VietNamNet Bridge – On a roundtable talk with 5 Vietnamese entrepreneurs on a visit to HCM city in November, 2006, he appeared friendly, familiar, spontaneous, but at the same time knew his power very well.

The 5 Vietnamese entrepreneurs were FPT’s chairman Truong Gia Binh, president of the Tan Tao Industrial Zone Dang Thanh Tam, REE’s chairman Nguyen Thi Mai Thanh, AA’s CEO Nguyen Quoc Khanh and Toan My’s president Le Thi Phuong Thuy. Other participants of the talk were the U.S Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and American Ambassador to Vietnam Michael Marine as well as representatives of American companies.

Mr. Bush wore an ash-grey suit with a light blue tie. He naturally led the conversation on. He asked Ms. Mai Thanh about her experiences of running a privatized company, and Mr. Truong Gia Binh about freedom on the Internet, and all the Vietnamese executives present whether they were making money.

He listened to questions attentively and answered them immediately and in a determined manner. Mr. Dang Thanh Tam asked, “Vietnamese companies need American visas to travel. Can the U.S timely take part in the APEC businessman card program?" After a few seconds, President Bush nodded his head, “The U.S will join in.” Mr. Tam’s second question was how the U.S would make good its declaration that Vietnam is America’s strategic economic partner and whether the U.S was interested in the Vietnamese financial market. Mr. Bush responded to the second part of the question quickly, “We’re very interested in the Vietnam’s financial market.”

The roundtable talk took place at the HCM City Stock Exchange in an easy-going environment and lasted 30 minutes longer than planned. Mr. Tam said that at the end of the conversation, President Bush said the Vietnamese people were too friendly and kind, and treated him better than the Americans treated their own president.

After the talk, Mr. President appeared in front of the white arch of the reception hall at the Stock Exchange. He smiled widely and waved to the shouting and waving public outside. As soon as the CadilacOne drove away, the Stock Exchange resumed its usual nosiness. Only the director of the HCM City Stock Exchange Tran Dac Sinh quietly and quickly returned to his office to ponder over the first visit ever of an American president to the exchange. Curious and interested people who had been prohibited to enter the Stock Exchange before and during the talk rushed in to ask questions and discuss about what had happened.