Letter from fifteen members of the U.S. House of Representatives to President Gerald R. Ford concerning diplomatic relations with the Democratic Republic of Vietnam

December 17, 1975 President Gerald R. Ford The White House Washington, D.C. Dear Mr. President: We are writing to urge that you announce recognition of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and establish normal diplomatic relations, including the exchange of diplomatic representatives, with that government. Since the takeover of South Vietnam last spring, we have understood the reasons for and the motivations behind the "wait and see" attitude toward future relations with Vietnam. We believe now, however, that significant changes have taken place which merit recognition and normalization of relations. One important change, of course, is the decision by the north and south to unite as one Vietnam. In addition, we note that the Vietnamese have taken initiatives which indicate and interest in relations: these include the release of nine missionaries who have been held since last March, their acceptance of a ship of some 1600 refugees who left Guam to return to Vietnam, and business representations to at least one U.S. corporation. Recent reports indicate that Premier Pham Van Dong might even be interested in visiting the United States. We have also noted that the three basic tenets our government usually requires for recognition have been mt by the government of Vietnam. These include effective control over the territory and the population, organized governmental administration of that territory ad a capacity to act effectively to conduct foreign relations and fulfill international obligations. Our Vietnam policy for many years has been an embarrassment. We think it's time for a change. Recognition would enable the U.S. to play a legitimate economic, cultural and political role in an area of the world ever growing in significance; it would permit Vietnamese-Americans a chance to renew ties with their loved ones still in Vietnam; it would enable us to make further gains in resolving the problems of missing American in Vietnam; it would offer the Vietnamese people an alternative to total dependence on either the Soviet Union or China; it would offer commercial opportunities for American businesses. Perhaps most important it would prevent us from isolating ourselves against Vietnam as we did for so many years with China and Cuba without gaining any benefits.