It was the biggest party Saigon had ever seen – a grand celebration marking the 50th anniversary of Vietnam’s reunification, and a showcase of its emergence as a rising economic and diplomatic power in Asia.
Advertisement
On Wednesday, some 15,000 military, police and civil defence personnel marched through what is now known as Ho Chi Minh City, cheered by hundreds of thousands lining the streets. Millions more watched the parade live on state television and social media.
Dignitaries from around the world were in attendance. But notably absent was a high-level delegation from the United States – a curious omission given Washington’s long-running efforts to strengthen ties with Hanoi amid rising tensions with Beijing.
Only US Consul General Susan Burns officially represented the country at the event, after a reported last-minute easing of earlier restrictions on senior attendance.
The muted American turnout came at a delicate moment in bilateral ties – with Washington suspending Vietnam war-era aid programmes, threatening sweeping new tariffs on Vietnamese goods, and just weeks after a high-profile visit to Hanoi by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“It’s nuts. What can possibly be achieved by the current administration’s treatment of Vietnam, other than to damage the good will that has been built up over so many years?” said Chuck Searcy, a Vietnam war veteran who has spent the last three decades running aid programmes in the country. “The Vietnamese probably won’t say anything openly, but I’m sure they feel offended.”
A divided past