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Obama News Conference with Vietnam President; Sanders Criticizes Democratic Party Leaders. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired May 23, 2016 - 02:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


[02:00:00] TRAN DAI QUANG, VIETNAM PRESIDENT (through translation): The state and the people of Vietnam, once again, I would like to warmly welcome President Barack Obama and the high-level delegation of the U.S. government on the official visit to Vietnam. Mr. President and I had a very productive talk on bilateral relations, regional and global issues of common interest. We discussed the implementation of the joint statement on the Vietnam-U.S. Comprehensive Partnership signed in July 2013 and the joint region statement between the two countries in July 2015 concluded between the high-level leaders of the two countries. We agreed that important as it is in bilateral relations have been made in recent years. Both sides committed to implementing the principles of respect for each other's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and political regime. During President Obama's official visit, Vietnam and the U.S. agreed to a joint statement on strengthening the Comprehensive Partnership with added substance, depth and effectiveness. Both sides agreed to place development cooperation at the center of the bilateral ties. On this occasion, important deals were also reached in terms of trade, health care, humanitarian assistance and education and training, law enforcement and judicial cooperation and people-to-people exchanges as well.

Both sides agreed to give higher priorities to address the world legacy issues and committed to continue to work together in this regard. The U.S. will work with Vietnam after the completion on detoxing Denang (ph) Airport after both sides successfully conclude the cleanup project at Denang (ph) Airport.

Vietnam very much appreciates the U.S. decision to completely lift the ban on lethal weapons sales to Vietnam, which is clear proof that both countries have normalized the relations. President Obama and I also discussed the future direction of bilateral ties and measures to further strengthen the bilateral cooperation. We underscore the importance of confidence building and priority for the development cooperation in trade and investment, science and technology, human resource development and addressing climate change.

Both sides reaffirm the commitments to promptly ratify the Trans- Pacific Partnership agreement, or TPP.

With respect to regional and global issues, President Obama and I agreed that we should set up collaboration at regional and international forums and that the U.S. will support Vietnam in successfully hosting the 2017 APEC summit as well as participating in U.N. peacekeeping operations. We also exchange views on recent developments in the South China Sea.

We reiterate the continued cooperation on addressing climate change and sustainable use of the Mekong River resources.

We believe that progress and growth in Vietnam-U.S. relations not only bring about benefits for both countries but also contribute to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the Asia-Pacific and in the ASEAN-U.S. relationships as well.

I want to thank President Obama personally and the American leadership and people and American friends for their goodwill and significant contributions to the normalization and the continued development of Vietnam-U.S. relations. I wish President Obama and the members of your delegation a successful visit to Vietnam, fond memories of our country, culture and hospitality of the Vietnamese people.

Once again, thank you very much for the presence of American and Vietnamese press and media here today.

Thank you very much.

[02:05:14] BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Good afternoon. (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

Thank you, Mr. President Quang, for your generous words. And let me thank you and the government and the people of Vietnam for the sincere warmth and hospitality that has been extended to me and to my delegation.

Over the past century, our two nations have known cooperation and then conflict and painful separation and a long reconciliation. Now more than two decades of normalized ties between our governments allows us to reach a new moment. It's clear from this visit that both of our peoples are eager for an even closer relationship, a deeper relationship. And I was moved to see so many people lining the streets as we were driving into town today.

I bring greetings and friendship of the American people, including some outstanding members of Congress, who are joining me on this visit, and so many - Vietnamese-Americans whose families bind us together and remained us of the values that we share.

I've indicated before that one of my highest foreign policy priorities as president is to ensure that the United States continues to play a larger and long-term role in the Asia-Pacific, which is vital to our security and to our prosperity. We believe the people of this region should live in security, prosperity and dignity, and in pursuit of this vision, we're more deeply engaged across the Asia-Pacific than we have been in decades, including our Comprehensive Partnership with Vietnam.

If you consider where we have been and where we are now, the transformation in the relations between our two countries is remarkable. Over the past two decades, our trade has surged nearly 100-fold, supporting jobs and opportunities in both countries. Since I took office, we've boosted U.S. exports to Vietnam by more than 150 percent. We're now the single largest market for Vietnam's exports and American companies are one of the top investors here. With our Fulbright programs, thousands of our students and scholars have studied together and more than 13,000 young people across Vietnam are learning new skills as part of our Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative. Vietnam has become one of the top-10 countries with students in the United States. This year, we've welcomed nearly 19,000, the most ever. And last year Vietnam welcomed nearly half had a million American tourists to this country. And I will assure you that more are on the way.

Our two governments are also cooperating more closely than ever. As part of our engagement with ASEAN and the East Asia summit, we're working together to advance regional security and stability. Vietnam has welcomed American Navy ships to your ports. Our militaries are conducting more exchanges and partnering on maritime security. Together, we're pursuing the Trans-Pacific Partnership, not only to support trade, but to draw our nations closer together and reinforce regional cooperation. We're doing more to meet global challenges, from preventing nuclear terrorism to promoting global health security so outbreaks of disease don't become epidemics. And with this visit the United States and Vietnam have agreed to a significant upgrade in our cooperation across the board.

We're taking new steps to give our young people the education and skills that they need to succeed. And I'm very please that, for the first time, the Peace Corps will come to Vietnam. Our Peace Corp volunteers will focus on teaching English. And the friendship that our people forge will bring us closer together for decades to come.

American academic and technological leaders, including Intel, Oracle, Arizona State University and others, will help Vietnamese universities boost training and science and technology, engineering and math. Harvard Medical School, Johnson & Johnson, G.E. and others will join with Vietnam universities to improve medical education. And now that the government of Vietnam has granted the necessary license, we can say Fulbright University, Vietnam, the country's first non-profit independent university, can move forward and open its doors and welcome its first class this fall.

We're increasing trade. With Vietnam's announcement on multiple entry visas, it will be easier for Americans to come here and do business and travel. President Quang and I just attended a signing ceremony that many of you saw where American and Vietnamese companies are moving ahead with a new commercial deal that's worth $16 billion. Boeing will sell 100 aircraft to Via Jet and Pratt and Whitney will sell advanced engines. G.E. Wind will partner with the Vietnamese government to develop more wind power. Deals like these are a win for both of our countries, helping to fuel Vietnam's economic growth and supporting tens of thousands of American jobs.

[02:10:29] We agreed to work to ratify and implement the Trans- Pacific Partnership as soon as possible because it will support vital economic reforms here, further integrate Vietnam into the global economy, and reduce tariffs on American exports to Vietnam. And we discussed the high standards that Vietnam has committed to meet under TPP on labor, the environment and intellectual property. And I conveyed that the United States is prepared to offer technical assistance to Vietnam as it works to fully implement these standards so that the TPP delivers the benefits that our peoples expect.

With regard to security, the United States will continue to do our part to address the painful legacy of war. On behalf of the American people, including our veterans, I want to thank the government and the people of Vietnam for the many years of cooperation to account for Americans missing in action, solemn efforts that will continue together. We'll continue to help remove unexploded land mines and bombs. And now that our joint efforts to remove dioxin, Agent Orange, from Denang (ph) Airport is nearly complete, the United States will help in the cleanup at the Viengua (ph) Air Base.

We've agreed to continue deepening our defense cooperation, including patrol boats and training for Vietnam's Coast Guard and to work more closely together in responding to humanitarian disasters. And I can also announce that the United States is fully lifting the ban on the sale of military equipment to Vietnam that has been in place for some 50 years.

As with all our defense partners, sales will need to still meet strict requirements, including those related to human rights, but this change will ensure that Vietnam has access to the equipment it needs to defend itself and remove a linger vestige of the Cold War. It also underscores the commitment of the United States to a fully normalized relationship with Vietnam, including strong defense ties for Vietnam and this region for the long term.

More broadly, the United States and Vietnam are united in our support for a regional order, including in the South China Sea, where international norms and rules are upheld and where there's freedom of navigation and over flight and where lawful commerce is not impeded and where disputes are resolved peacefully through legal means and in accordance with international law.

I want to repeat that the United States will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, and we'll support the right of all countries to do the same.

Now, even as we make important progress in the ways that I've just described, there continue to be areas where our two governments disagree, including on democracy and human rights. And I made it clear that the United States does not seek to impose our form of government on Vietnam or any nation. We respect Vietnam's sovereignty and independence. At the same time, we'll continue to speak out on behalf of human rights that we believe are universal, including freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion and freedom of assembly, and that includes the rights of citizens through civilize society to organize and help improve communities in their country. We believe and I believe that nations are stronger and more prosperous when these universal rights are upheld, and what our two countries continue to discuss these issues as part of our human rights dialogue in a spirit of constructive and cooperative effort.

And finally, the United States and Vietnam are expanding our cooperation in ways that benefit the world. Under our growing climate change partnership, we'll support Vietnam as it works to make its agreements under the Paris agreement. Because our two countries and others have committed to joining the agreement this year, we're within striking distance of it entering into the force before anybody expected. In the meantime, we'll help communities and vulnerable regions like the Mekong Delta adapt to a changing climate and assist Vietnam's transition to a low-carbon economy, and that includes the low-carbon energy that will come from our cooperation on civil nuclear power.

And as Vietnam prepares to deepen their commitment to U.N. peacekeeping, the United States is proud to support Vietnam's new peacekeeping training center.

So, again, President Quang, thank you for your hospitality. And thank you for our work together. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to visit with the Vietnamese people. Maybe I will enjoy some (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

(LAUGHTER)

[02:15:03] I believe that the relationship between the Vietnamese people and the United States can be one of the most important in this critical part of the world and I believe that the upgrades and our ties that we've achieved today will deliver greater security, prosperity and dignity for both of our peoples for many decades to come.

(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): Thank you, President Obama and President Quang.

And now it's time for questions. The floor is open.

I invite Mr. Zook (ph), from Vietnam News Agency.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER (through translation): I'm from the Vietnam News Agency. I have a question for President Quang.

Your Excellency, could you advise us and make some comments on advances in Vietnam-U.S. relations between the past two decades? Thank you.

QUANG (through translation): Thank you for your question. I want to affirm that over the past two decades, since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, in July of 1995, the Vietnam- U.S. relations have made great strides in many fields. In terms of politics and diplomacy, Vietnam and the U.S. are former enemies-turned friends, and now we are comprehensive partners. The high-level leaders of these countries often pay visits to each other and the relations have been growing very well bilaterally and multilaterally. We share the common interests regarding the regional and financial issues and our common interests grow day by day in relations to the maintenance of the stability, cooperation and development in the region. With respect to economic cooperation, I'm very pleased to inform you

that the two-way trade has grown 130-fold to $44.5 billion, U.S., last year. The U.S. is currently the seventh largest investor in Vietnam, and I hope that the U.S. will soon become the biggest investor in Vietnam as Ambassador Petsaus (ph) mentioned. The bilateral trade between the two countries has enormous potential to grow, particularly once the TPP enters into effect.

Regarding education and training cooperation, we have cooperated in many important progressions. Take, for example, the University of Vietnam has recently received its operating license. The number of Vietnamese students studying in the U.S. has grown 56-fold to 28,000 students, the highest number among the ASEAN countries. And our cooperation depends and security continues to grow in line with the needs of both sides.

The cooperation in world legacy is now growing more substantively. The two countries have recently completed the phase one of environmental cleanup and Denang (ph) Airport and we will continue implement the second phase of the project at various other sites, including Denang (ph) Airport. Together with the progress in bilateral ties, Vietnam and U.S. are working together and enhancing the collaboration on regional and international issues of common interests and international interests.

The advances in the bilateral relations stems from the fact that we increasingly share common concerns and interests on both sides and fully realize the commitment to respect each others sovereignty, political regimes and legitimate interests.

The visit of President Barack Obama at this time to Vietnam will surely create stronger momentum for the development and promotion of the Vietnam-U.S. relation in the future contributing to stability, cooperation and economic development in Asia-Pacific and the wider world.

Thank you very much.

[02:19:57] UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE), with Reuters.

I have a question for both presidents about the lifting of the arms embargo.

To what expend to you see to need to build up Vietnam's military deterrent against China behavior in the South China Sea as part of this decision? Could this included expanded U.S. access to Vietnamese ports, including Cameron Bay (ph).

Directed to President Obama, to what degree will the U.S. consider weapons sales based on human rights considerations?

And for President Quang, how do you respond to the U.S. push for improved human rights situation in Vietnam?

OBAMA: Well, Matt, the decision to lift the ban was not based on China or any other considerations. It was based on our desire to complete what has been a lengthy process of moving towards normalization with Vietnam, a process that began with some very courageous and difficult conversations decades ago, including led by our current secretary of state, John Kerry, and Senators Tom Carper and John McCain and a whole bunch of other Vietnam veterans, as well as their counterparts in the Vietnamese government. And over time, what we've seen is a progressive deepening and broadening of the relationship. And what became apparent to me and my administration at this point was that given all the work we do together across the spectrum of economic, trade, security, humanitarian efforts, that is was not appropriate for us not to have a blanket across-the-board ban. Now every sale that we make to everybody is viewed as a particular translation and we examine what is appropriate and what is not. And there are some very close allies of ours where we may not make a particular sale until we have a better sense of how that piece of equipment may end up being used. So we're going to engage in case by case evaluations of these sales. But what we do not have is a ban that's based on an ideological division between our two countries because we think that, at this stage, both sides have established a level of trust and cooperation, including between our militaries, that is reflective of common interests and mutual respect.

In fact, one of things that's happened through this Comprehensive Partnership is a dialogue between the U.S. and Vietnamese military that we hadn't seen in a very long time. We already that U.S. vessels that have come here to port. We expect there to be deepening cooperation between our militaries, oftentimes, around how do we respond to humanitarian disasters in this region. There may be occasions in which that means that additional U.S. vessels might visit. But I want to emphasize that we will do so only at the invitation and the cooperation of the Vietnamese government, fully respecting their sovereignty and their sensitivities.

Now, there is, I think, a genuine mutual concern with respect to maritime issues between the United States and Vietnam, and I've made no secret of that. Vietnam, along with ASEAN, met at my invitation in Sunnylands, California, and we put forward a very clear statement that it's important for us to maintain the freedom of navigation and the governance of international norms and rules and law that have helped to create prosperity and promoted commerce and peace and security in this region. And it's my belief that with respect to the South China Sea, though the United States doesn't support any particular claim, we are supportive of the notion that these issues should be resolved peacefully, diplomatically in accordance with international rules and norms and not based on who is the bigger party and can throw their weight a little bit more.

[02:25:00] At the same time, as I indicated in my initial statement, the United States is going to continue to fly and set courses for our ships as international law allows.

Our hope is that ultimately various claimants and various disputes can be resolved. And we'll do everything that we can to promote that. In the meantime, part of our cooperation with Vietnam is to improve their maritime security posture for a whole host of reasons.

But I want to emphasize that my decision to lift the ban really was more reflective of the changing nature of the relationship.

Last point with respect specifically to human rights, as I indicated in my opening statement, this is an area where we still have differences. There's been modest progress on some of the areas that we've identified as a concern. TPP actually is one of the things that's prompting a series of labor reforms here in Vietnam and they could end up being extraordinarily significant. But that is not directly tied to the decision around military sales.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE:

QUANG (through translation): Thank you very much for the question. I just want to make some comments on the human rights cooperation and the general relations between the two countries. Ladies and gentlemen, the persistent position and viewpoint of the Vietnamese state and government is to protect and promote human rights. This is clearly codified and directed in the national constitution of Vietnam in 2013. We are now institutionalizing our own regulations into our laws and law documents to respect and promote the human rights in Vietnam. Over the past 30 years of reform in Vietnam, Vietnam has achieved remarkable progress in social and economic development, defense and security, especially in protection and promotion of human rights and the rights of every citizen in Vietnam. Those achievements have been highly recognized and appreciated by the international community. One of the examples, very good examples, to showcase Vietnam progress, that Vietnam has been elected as a member of the U.N. Human Rights Council in 2014 and 2016.

As President Obama mentioned earlier, between the two countries, Vietnam and the U.S., we do have some differences in some fields, and it's very easy to understand, particularly on human rights. We are of the view that based on the respect and the spirit of mutual understanding, we need to work closely together and expand our dialogue together, and by so doing, we can narrow the gap in understanding and narrowing the differences between the two countries, especially on human rights.

And I invite a member from Vietnam television. Please, you have the floor.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORT: I have one question for President Obama.

You have visited over 50 countries during your term as U.S. president, and Vietnam is among the last few on the list. So what does that say about the Vietnam-U.S. relation? And how important does the U.S. view Vietnam in its foreign policy? Thank you.

OBAMA: Well, I would have liked to have gotten here sooner. And maybe one of the ways of thinking about it is, we have an expression in the United States that we save the best for last.

(LAUGHTER)

So it's a remarkable country. It's a beautiful country. And I've told the president that, unfortunately, when I visit, I'm usually in meetings all day long. So hopefully, when I'm no longer president, I can come here with my family and I spend a little more time and travel the country a little bit more and get to know the people and eat the food and have a more relaxing schedule.

But the reason I'm here is because Vietnam is extremely important not just to the region but I think to the world.

[02:30:00] First of all, I think highlighting the changes that have taken place between our two countries, how just a generation ago, we were adversaries, and now that we're friends should give us hope, it should be a reminder of the ability for us to transform relation when we have a dialogue that's based on mutual interests and mutual respect and people-to-people exchanges.

Second, Vietnam is a large, vital, growing country in a large, vital and growing region of the world. I've said before. The age of the Pacific region is growing as fast as any place around the world. It is a young and dynamic region. It is full of entrepreneurial spirit. And you're seeing new companies and new jobs being created constantly. So the United States wants to be a part that. And we've historically had good relations with many countries in this region. We want to make sure that as Vietnam grows and becomes more prosperous and achieves greater opportunity that the young people of Vietnam have a chance to partner with the young people of the United States, trading, exchanging ideas and working on scientific projects and starting businesses together, because I think that that will be good for both countries.

And we think that it is important, from our perspective, that as a leader -- as a leader in ASEAN that we engage Vietnam bilaterally because we want to continue to strengthen our cooperation with the multilateral organizations like the East Asian summit and ASEAN where we think we've seen some very real progress over the last several years, on anything from commercial issues to disease control to humanitarian issues. And one of the things we increasingly discover is it's harder and harder to solve problems by ourselves. It's much easier for us to be able to tackle big problems like climate change or the outbreak of disease or responding to humanitarian disasters when we have an architecture of cooperation already established. So on all these fronts, we've seen remarkable progress.

The announcements that we're making today, I think, should give people an indication of the next stage of the U.S.-Vietnamese relationship. These are big deals, all of the things we mentioned here today. And it indicates a broader and deeper relationship that I'm confident will continue to grow in the future.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The final question comes from Angela (INAUDIBLE), from Bloomberg.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Thank you.

President Obama, the Trans-Pacific Partnership seems fairly stalled in Congress and other countries are looking to follow the U.S. lead in terms of how they advance their approval of the agreement. With the deals today announced for Boeing and G.E., and your visit here to Vietnam, are you looking to change your strategy in how you seek approval for the Trans-Pacific Partnership in Congress? And do you think that the agreement should be amended to address currency manipulation?

Secondly, President Obama, can you comment about the killing of Taliban leader, Mullah Mansour, and on Pakistan's concern about the strikes happening on its soil? And can you also comment on whether this signals a new offensive in Afghanistan and whether you are concerned that another hard-line leader will take his place?

For President Quang, are you concern about the lack of enthusiasm for the Trans-Pacific Partnership in the U.S. Congress and what that means for the deal in the end? And how do you respond to China's criticism of the U.S. pursuing what China says is a one-sided, selfish agenda in Asia that risks regional peace.

OBAMA: So, first of all, on TPP, Angela, I haven't been around as long as Senator Carper or Secretary Kerry, but I've spent enough time in the Senate to know that every trade deal is painful, because folks are always seeing if they can get an even better deal, and especially when you have multiple parties involved. Folks will be scrutinizing it and debating it. And in an election year, you can anticipate that some folks are going to try to score political points off of it.

[02:35:06] Having said that, I remain confident we'll get it done. And the reason I'm confident is because it's the right thing to do. It's good for the country. It's good for America. It's good for the region. It's good for the world.

And I know I've sold this to you before but let me reiterate. This is the fastest growing part of the world. This represents an enormous market for the United States. Most countries here already sell their stuff to the United States. And we have relatively low tariffs. In other words, we put relatively low taxes on goods that are coming into the United States. In contrast, tariffs are significantly higher for U.S. goods being sold here. So a deal that gets rid of 18,000 taxes on U.S. goods into the largest, fastest growing markets in the world, that's a good deal for American businesses and American workers.

Number two, one of the biggest complaints about trade deals historically has been that it opens up our markets to countries with lower wages and harsher labor practices and less environment regulation. Well, if you're signing up for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, you are making commitments that are enforceable to raise labor standards, to ensure that workers have a voice, to attend to environmental problems. And so this gives us the ability to engage with a country like Vietnam and work with them on all those fronts, the precise things that people in the past have been concerned about when it comes to trading with other countries.

So I have not yet seen a credible argument that, once we get TPP in place, we're going to be worse off. We are demonstrably better off. American workers and businesses are better off if we get this deal passed. And I'm confident we'll get passed.

Now, the politics of it will noisy. That was true when I, for example, inherited the Korean Free Trade Agreement or the Colombia, Panama -- Panamanian Free Trade Agreements when I came into office, but we got them done. And I'm confident that we'll get them done this time as well. Although, there will be ups and downs and bumps along the way.

With respect to currency manipulation, we have provisions in TPP that advance the transparency and reporting functions that allow us to monitor whether we think currency manipulations is taking place. One of the debates that took place -- and there are some who argue that we should have enforceable provisions that if you see arms currency going down too far that we should be able to impose tariffs on that country. The problem is that it's very hard to sort out sometimes why a currency is going down and whether it's actually being manipulated and, frankly, for us to bind other countries to commitments about their monetary policy would mean we were also binding our Federal Reserve to the claims of other countries in terms of how it implements our monetary policy and that's not something that we would do. We would not give up sovereignty with respect to our monetary policy in that way. But we've strengthened a number of the provisions already contained in TPP that will allow us to put on notice folks who we think are engaging in competitive devaluations.

Finally, on the Taliban leader, Mr. Mansour, it has been confirmed that he is dead. And he is an individual who, as head of the Taliban, was specifically targeting U.S. personnel and troops inside of Afghanistan who are there as part of the mission that I've set to be able to maintain a counterterrorism platform and provide assistance and training to the Afghan military forces there. So this does not represent a shift in our approach. We are not re-entering the day-to- day combat operations that are currently being conducted by Afghan security forces. Our job is to help Afghanistan secure its own country, not to have our men and women in uniform engage in that fight for them. On the other hand, where we have a high-profile leader who has been consistently part of operations and plans to potentially harm U.S. personnel and who has been resistant to the kinds of peace talks and reconciliation that ultimately could bring an end to decades of war in Afghanistan, then it is my responsibility as commander-in-chief not to stand by but to make sure that we send a clear signal to the Taliban and others that we'll protect our people, and that's exactly the message that has been sent.

[02:41:13] QUANG (through translation): Let me respond to this question concerning the Trans-Pacific Partnership, TPP. In our view, TPP is contributing to economic growth in our country and well as for Vietnam TPP and Vietnam's participation in TPP is one step to bond in our process of international integration.

OBAMA: We're not getting a translation.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Testing, one, two, three. Can you hear, Mr. President?

OBAMA: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Testing, one, two, three.

OBAMA: It's just I'm sure that he was saying something very wise and important and we wanted to make sure we all hear it.

QUANG (through translation): So I would like say Vietnam together with other TPP countries who have been making efforts to narrow differences, to promote cooperation and the spirit of mutual understanding and mutual respect. And we try to produce just an opportunity in understanding and paying attention to one another, and the finalization of TPP is also the possible outcomes of all 12 members of the TPP, and we are prepared to ratify TPP and we stand ready to implement all the commitments on the TPP.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your Excellency, now we have a technical problem with the translation system.

So, Mr. President, President Quang, would you repeat again your answer?

QUANG (through translation): Yes, I want to reiterate my comments on the TPP. In my view, the TPP is a very significant trade and economic linkage and the role as a driver of economic growth in Asia-Pacific region. For Vietnam, TPP is a one step of work in implementation of and deepening the comprehension integration policy which aims at promoting the national economic growth of Vietnam. Vietnam has worked together with other member countries to narrow the differences in the spirit of constructiveness, understanding and paying new attention to one's interests. The finalization of TPP is also the result of the endeavors from 12 members of the agreement rather than the effort of one single country. Vietnam is now very actively promoting and accelerating the ratification of the TPP. And Vietnam is committed fully to implementing all the policies and provisions of the TPP.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you very much, President Tran Dai Quang and President Barack Obama.

Ladies and gentlemen, with that, I declare the press conference adjourned. And please stay in the room for the departure of the two presidents.

Thank you very much.

[02:44:53] ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: From adversaries to friends, the words there of U.S. President Obama. The U.S. will lift its embargo on arms sales to Vietnam in an effort to forge closer relations with it. That's the big news headline out of this news conference. President Barack Obama there with the Vietnam president, Tran Dai Quang. And we heard from the Vietnam president. He said that the two had productive talks on bilateral relations on trade deals and regional security. And President Obama said the U.S. will play a long-term role in the Asia-Pacific region and be more engaged that ever before. That, of course, the backdrop to that is China flexing its muscles in the Asia-Pacific region.

ERROL BARNETT, CNN ANCHOR: That's right. The U.S. president making the point when pressed saying that the lifting of the arms embargo had nothing to do with China, rather it was part of a long effort to normalize relations. That, though, hard to believe considering the tensions in the region and the pivoting of power the U.S. would like to enforce there.

He also mentioned G.E. and Boeing will benefit from some trade deals just signed today. He's pushing the TPP, Trans-Pacific Partnership, and saying it will help enforce against trade manipulation. That's one major part of this week.

And also say the U.S. Peace Corp will heading to Vietnam.

And he did probably speak for the first time on the killing of the Taliban leader, Mullah Mohammad Mansour, saying he posed a direct threat to U.S. interests.

He covered a lot of ground.

CHURCH: Absolutely. Of course, concerned. A lot of people wanting to hear that confirmation.

Let's turn now to CNN White House correspondent, Michelle Kosinski.

So, Michelle, a lot to cover here. Let's start with the lifting of this arms embargo. That, of course, being the big headline here, but so many other things covered as well.

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I think that was surprising. In talking to White House officials prior to this trip, they discussed it but they made it seem like that that was going to be something that happened over time. And they seemed to tie it to the human rights issue. They said that that would be come up and would be discussed at these talks. So we were quite surprised to see, first, President Quang announced that it was lifted. In the press room, everyone turned to each other and said, did he just say it's fully lifted, and then waited for President Obama to reiterate that fact because, in the fact sheet, sort of a statement on paper that the White House e-mails around during the press conference, there was no mention of the lifting of the embargo. So there was some thought that this might even be a mistake. And after a while of President Obama speaking, he finally did say that, yes, he's fully lifting the arms embargo that's been in place for decades. I mean, this would have been unheard of, such a surprise to hear this happen decades ago. You know, these two countries were such enemies after such a bloody and prolonged war. So to hear this happening now, that either means that, you know, these talks went very well, that they've agreed on a number of things, and the U.S. decided that this was the right time, or in the progress leading to this meeting, enough had happened and they realized that it was appropriate or that the time was just right, given events in this region. So now the U.S. is saying, OK, on a case-by-base basis, we'll sell or lease lethal arms to Vietnam.

CHURCH: Yes, very interesting.

And I do want to go back to that point that the U.S. president made when he said the U.S. would play a long-term role in the Asia-Pacific region and be more involved than ever before. And you can't really take your eye off the situation there with China as it tries to extend and expand its territorial influence in the region. KOSINSKI: As much as the White House says certain things are not all

about China, well, that's true, there are plenty of other influences involved, but you can't ignore China. Really, these trips, virtually, every move that the U.S. makes in this region either affects or is affected by the U.S.'s relationship with China. And the U.S. and China want to work together as much as possible, but at the same time, there's no mistaking the fact that the U.S. want to counter China's influence. And the White House often says that if the U.S. doesn't step in with this large-scale Trans-Pacific Partnership and play a real role in shaping trade and the rules of trade in this region, then who else is going to do it? Yes, China well.

CHURCH: Yeah. So much to cover. A lot coming out of that news conference.

And Michelle Kosinski joining us live from had a Hanoi, Vietnam. We'll talk to you again next hour. Many thanks.

[02:49:56] BARNETT: We do have much more of the world's biggest stories coming ahead this hour. Bernie Sanders takes aim at the Democratic National Committee. Why he says he's not a fan of the chairwoman, let alone controversial super delegates.

Stay with CNN.

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(SPORTS REPORT)

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BARNETT: Welcome back. U.S. Democratic presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders, is hitting the campaign trail hard in California just two weeks ahead of that state's primary. All the while, he's been engaged in a growing feud with the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee.

CHURCH: Sanders told CNN, if elected president, he would not reappoint Congresswoman Debbie Wassermann Schultz as chair. The Vermont Senator claims the DNC has favored his rival, Hillary Clinton, and he's been critical of the use of super delegates and the nomination process.

Earlier, Sanders spoke to CNN's Jake Tapper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: She has more votes than you and she has more pledged delegates. She has more pledged delegates than you. And the question is, a simple yes or no, should the candidate with the most pledged delegates at the end of the process, June 7th, after New Jersey and California, the last contests, should the person with the most pledged delegates be the Democratic nominee?

[02:55:03] SEN. BERNIE SANDERS, (I), VERMONT & DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, I think if that's the only criteria, then you get rid of the super delegates, which may not be a bad idea. But you do have super delegates. You have 700 super delegates. I'm not a fan but their job is to take an objective look at reality. And I think the reality is that we are the stronger candidate. So we'll see what happens, Jake.

TAPPER: So you actually think --

(CROSSTALK)

TAPPER: You think it would be OK for the pledged delegates, the majority of Democratic voters, to pick one voter and then the super delegates to go with a different candidate? You're not suggesting that?

(LAUGHTER)

SANDERS: It's very funny -- it's very funny that you ask me that question when you had 400 pledged delegates come on board Clinton's campaign before anyone else was in the race. That's called an anointment process. That's called the establishment talking. That's called the big money interests --

(CROSSTALK)

SANDERS: -- and this is who we want to be president. We are where we are right now.

TAPPER: Yeah.

SANDERS: We are where we are right now, Jake.

(CROSSTALK)

SANDERS: And where we are is we are fighting to win the pledged delegates. So before I can answer your question, let's see what's going to happen. But if you do have -- if your argument is let's get rid of all the super delegates that may not be a bad idea.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Our thanks for watching this hour. I'm Rosemary Church.

BARNETT: And I'm Errol Barnett.

Back with a full hour of the day's biggest stories, next.

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