>From: "Jay Moore" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Vietnam Party Lambasts Imperialism > >Wednesday February 2, 2000 11:00 am > >HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - At a patriotism celebration, Vietnam's Communist Party >chief spoke out today against freeing up world trade, accusing imperialists >of pursuing ``absolute profits'' at the expense of developing nations. > >The speech, a sort of state-of-the-party address, raised questions about how >fast Vietnam will continue the ``Doi Moi'' economic reforms launched in the >mid-1980s and whether the country is willing to make the changes needed for >a trade deal with the United States and entry into the World Trade >Organization. > >Imperialists ``continue to seek ways to completely wipe out the remaining >socialist countries and attack the movements for independence, democracy and >social progress,'' Le Kha Phieu told top officials, youth groups and war >widows at ceremonies in advance of the 70th anniversary Thursday of the >ruling party's founding. > >Vietnam's reforms slowed to a near standstill during the fallout of the 1997 >Asian financial crisis. Tentative agreement on the trade pact was reached >last July, but work on finalizing it has bogged down. > >Phieu, considered the most powerful man in Vietnam's ruling troika of prime >minister, president and party general secretary, blamed many of Vietnam's >problems on outside influences and decades of war. > >``When imperialism speeds up trade and services liberalization and >globalization of investment, the rich countries become richer, and the gap >between rich and poor countries widens,'' he said. > >Developing nations ``need science and technology, managerial experience and >armies of skilled workers, which they could not have under the dominance of >imperialists,'' he said. > >Before Phieu's speech, top officials, including many members of the party's >powerful Politburo, held a procession through the mausoleum where the body >of revolutionary hero Ho Chi Minh lies in state. > >A half-hour of song and dance by 200 performers - including 70 children - >then extolled the party's accomplishments. > >``We are renovating, but we are determined not to change color. The >difficulties and challenges will not force us to diverge from the path of >socialism,'' Phieu said, speaking against a backdrop of portraits of >communist founders Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin overlooking a bust of >revolutionary hero Ho Chi Minh. > >Phieu said the party sees the state sector as ``playing the leading role'' >in economic development. >In its reforms, the party has been working to improve the efficiency and >competitiveness of state-owned enterprises. > >Phieu also urged technology transfers to developing countries to create >opportunities for greater equality, saying imperialists have exploited >science ``to gain absolute profits.'' > > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi ___________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe/unsubscribe messages mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________
