Стр. 23 - V

Author : M. Terskikh
Attaché, Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, postgraduate student,
Department of Applied International Analysis, Moscow State Institute (University) of International
Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
REGIONAL INTEGRATION has developed into
an important factor of international relations. Today,
practically all states on the map of the world belong
to at least one regional association. In this context, the
United States and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
offer the best example of an active involvement in the
integration processes unfolding in the APR, the talks
on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in particular.
The region is increasingly often described as a loco-
motive of the world's economic development in the twenty-first century.
The positions of Washington and Hanoi are especially interesting. The former is the moving
force of the new integration format best described as a preferential trade agreement of a new
type; the latter is its economically weakest member. The SRV that has preserved its socialist su-
perstructure and political leadership of the Communist Party is adjusting to the market. The po-
litical aspect of the agreement is no less important: The U.S. expects to address its geopolitical
problems while Vietnam will concentrate at its regional tasks.
Much attention is paid to the interests of big corporations also present at the negotiation table.
Information leaks (the talks are conducted in strictest secrecy while the text of the document
has not yet been published) about a tribunal to be set up to sort things out among the member
states and TNCs invited numerous questions.
So far, Washington is saying again and again that the TPP is nothing more than an integration
structure not different from many others, APEC in particular, but that later it will replace APEC
to become the main tool of liberalization of trade and investments in the region.
The local analytical community is concerned since the future agreements say nothing about a
special regime for the less developed countries.9 No wonder, the Vietnamese team at the nego-
tiation table is working hard to get a respite as the least developed country among the national
economies involved.
If no other countries join the talks the TPP stands a good chance to be signed in 2015: all par-
ticipating countries want to round up the talks if and when the positions of all of them have
been taken into account. This fully applies to Washington and Hanoi.
China is one of the key factors and catalysts and as such it brings the positions of Vietnam and
the U.S. on the TPP closer together. Washington looks at Beijing as the rival that will claim or
has already claimed global leadership. This means that active integration with the countries of
the APR and, in the first place, with the Southeast Asian countries (that Beijing includes in the
http://interaffairs.ru
The U.S. and Vietnam in the Trans-Pacific Partnership