IV 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 1018 
Recognizing that in the 25 years since normalizing diplomatic relations, the 
Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the United States of America have 
worked toward increased stability, prosperity, and peace in Southeast 
Asia, and expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 
the United States will continue to remain a strong, reliable, and active 
partner in the Southeast Asian region. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 24, 2020 
Mr. YOHO (for himself and Mr. BERA) submitted the following resolution; 
which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Recognizing that in the 25 years since normalizing diplomatic 
relations, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the 
United States of America have worked toward increased 
stability, prosperity, and peace in Southeast Asia, and 
expressing the sense of the House of Representatives 
that the United States will continue to remain a strong, 
reliable, and active partner in the Southeast Asian re-
gion. 
Whereas cooperation between the Governments and people of 
the United States and Vietnam can help realize their 
common goals of a peaceful, prosperous, and open Indo- 
Pacific rooted in a rule-based order that promotes secu-
rity, opportunity, and respect for sovereignty; 
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•HRES 1018 IH 
Whereas Vietnam is serving as the 2020 Chair for the Asso-
ciation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) under the 
theme of ‘‘Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN’’, and will 
co-chair the U.S.–ASEAN Special Summit when it is re-
scheduled from the original planned March 14, 2020, 
date; 
Whereas Vietnam has demonstrated a willingness to stand up 
for freedom of navigation and international law in the 
South China Sea and opened a new chapter in bilateral 
cooperation on these shared goals; 
Whereas Vietnam deployed its first military officers to United 
Nations peacekeeping operations in 2014, and contrib-
uted a field hospital to United Nations peacekeeping op-
erations in South Sudan in 2018; 
Whereas both countries have sought to assist each other in 
accounting for the over 1,200 Americans and as many as 
300,000 Vietnamese still missing from the Vietnam War; 
Whereas the United States Government has worked with the 
Government of Vietnam to remove unexploded ordnance 
and to treat victims maimed by it through funding under 
the Leahy War Victims Fund and the Department of 
State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Act, 
2019 (division F of Public Law 116–6), including 
$15,000,000 for humanitarian demining operations, as 
well as United States Agency for International Develop-
ment (USAID) programs; 
Whereas the United States Government has completed the 
cleanup of dioxin at Da Nang airport, and is working 
with the Government of Vietnam of the cleanup of Bien 
Hoa airport; 
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•HRES 1018 IH 
Whereas the United States Government has assisted the Gov-
ernment of Vietnam in strengthening its maritime capa-
bilities, including by providing coast guard vessels and 
assisting the Government of Vietnam in strengthening its 
maritime domain awareness; 
Whereas the United States Government remains committed 
to working with the Government of Vietnam on its com-
pliance with international commitments and obligations 
to protect internationally recognized human rights and 
fundamental freedoms, including freedom of religion, ex-
pression, the press, and assembly, in order to advance the 
fundamental dignity of all people, a key to maintaining 
stability, promoting economic growth, and strengthening 
good governance; 
Whereas, in the 25 years since the United States and Viet-
nam normalized diplomatic relations, the people of Viet-
nam have benefitted from greater prosperity and integra-
tion into the global economy; 
Whereas the United States and Vietnam signed a bilateral 
trade agreement in July 2000, and granted one another 
permanent normal trade relations in 2008, ushering in a 
more than tenfold increase in trade flows in both direc-
tions over the past 20 years, exceeding $77,000,000,000 
in 2019; 
Whereas the Governments of the United States and Vietnam 
cooperate on a range of public health issues, particularly 
combating HIV–AIDS under the United States Presi-
dent’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) pro-
gram, and more broadly on health, governance, edu-
cation, infrastructure, and environmental issues through 
the Lower Mekong Initiative; 
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•HRES 1018 IH 
Whereas, in 2020, Vietnam celebrates 75 years since declar-
ing independence; 
Whereas more than 1,800,000 Vietnamese Americans have 
made contributions to the United States in a variety of 
fields ranging from law to science to defense and the 
arts; 
Whereas the United States hosts nearly 30,000 young Viet-
namese students, the sixth largest group of international 
students studying at United States universities, contrib-
uting $1,000,000,000 annually to the United States 
economy; 
Whereas bilateral cooperation transformed debts of the 
former South Vietnamese Government to the United 
States into Fulbright University Vietnam, Vietnam’s first 
independent, not-for-profit university; and 
Whereas sister city relationships link our citizens in— 
(1) Seattle, Washington, and Haiphong; 
(2) Madison, Wisconsin, and Bac Giang; 
(3) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Da Nang; 
(4) San Francisco, California, and Ho Chi Minh 
City; 
(5) Oakland, California, and Da Nang; 
(6) Angel Fire, New Mexico, and Quang Tri Town; 
(7) New Haven, Connecticut, and Hue; 
(8) The State of Maryland and Ninh Thuan Prov-
ince; and 
(9) Newport Beach, California, and Vung Tau Prov-
ince (Friendship City): Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) reaffirms the importance of the United 
States-Vietnam comprehensive partnership, includ-
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•HRES 1018 IH 
ing the full implementation of provisions of the Asia 
Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018 (Public Law 
115–409) with regard to elevating the United States 
relationship with Vietnam; 
(2) welcomes Vietnam’s leadership in 2020 as 
ASEAN Chair in cooperation with its ASEAN part-
ners, especially as ASEAN and the People’s Repub-
lic of China negotiate a Code of Conduct; 
(3) welcomes Vietnam playing a productive role 
as a member of the United Nations Security Council 
during its 2020–2021 term; 
(4) reiterates Congress’ findings in section 401 
of the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018 
that— 
(A) the promotion of human rights and re-
spect for democratic values in the Indo-Pacific 
region is in the United States national security 
interest; 
(B) continued support for human rights, 
democratic values, and good governance is crit-
ical to a successful United States diplomatic 
strategy in the Indo-Pacific; 
(C) strong support for human rights and 
democracy in the Indo-Pacific region is critical 
to efforts to reduce poverty, build rule of law, 
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•HRES 1018 IH 
combat corruption, reduce the allure of extre-
mism, and promote economic growth; and 
(D) there are serious concerns with the 
rule of law and civil liberties in Vietnam, which 
has been identified by Freedom House as ‘‘Not 
Free’’; 
(5) reaffirms that it is important that Viet-
nam’s rights and interests under international law, 
regardless of size, power, and military capabilities, 
are respected; and 
(6) appreciates Vietnam’s ongoing cooperation 
to account for the 1,246 United States service mem-
bers who remain unaccounted for since the Vietnam 
War. 
Æ 
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