Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, January 3, 1994 TAG: 9401030077
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A1 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NEW YORK LENGTH: Medium
The idea of establishing normal diplomatic relations with Vietnam appeals to many Americans: The poll found 58 percent in favor, 32 percent opposed and 10 percent not sure.
But an overwhelming 85 percent said they were not satisfied Vietnam has done enough to try to help account for the more than 2,000 American servicemen still listed as missing in action in Southeast Asia.
A majority, 55 percent, said the United States should wait for more cooperation before establishing normal trade with Vietnam, and 40 percent agreed with establishing normal trade now in hopes of encouraging cooperation.
U.S. companies have been forbidden to do business in Vietnam since the country fell to Communist North Vietnam on April 30, 1975. But in September, President Clinton announced he was easing the trade embargo to allow American companies to bid on hundreds of millions of dollars worth of proposed development projects in the country.
While some American businesses are eager to avoid losing ground to foreign competitors in a potentially lucrative market, U.S. policy still links commerce to the fullest possible accounting of MIAs.
The poll results indicate that recent diplomatic advances with Vietnam have come in such small steps that they may not be making much of an impression on the public.
About half those polled, 51 percent, said they expected overall relations between the United States and Vietnam to stay about the same over the next few years. Thirty-four percent thought they would improve and 11 percent said they would get worse. The rest, 4 percent, didn't know.
The poll indicated that many Americans are so dissatisfied with Vietnam's performance that it would affect their personal actions: 60 percent said they would not be willing to buy products made in Vietnam, and 6 percent were not sure. The 34 percent who were willing were somewhat more likely to be male, under 35 or from high-income families.
Men had a higher tendency than women to want to establish normal trade now with Vietnam. The MIA issue resonates more with women, the poll found.
Men also favored, by more than 2-1, normal diplomatic relations. That contributed to 58 percent overall support, an apparent turnabout in public opinion. As recently as July, the CNN-USA Today-Gallup Poll asked a similar question and found the public split 48 percent to 42 percent for normal relations.
When an AP poll asked a similar question 15 years ago, 43 percent favored full diplomatic relations and 45 percent were opposed.
Memo: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.