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      "date": "2009-01-02",
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      "title": "U.S.-Vietnam Relations in 2008: Background\u00a0and Issues for Congress",
      "summary": "After communist North Vietnam\u2019s victory over U.S.-backed South Vietnam in 1975, U.S.-Vietnam relations remained essentially frozen until the mid-1990s. Since then, bilateral ties have expanded remarkably, to the point where the relationship has been virtually normalized. Indeed, since 2002, overlapping strategic and economic interests have compelled the United States and Vietnam to improve relations across a wide spectrum of issues. Congress played a significant role in the normalization process and continues to influence the state of bilateral relations. Voices favoring improved relations have included those reflecting U.S. business interests in Vietnam\u2019s reforming economy and U.S. strategic interests in expanding cooperation with a populous country\u2014Vietnam has over 85 million people\u2014that has an ambivalent relationship with China. Others argue that improvements in bilateral relations should be conditioned upon Vietnam\u2019s authoritarian government improving its record on human rights. The population of over 1 million Vietnamese Americans, as well as legacies of the Vietnam War, also drive continued U.S. interest.\nEconomic ties are the most mature aspect of the bilateral relationship. The United States is Vietnam\u2019s largest export market. The final step toward full economic normalization was accomplished in December 2006, when Congress passed and President Bush signed H.R. 6111 (P.L. 109-432), extending permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) status to Vietnam. For years, the United States has supported Vietnam\u2019s market-oriented economic reforms, which many credit with Vietnam\u2019s extraordinary economic performance; from 1987-2007, annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth has averaged over 7%. Since the early 1990s, poverty levels have been halved, to less than 30%. In 2008, the two countries launched bilateral investment treaty (BIT) talks and the Bush Administration announced that it would explore whether to add Vietnam to the Generalized System of Payments (GSP) program, which extends duty-free treatment to certain products that are imported from designated developing countries.\nSince 2002, the United States and Vietnam have expanded political and security ties, symbolized by reciprocal summits that have been held annually since 2005. Vietnam is one of the largest recipients of U.S. assistance in East Asia; estimated U.S. aid in FY2008 surpassed $100 million, much of it for health-related activities. In September 2007, the House passed the Vietnam Human Rights Act, H.R. 3096, which would freeze some non-humanitarian U.S. assistance programs at existing levels if Vietnam does not improve its human rights situation. Since 2006, arrests of dissidents and other developments have increased concerns about human rights.\nVietnamese leaders have sought to upgrade relations with the United States due in part to worries about China\u2019s expanding influence in Southeast Asia and the desire for continued U.S. support for their economic reforms. Many argue, however, that there is little evidence that Hanoi seeks to balance Beijing\u2019s rising power. Also, some Vietnamese remain suspicious that the United States\u2019 long-term goal is to end the Vietnamese communist party\u2019s monopoly on power through a \u201cpeaceful evolution\u201d strategy.",
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    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc818433/",
      "id": "RL33316_2008Oct31",
      "date": "2008-10-31",
      "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26",
      "title": "U.S.-Vietnam Relations: Background and Issues for Congress",
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      "id": "RL33316_2008Jun19",
      "date": "2008-06-19",
      "retrieved": "2014-12-05T09:57:41",
      "title": "U.S.-Vietnam Relations: Background and Issues for Congress",
      "summary": "This report provides an overview of U.S. relations with Vietnam, including policy issues, the economic and political situation in Vietnam, and a list of pertinent legislation. The key issues in the relationship include how far to pursue strategic and military-to-military ties; whether to impose curbs on surges in imports of certain items from Vietnam; how much and what types of bilateral economic assistance to provide; whether and how to try to improve the human rights situation in Vietnam; and how to clear up legacy issues from the Vietnam war.",
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          "id": "Foreign policy",
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          "id": "Foreign relations -- Vietnam -- U.S.",
          "name": "Foreign relations -- Vietnam -- U.S."
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        {
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          "id": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Vietnam",
          "name": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Vietnam"
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          "id": "Foreign economic relations -- Vietnam -- U.S.",
          "name": "Foreign economic relations -- Vietnam -- U.S."
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          "id": "Economic conditions",
          "name": "Economic conditions"
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          "id": "Politics and government -- Vietnam",
          "name": "Politics and government -- Vietnam"
        }
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      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc807893/",
      "id": "RL33316_2008Jan03",
      "date": "2008-01-03",
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      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc809542/",
      "id": "RL33316_2007Dec27",
      "date": "2007-12-27",
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      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc815724/",
      "id": "RL33316_2007Sep28",
      "date": "2007-09-28",
      "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26",
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      "id": "RL33316_2007Jun15",
      "date": "2007-06-15",
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    {
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      "id": "RL33316 2006-06-30",
      "date": "2006-06-30",
      "retrieved": "2006-12-05T11:26:46",
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