Fifty years after the war, Vietnam faces a new threat in the United States: Tariffs

On a vile afternoon in Vietnam Tung Lin, he said “generally knows nothing” about the bloody, decades of war that dug the communist ruled north against the US -backed south.

“My grandparents were fighting in the war and that is why today we can look at the sky and see a plane and do not feel scared as they are,” says the 20-year-old college student.

Stucking for her right cheek was a little yellow star of a red rectangle – the Vietnamese flag. Like her, Ho Chi Minh, where she lived, was preparing to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the end of the war when the Communists triumphed.

Today’s Vietnam is a remarkably different country from the fact that US troops have withdrawn from defeat – it is enterprising, grows rapidly and is getting worse.

His authoritarian communist leadership has accepted capitalism. They strive to follow in the footsteps of China and plow money and effort to become a reliable production center, even an alternative to China.

But this is a risky ambition during the US President Donald Trump’s trade war – it is partly the reason for him to threaten a 46% tax against the Southeastern Asian nation. This can break the country’s economic potential.

Vietnam was a French colony, a Chinese vassal, and for 20 years, and has proxy battlefield in America’s bloody struggle to stop China, spreading communism in Southeast Asia.

But he cannot escape his geography. Nestled under his wide China, he is back on the front line in a new American battle – which he hopes to overcome Beijing as an economic superpower.

Vietnam is a young country quickly. The average age is 33, significantly higher than Thailand or China (40) and far higher than Japan (50).

“I want to do a job that will bring more success in Vietnam,” Lynn says in free English. He studies economics and marketing. “And yes, success for me too,” she admits with a smile when she is subjected.

It is a dream that corresponds to its lively city-now scattered metropolis of 10 million people, Ho Chi Minh City has the same suffocating traffic, dressed in glass skyscrapers, five-star hotels, restaurants and seminal massage salons like any Asian mega city.

It will be difficult for you to find traces of socialist ideology that led to the capture of the city in 1975, when it was the capital of South Vietnam. The winners rename the city of Ho Chi Minh after the revolutionary father of North Vietnam. But for the locals it is still Saigon.

And when he fell on this day 50 years ago, South Vietnam ceased to exist, as the North -Vietnamese tanks crashed through the high iron gates of the presidential staff and lifted the red flag with a yellow star over the presidential palace.

The US ally, the southern regime, was defeated. His last president fled the previous day. More than two decades of bitter conflict have ended.

The victory had come with a huge cost. About three million dead and millions more wreck. Between 1968 and 1975, the large tonnage of bombs dropped on this slender piece of land than in all theaters in World War II.

But few here want to talk about war, even when they celebrate the anniversary of their “unification”.

Lynn and her friends shouted with pleasure as a truck carrying soldiers passed by. The shy idols waved back – they were on their way to the barracks after rehearsals for the anniversary parade.

“I’m excited because this is the day we got together again when we became a country again,” Lynn said.

Her answer sounded a little rehearsed, not least because of the government Minder, who accompanied the BBC all the time. But her enthusiasm for her future – her country – is not uncommon.

A little further down the road, the 18-year-old Min, who did not want to share his last name, told us that he was learning to be a lawyer so that he could “become successful”. With laughter, she added, “And rich!”

When we asked about how young people feel about Americans, Windder frowned visibly and tried to stop her from answering.

“We’re not angry,” she says. “We don’t hate them. It was the past. Now we want to trade with America. Do you know the globalization? We want to learn from America.”

The new Vietnam leaders seem to have the same ambition. In January, the new Chief of the Communist Party in the country to launch a bureaucracy cutting program that can impress Elon Musk, who monitors the controversial team to reduce Trump’s costs.

The 63 provinces and municipalities in the country have been reduced to 34, and government ministries and agencies decrease from 30 to 17. This year, 100,000 civil servants are fired, according to official estimates.

The ambition is huge. So far, only one country in Southeast Asia, Singapore, has managed to escape the “trap of middle income”, where economic growth slows down before the sides become rich. Vietnam, whose economy grows with a stable 5%, intends to be the second. He has thrown his doors wide open to investment – and welcomes those he has once driven from his shores.

After the 1975 victory, about two million southern Vietnamese escaped from the country. Many were ethnic Chinese. They packed on unclear boats and walked through the South China Sea. They became known as “the people of the boat.” Today, their descendants make up the diaspora of nearly six million extending from the US and Canada to France, Germany, Japan and Taiwan.

“Since 2017, I have promoted many Taiwanese companies to invest in Vietnam, and I myself am an advisor to several major electronics companies I brought here,” said Lisa Wu, who was born in Saigon but spent three decades in Taiwan. Now she is back.

“The most attractive thing is that the Vietnamese government is very supportive. The electronics industry is expanding outside China and will choose a lot of Vietnam.”

It is no coincidence that this change began around 2018 when Trump declared his first trade war against China.

Two young businessmen from southern China who did not want to share their names, tell us that they had spent the last two years creating a shoe factory here: “Now it’s ready to leave.”

They plan to export to the United States. They are concerned about the possibility of higher tariffs for Vietnam – it is currently facing a 10% tax, most of the world – but “it’s much better than China here,” they say with laughter. Chinese imports of the United States are facing a number of tariffs that reach up to 245% for some goods.

Still, Vietnam feels the impact, said G -ju Wu. “I had several factories preparing to start operations here this May. But because of the change of policy, everyone stopped and everyone is waiting.”

Vietnam is again asked to choose – America or China. But this is not a choice that it can or will make because it needs both.

Less than two weeks ago, they pulled out the red carpet to welcome Chinese leader Jinping in the capital Hanoi. Warm words for brotherly friendship and support were spoken. But relations with their large neighbor are more complicated than they may occur. For years, Vietnam has been going with a quarrel between Washington and Beijing – the expansive ambitions of the latter can be a threat to neighbors, especially to growing economies who want to court American business.

As Vietnam insists on looking forward, it seems that he has almost forgotten the men and women who fight in the jungles and through the hell of American bombs.

But they even say that there should be no return to the past. “I had a mark here,” says Le Tan Jan, pointing to his right hand, where a bullet once settled.

“There are still some pieces of shrapnel in my body that could not be eliminated. There were battles where we would all seem to be killed. But some of us survived while others fell.”

But he says he no longer bears anger.

“We need to have peace. We have already made great progress. People’s life is more prosperous and fulfilled. Now we have to work with the Americans for the future.”