Vietnam Hails Trans-Pacific Partnership

In the following article, I focus on Vietnam's positioning on the TPP and the United States. Scholars have claimed that Vietnam has the most to gain from the TPP amongst Southeast Asian countries because the country exports a significant amount of goods to the United States. With fewer trade regulations by the TPP, Vietnamese products would become more competitive in America. Furthermore, Vietnam is arguably the weakest economic power amongst other TPP signatories.

The tone of this article reflects the positive sentiment and excitement amongst the Vietnamese surrounding the deal. The author quotes minister Vu Huy Hoang, who stated that the TPP will "create many opportunities for the Vietnamese textile and garment industry," which makes up a significant portion of the economy. The article then goes on to list three main benefits of the ratification of the TPP specifically for Vietnam. The author relies heavily on expert quotes and predicted figures to corroborate his optimism about the TPP.

The same news source, Tuoi Tre News published another article "Vietnam to benefit most when TPP reached this year: US Assistant State Secretary." In this piece, Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs, Charles Rivkin, is heavily quoted praising the agreement. The audience of this news source is Vietnamese, and the strong references to US officials corroborates the fact that Vietnam is one of the most pro-American countries in Southeast Asia. According to the Pew Research Center, in 2015, 78% of Vietnamese viewed the US favorably.

In the article, Assistant Secretary Rivkin emphasizes the potential growth of the Vietnamese economy, which highlights that Vietnam has a relatively small economy.

http://tuoitrenews.vn/business/30827/vietnam-hails-transpacific-partners...

http://tuoitrenews.vn/business/28446/vietnam-to-benefit-most-when-tpp-re...