For Baby Boomers, mention of Vietnam tends to evoke negative perceptions, linked to the conflict that the United States remained engaged in for nearly 20 years. But times, and global alignments, and markets, all change, such that today, the former combatants are seeking closer and closer trade relationships and the benefits they might bring for both sides.

For Vietnam, which historically has aligned more closely with both Russia and China, diversifying its trade partners offers benefits. In particular, U.S. manufacturers seek new sites to invest to build plants, which could help Vietnam build its economy, through the infusion of foreign direct investments. Furthermore, the U.S. consumer market remains the largest in the world, so Vietnam would love to be able to sell more products here. From a purchasing standpoint, improved relations with the United States also allow Vietnam access to certain technologies and equipment, including semiconductors and military jets, that previously were unavailable to it.

Such access is especially desired in light of the country’s changing relationships with China and Russia. Although the two Asian nations remain closely linked, China has pushed Vietnam to back its policies, even controversial ones. It also has encroached on land that Vietnam considers its own, raising some conflicts between the Communist nations. Furthermore, Russia’s current status as a global pariah, due to its illegal invasion of Ukraine, makes it a less appealing trade partner.

For the United States, which has its own well-publicized troubles with both China and Russia, a closer relationship with Vietnam would provide a counterbalance and alternative source of inexpensive products and labor to shore up supply chains. Friendly relations with nations that traditionally have been allied with China and Russia also serve a global public relations purpose, helping reestablish the role of the United States as a global partner.

But the move raises ethical questions as well, considering that Vietnam maintains a one-party, autocratic government. The Communist Party of Vietnam has been accused of massive human rights abuses, including crackdowns on activists and dissidents. For some observers, the U.S. effort at rapprochement with Vietnam is an economic, rather than an ethical, shift in policy.

Discussion Questions

1. Should the United States pursue closer ties with Vietnam? Why or why not?
2. What global and macroeconomic trends are likely to continue to affect the relations between these two previously warring nations?

Sources: Sui-Lee Wee, “U.S. and Vietnam Forge Deeper Ties as Worries Rise About China,” The New York Times, September 8, 2023; Thomas Bywater, “Five Airlines Offering Child-Free Cabins and Quiet Zones,” New Zealand Herald, September 22, 2022