Le Monde: Vietnam attempts to prove it is not a platform for China to re-export to the US The US government suspects that Vietnam is a platform for China to re-export to the US. In response, Vietnam is seeking ways to demonstrate that it is not. A simple "quarrel" On Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam, to begin a three-country tour of Southeast Asia. For France, Macron's visit to Southeast Asia, which is fiercely contested between the US and China, is significant. Not only does it aim to defend France's stance on conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, but also to uphold France's Indo-Pacific strategy. However, unfortunately, when President Macron and his wife arrived at Hanoi Airport on the evening of May 25th, a video suspected of showing Macron being slapped by his wife, shot and released by the American Associated Press, has been circulating online. This article was also one of the most read contents on Le Monde. Le Monde pointed out that the French presidency initially denied the authenticity of this video, claiming it might be fabricated by artificial intelligence, but the video was eventually confirmed. On Monday afternoon, in front of reporters, Macron himself addressed the video, saying, "Everyone needs to calm down." Macron said, "My wife and I were just joking, we often do so [...]". AFP previously quoted anonymous "entourage" of the president as saying it was a simple "quarrel," a "relaxed (friendly)" moment between the two. China's Re-export Platform Regarding Vietnam, Le Monde also published an article stating that Vietnam is attempting to prove that it is not a platform for China to re-export to the US. The newspaper noted that Vietnam is the third largest country with a trade deficit with the US, after Mexico and China. In 2024, the US trade deficit with Vietnam reached $123 billion. The US government suspects that Vietnam is a platform for China to re-export to the US. In response, Vietnam is finding ways to demonstrate that it is not, which is significant for this rapidly developing communist country. Vietnam's exports to the US account for 23% of Vietnam's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). On April 2nd, Trump announced a 46% tariff on Vietnam, which was later reduced to 10%, with a three-month period for the 10% additional tariff. According to Le Monde, the General Department of Customs of Vietnam has launched an initial investigation to track counterfeit luxury goods imported from China, which involve not only luxury items but also toys, electronics, and even shampoos, which are then exported to the US. The customs investigation in Vietnam started on April 1st, the day before Trump announced the 46% tariff, aiming to respond to the US accusation that Vietnam is a platform for China's re-export: Chinese exporters evade their own government's supervision by smuggling or fraudulent transportation methods to ship goods to Vietnam. The Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam subsequently issued instructions on April 15th to crack down on illegal transshipment of goods. The instructions require customs and other agencies to strengthen monitoring and inspection of imported goods to determine their origin, especially "imported raw materials used for production and export." The instructions also announced new procedures to supervise the issuance of "Made in Vietnam" labels, particularly for companies where applications for certificates of origin have suddenly increased. Economists Urge Caution Le Monde also pointed out that the US dissatisfaction stems from the almost perfect correlation between China's imports from Vietnam and Vietnam's exports to the US: for more than a decade, these two curves have always been closely related. Despite this, economists still urge caution: research conducted by Australian researchers based on detailed trade data from the Asian Development Bank, cited by Le Monde, shows that China's imports from Vietnam not only drive the prosperity of Vietnam's exports to the US but also promote Vietnam's exports to other parts of the world. Currently, about 25% of products indirectly exported to the US are from China. Although this proportion is triple what it was in 2018 (8%), it also means that "three-quarters of Vietnam's imports from China are for other reasons and not due to China's implicit exports to the US." A More Effective Gesture of Goodwill While reporting on the preliminary investigation launched by the General Department of Customs of Vietnam, Le Monde also pointed out that to alleviate pressure from Washington's customs, nothing is more effective than making gestures of goodwill: On May 21st, Vietnamese Prime Minister personally attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the future Trump International Golf Complex located near Hanoi. Eric Trump, Executive Vice President of the Trump Organization and son of the US President, also attended the ceremony. This $1.5 billion project was approved at record speed. Subsequently, Little Trump flew to Ho Chi Minh City to scout and select locations for the future Trump Tower. Original Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1833230841891843/ Disclaimer: The article represents the views of the author alone.