HO CHI MINH CITY – Vietnam on Wednesday marked the 50th anniversary of the end of the war with the United States and the formation of the modern nation through the merger of North and South Vietnam.

Thousands had flocked to Ho Chi Minh City — once known as Saigon — to witness the military parade near the Independence Palace, where the war ended when a North Vietnamese tank smashed through its gates. The celebrations — performances by artists, speeches by leaders and former soldiers, and a squadron of jets — focused not just on the past but on the future.

“National reconciliation does not mean forgetting the history or erasing differences, but accepting different perspectives in tolerance and respect, to work towards a greater goal: building a peaceful, unified, powerful, civilized and prosperous Vietnam,” Communist Party general secretary To Lam said in an article published on a government website.

He said that the war had historical roots and had resulted in divisions in the country, but now Vietnam was armed with “lessons of its past.”

A change in emphasis

The emphasis on reconciliation and not, like previous years, on military victory reflected how Vietnam was approaching the changing tides of the global economy and geopolitics today, said Nguyen Khac Giang, an analyst at Singapore’s ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute. He added that the Vietnam War remains central to how the Communist Party framed its legitimacy, not just as a military triumph but also as a symbol of national unity. But To Lam’s comments underlined that the reconciliation remains unfinished.

“The war still defines Vietnam’s unity, and its unresolved divides,” Giang said.

A time for peace

Pham Ngoc Son is a 69-year-old veteran who was an army truck driver bringing troops and supplies from the north to the south through the Ho Chi Minh trail — the secret route used by North Vietnam. He’s on a weeklong tour of the city, which he remembers entering as a part of the northern troops that took over.

He said he cherished those memories and couldn’t describe the joy he felt at that moment. But now there was ”only space for peace and friendship” between the U.S. and Vietnam.

“The war is over a long time ago,” he said.

Nguyen Thi Hue, a resident of Ho Chi Minh city, agreed.

“The war has ended and we shake hands (with the former enemy) for development. Now it’s time for peace. Peace is the dream that everyone in the world wants,” Hue said.

A new relationship

This year also marks the 30-year anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and the United States. In 2023, Vietnam upgraded its relations with the U.S. to that of a comprehensive strategic partner, the highest diplomatic status it gives to any country and the same level of relations as China and Russia.

Vietnamese officials insist that this relationship has been built on a bedrock of trust intrinsically linked to U.S. efforts to address war legacies such as Agent Orange and unexploded bombs in the countryside that still threaten lives. The future of those projects is now at risk because of the Trump administration’s broad cuts to USAID. Moreover, the export-dependent country is vulnerable in a global economy made fragile by U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff plans.

Who’s took part in the parade?

About 13,000 people, including troops, militias, veterans and local citizens, were expected to take part in the parade. And, apart from China, troops from Laos and Cambodia also were due to attend the parade, which will march on the main boulevard leading to the Independence Palace before branching out through the streets in the city. The route will also pass the U.S. Consulate in the city.

Meanwhile, a video of Chinese troops singing the iconic “As If Uncle Ho Were With Us on Victory Day” during an earlier rehearsal was shared widely on social media. Chinese leader Xi Jinping had visited Vietnam earlier in the month in a bid to present the country as a force for stability in contrast with Trump.

Close ties with Washington helped Vietnam balance its relations with its much larger and more powerful neighbor China, said Huong Le-Thu of the International Crisis Group think tank. Vietnam is among the countries involved in maritime disputes related to the South China Sea.

Tariffs pose questions

But the Trump administration’s focus on tariffs — Vietnam was slammed with reciprocal tariffs of 46%, one of the highest — puts a “big question mark” on what the U.S. wants to achieve in Asia, she said. Focus on economic and not strategic competition may mean that Vietnam and other countries in Southeast Asia become less important for the U.S.

“It really will be shaping up (on) how the new administration sees the strategic picture in the Indo-Pacific and where countries like Vietnam would fit in,” she said.

___

Hau Dinh contributed to this report.