the VCP decided to do. I hope that the so call reformist prime minister Nguyen Tan Dung will put more reform in those three categories.

Since Congress now pass the bill, what is left is for president Bush to sign it.

That's because the US Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam was screaming that without PNTR, they were handicapped in participating in the Vietnamese market. As long as PNTR is not passed, we get the benefits of WTO without having to implement the concessions made to the US - at least, that's my understanding. So passing the PNTR was really in the US government's interest. That fairy tale situation could not last for ever, of course.