September 30, 2024 — During the 79th meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York, Asia Society hosted several events with leaders from across Asia.

30th Anniversary of the United States-Vietnam Diplomatic Relations & 1st Anniversary of the United States-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

On Sunday, Asia Society hosted the official 30th anniversary of the normalization of relations between Vietnam and the United States and the first anniversary of the signing of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership agreement. Among those who delivered remarks were H.E. To Lam, President of Vietnam and General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam; Hon. John Kerry, former U.S. Secretary of State; Dan Sullivan, U.S. Senator (R-AK); Dr. Kyung-wha Kang, Asia Society President and CEO; H.E. Nguyen Quoc Dzung, Ambassador of Vietnam to the U.S.; and H.E. Dang Hoang Giang, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN.

“Even the most optimistic observers could not have imagined how Vietnam and the U.S. would transcend the scars of war to build a robust, positive relationship,” said General Secretary Lam. “This result is a testament to the efforts of many individuals, including key figures of leadership and other working quietly behind the scenes.”

Secretary Kerry likewise emphasized how far the bilateral relationship has come since he was deployed to Vietnam in the 1960s.

"Anniversaries have a value, not in and of themselves, but what they can actually produce. Anniversaries can often be action-oriented events, forcing moments of redefining or improving or readjusting a relationship between countries,” said Secretary Kerry. “So as someone who invested many years in finally making peace, I hope you won't mind if I suggest something unconventional for next year. Next year let's mark those two anniversaries not by looking back, but by making sure that we are looking forward. Ending the war and making peace two decades later were never ends in themselves, they were hard fought openings to put the bitterness behind us and to work together as countries.”

In the midst of increased tension with China, Senator Sullivan emphasized the importance of multi-sector cooperation between the United States and Vietnam. “The Indo-Pacific is more important than ever. I think one of the key things we need to be looking at, is when we look at the first anniversary of the comprehensive strategic partnership, looking at the different areas that we can continue to work together. I think these areas are endless. It's of course security, it's economy, high-tech, it's energy,” he said.

The celebration featured several performances from Vietnamese and American singers and musicians, underscoring the evening’s theme of “unity through art.” Among the performers were Vietnamese classical pianist Quynh Nguyen and American saxophonist Henry Threadgill, who, like Secretary Kerry, fought in Vietnam.

Before the celebration, General Secretary Lam joined Dr. Kang, Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Krintenbrink, U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Mark Knapper, and others for a private roundtable to discuss U.S.-Vietnam relations.
 

India: Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar - India, Asia and the World

On Tuesday, Asia Society hosted His Excellency Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs of India, for an address and discussion with Daniel Russel, Vice President for International Security and Diplomacy at Asia Society Policy Institute.

"We have a difficult history with China. Despite the explicit agreements we had with China, we saw in the middle of Covid-19 that the Chinese moved a large number of forces in violation of these agreements to the LAC [Line of Actual Control]. It was likely a mishap would happen and it did. So, there was a clash and a number of troops died on either side. That, in a sense, overshadowed the relationship [for a while]," said Dr. Jaishankar.

Despite this complicated history, Jaishankar emphasized the importance of working towards improving India-China relations. “I think the India-China relationship is key to the future of Asia. In a way, you can say, if the world is to be multipolar, Asia has to be multipolar,” Dr. Jaishankar remarked. He noted that bilateral ties between the two countries would “influence not just the future of Asia, but in that way, perhaps the future of the world as well.”

There is still work to be done with China regarding mitigating border tensions, says Dr. Jaishankar. "When I said 75 per cent of it has been sorted out—I was asked in a way to quantify—it's only of the disengagement. So that's one part of the problem. The main issue right now is the patrolling. You know, how do we, both of us, patrol up to the Line of Actual Control....Some of the patrolling issues need to be resolved, but once we deal with the disengagement, there is the larger issue, which both of us have brought very large number of troops up to the border. This is what we call the de-escalation issue."

Watch Dr. Jaishankar’s full remarks and conversation with Daniel Russel here.

Climate Change and Global Governance: A Conversation with Ban Ki-moon on the UN Sustainable Development Goals

On Thursday, former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon joined Dr. Kyung-wha Kang for a conversation about how the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can accelerate global climate action. Under Ban Ki-moon's leadership, the UN adopted the SDGs and ratified the Paris Agreement in the same year. However, he noted that the world is far behind the schedules that these two agreements initially outlined.

“This is a critical time to achieve sustainable development, expand climate action, build international peace and empower human rights. This is our moment to accelerate action on the UN global goals and illuminate a dynamic and resilient future for all people and the planet,” said Ban Ki-moon.

The former secretary general emphasized the need for global cooperation amidst the increased tensions and conflict across the globe. “Global security architectures have broken down, as seen in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, and elsewhere. Human rights are under great threat from repressive regions, xenophobia. Development and humanitarian funds are being slashed just when we need them the most,” Ban Ki-moon said. “What I learned during my term was that there is not a single country or individual – however rich or powerful or resourceful – that can do it alone. My message has always been that all the leaders of the world and civilians must join hands together. Otherwise, there is no hope.”

Ban Ki-moon emphasized the need to focus on climate change and drastically cut carbon emissions, highlighting that cooperation between the United States and China—the two largest carbon emitters— is paramount for any progress. In response to an audience question, he noted that nuclear energy is the cleanest option for reducing reliance on oil and gas, but a fear of atomic energy has prevented progress in this domain.

Watch Ban Ki-moon's full remarks here.