Making things worse, the U.S. Secretary of State went to Malaysia for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers. Instead of visiting with heads of state in Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul and Hanoi, the Secretary of State went to a club meeting of Foreign Ministers and played the piano for the assembly at dinner (Brahms' Sonata in D Minor, 2nd Movement).
Worse still, for right or wrong, the Secretary of State rushed back to the Middle East, it seemed, to deal with the troubles of Israel; a small and insignificant nation in the eyes of many in the vast populations of Asia. We lost face.
Now North Korea has defied everyone and has developed long range missiles and has reportedly exploded a nuclear weapon. What do they want? Well, first they want to keep their failing regime. One way they see to do that is to keep their face. The North Korean want stature; and some of them think they have achieved that in some way by jostling the world community, especially the U.S. They want to sit at the bargaining table with the United States on an equal or seemingly equal footing. But we have insisted upon six party talks, refusing to give them what they crave the most: face.
Many have said to us, "Who cares what these repressive Communist rulers (in China, North Korea and Vietnam) think of us or if they 'lose face'?"
We believe we have to deal with these Asian nations and peoples until these regimes change; and offering an example of our principled, democratic American behavior with some sensitivity and grace is greatly in our national interest.
The President of the United States plans to go to Vietnam in November for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference. The Vietnamese have great hopes that they will soon be admitted to the World Trade Organization and granted Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) from the United States.
Vietnam has been holding in jail Mrs. "Cuc" Foshee, an American citizen, for more than a year without charges. We have great hopes that the president will secure her release.
And we applaud and thank the President of the United States on his planned trip to Vietnam. We want the U.S. economy to share in all the benefits of Vietnam's anticipated growth.
But we all need to remain mindful of our American commitment to human rights and our American values in the process of expanding the "Vietnam Economic Miracle." Vietnam remains a Communist nation with limited or no human rights as we understand them.
Already the Vietnamese fear that the president's visit will not mean much; that perhaps this is all about a photo opportunity and not real diplomacy and dialogue.
And how could they get that idea? Because no real high-level dialogue has taken place with the new Vietnamese leadership to date.
And Asians are used to losing face in the American diplomatic shuffle.
Honglien Do is Vietnamese by birth and now an American citizen. Mr. Carey is former president of International Defense Consultants, Inc., and has lived in China.
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