VÌ SAO MỸ LẠI CHỌN VIỆT NAM ĐỂ HỢP TÁC?

The U.S. is the number one country in the world in terms of many aspects, from economy, military, and culture, over the past century. Vietnam, a small country in the Asia region, has just passed the 50-year war and is trying to develop. However, the U.S. giant is seeing the relationship with Vietnam as a strategic level, although they are not allies. This is a rare diplomatic relationship in the world, when the transition from hostile past to close cooperation only in less than half a decade. So how did Vietnam and the U.S. become so close? And why did the U.S. choose Vietnam as a strategic partner in the Asia region? We will answer that question in the following video. The next generations of Vietnam are still told by their parents about the brutality of the war. It was not only a bloody war for their own people, but for the U.S. it was also the longest war in their history. A war that lasted more than 20 years and its consequences were extremely terrible. According to statistics, the war against the U.S. alone killed 3-5 million Vietnamese, hundreds of millions of others were injured and disintegrated. In that number is the death of 2 million civilians, 2 million people were injured all their lives, 300,000 soldiers were not found. More painful is that the consequences of the war were left to the next generations. The civilians, the soldiers who survived, many of them were contaminated with harmful chemicals, leading to their children being sexually abused. It was a crime that the Vietnamese people could not compensate. In contrast, the loss of the Americans was not small. According to the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington DC, the total number of casualties of the U.S. military in Vietnam was 365,157 soldiers, including 58,168 people were killed during the war. In addition, there were 1,875 people missing. The loss of American lives in Vietnam exceeded the number of casualties in World War I and the Korean War. The painful past is like that, and the present is like that. From October 10 to September 11, 2023, U.S. President Joe Biden visited Vietnam on an official visit to the country, to congratulate the hero of a powerful country. During this trip, the U.S. has upgraded relations with Vietnam to the highest level, as a comprehensive strategic partner. It shows their special respect for a country that is not their ally. That is the result of nearly 20 years of efforts to resume diplomatic relations after the war in 1995, under the support and promotion of US President Bill Clinton. The U.S. and Vietnam formally normalized diplomatic relations after the war and over the years. Former Prime Minister Võ Văn Kiệt was the one who represented Vietnam in signing that historic agreement. Then in 2000, President Clinton officially set foot in Vietnam, marking the first historic event for a U.S. president to visit Vietnam after the war. Since then, U.S. presidents have visited Vietnam at least once, including George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden. In 1986, the Vietnamese government began to implement a comprehensive reform policy. This is a historic event for the country, when it eliminated the old-fashioned, backward economy to move to a more dynamic market economy. Thanks to the firmness of the road and unceasing efforts, Vietnam has become one of the countries with the highest rate of economic growth in the world. Vietnam's GDP growth rate is in the top 1, with 6.9%, while the income of the first batch of soldiers has increased by nearly double. This is not only due to the abundant resource, but also due to the young population, which provides abundant and cheap labor. As the economy develops, the impact on politics also increases. Vietnam is becoming more and more popular internationally, showing leadership in the Southeast Asia region, and being valued by many powers such as China, Japan, and Russia. And with a transparent capital like the U.S., it is certain that Vietnam will soon become the leading country in the region. So who else to cooperate with if not with Vietnam first? On July 13, 2000, the bilateral trade agreement between Vietnam and the U.S. was signed. In 1995, the trade gap between the two countries reached $451 million, but by 2021, it had increased to $110 billion. Vietnam became the U.S.'s 10th largest trading partner. On the other hand, the U.S. has become our largest export market. Exports to the U.S. mainly include fabrics, sandals, and electronics. Under U.S. support, Vietnam has participated in many international cooperation organizations, such as the World Trade Organization, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum, and APEC. Vietnam has benefited greatly from this relationship. According to World Bank data, Vietnam's GDP rose from $1,160 in 2000 to $3,409 in 2021. Foreign capital is being poured more and more into Vietnam. They play an important role not only in building infrastructure, social security, but also to invest in business and bring foreign exchange to the country. According to statistics in 2022, the U.S. is the country with the most capital in Vietnam, with a total of $10.4 billion. In the fields of production, energy, and technology, U.S. companies such as Intel, Ford, and General Electric have created millions of jobs and promoted strong economic development. One of the strong links between Vietnam and the U.S. is the Kieu Bao. The number of Vietnamese in the U.S. in 2022 fell to about 2.2 million, the largest among Vietnamese living abroad. Most of them left the country after the Liberation War in 1975. And the younger generation, before that, their ideas tended to be anti-nationalism, propaganda, and propaganda. But today, looking at the development like the Vietnamese Kieu Bao, along with the reconciliation, opening the arms of the country, many Vietnamese in the U.S. have changed their minds. They have become an important bridge not only in diplomatic relations, but also in economic development. The demand for Vietnam has increased year after year, from just $0.42 billion in 1993 to $19 billion in 2022. That means that the average Vietnamese living abroad sends home about $4,000 a year, which is equivalent to the average GDP per capita in Vietnam in 2022, which is $4,163. The amount of money from the U.S. is considerable. One more important thing, the U.S. needs Vietnam because of its strategy. Our country is at the crossroads of Southeast Asia, where there is a very dynamic market, and there is a rapid trade route from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, and vice versa. We are also in the middle of two markets, namely China and India, where strong business can develop, not only profit from Vietnam's position. In terms of economy, the U.S. needs Vietnam to contain China's tyrannical ambitions, with a series of allies such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, surrounding the East Sea. Vietnam is like a barrier on the coast and on the sea in the South to prevent China's expansion. Of course, this is not a one-way relationship. Vietnam needs the U.S. to cooperate in the field of security and military to counter China's ambitions. The U.S.'s illegal actions, such as occupying remote islands, and declaring a nine-way road to the South China Sea, have greatly affected Vietnam's territorial integrity and economic interests. In 2016, during a visit to Vietnam, then-President Barack Obama announced that he had completely lifted the arms ban on Vietnam, and that it could start a war that would open the way for a series of manufacturing and military equipment to enter Vietnam's market, and strengthen cooperation in the field of combat technology. The two countries have participated in many military exercises, humanitarian exercises aimed at conducting exercises to deal with natural disasters and rescue victims. The U.S. has provided the Vietnamese Navy with modern patrol boats and training programs for the Vietnamese Coast Guard. These actions aim to help Vietnam protect its territory and its exclusive economic zone from illegal invasions not only by China, but also by some neighboring countries. Vietnam and the U.S. used to be opponents with different ideologies. The U.S. tried to prevent the influence of communism from spreading to Asia, but today they have another approach by sharing many similar rights with Vietnam, including economic cooperation, military cooperation, and social cooperation to solve regional and global problems. Of course, there is never free cooperation, and in international relations, there is never unconditional assistance. There is no permanent enemy, and there is no permanent friend. However, our time is coming to shake hands with a strong country, so why should we give up? The balance of relations between major countries in this case, namely the U.S. and China, is in a very dangerous phase of confrontation. Our leaders always try to be careful in every step with the U.S. They have to cooperate well with the U.S., but they don't provoke their neighbors from the North. If the country wants to develop, it must maintain peace and social stability. Vietnam has sacrificed too much to achieve that, so the generations need to be special. Thank you for watching the video. And now, goodbye and see you again.