Nixon-Thieu summit

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33191, 3 April 1973, Page 15

Nixon-Thieu summit

(N.Z.P. A. -Reuter — Copyright)

SAN CLEMENTE (California), April 2.

President Thieu of South Vietnam today began an image-building visit to the United States aimed at winning a strong personal endorsement from President Nixon, and at disarming hostile American Congressmen.

Mr Thieu, who arrived m Los Angeles last night amid heavy security precautions, is assured of a warm welcome from Mr Nixon when the two leaders meet later this morning for two days of wideranging talks at the Western White House in San Clemente.

Their summit has been arranged to shape a new political, military, and economic relationship between Washington and Saigon after the end of the war and total American disengagement from Vietnam. Mr Nixon is believed certain to emphasise that American air power would be thrown against any new invasion of South Vietnam by Hanoi’s forces: this would be in accord with his recent warnings that North Vietnam faces renewed bombing unless she stops sending arms and troops into the South in violation of the cease-fire.

Mr Nixon is also expected to promise continuing economic and military aid at present, or higher, levels for the Saigon Government’s postwar political struggle with the Viet Cong. American financial support for the South Vietnamese Army and for replacement arms permitted by the ceasefire accord is set at about SUSI9OOm for the 1974 financial year beginning in July; economic aid is running at a rate of about SUSSOOm a year.

The White House has underlined Mr Nixon’s commitment to the Saigon Government by pointing out that the South Vietnamese leader is only the second government head to confer with him a.', his California home.

But diplomatic observers feel that President Thieu, in spite of Mr Nixon’s support, faces a difficult task of salesmanship when he flies to Washington on Wednesday to confer with key Congressmen.

Many members of the Senate and of the House of Representatives, who for

years were opponents of American involvement in Vietnam, and are now concerned over the continuing American bombing in Cambodia, remain antagonistic to Mr Thieu personally, and to his Government, which, they feel, is corrupt and oppressive, and does not deserve large-scale American economic and military aid. Others are reluctant to approve aid for different reasons: many Congressmen, critical of Mr Nixon’s insistence on cutting domestic social problems, have already threatened to wreck his plans to provide aid for the reconstruction of North Vietnam, and for Indo-China generally.