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REMARKS BY COMRADE
DO VAN CHIEN Secretary of the
Party Central Committee, Secretary of the
Party Committee of the Fatherland Front, Central Mass
Organizations, President of the
Central Committee of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front at the Meeting with
International Friends on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of
the Liberation of the South and National Reunification |
(Ho Chi Minh city, 30 April 2025)
Dear Comrades and
Friends,
1. Today, in the jubilant and exciting atmosphere of the
50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification, I am very happy, on behalf of the
Party and State leadership, to meet with
international friends who have steadfastly supported the
cause of national
development and defense of the Party, State and People of Viet Nam.
I would like to extend to all
comrades and friends my deep respect, heartfelt greetings, and best wishes.
I was deeply moved by the speeches and reflections shared by the
international delegates. Allow me to express my
profound gratitude for the sincere affection, enthusiastic support and noble spirit of international solidarity
that our international
friends have generously extended
to Viet Nam during the two resistance struggle for national independence and reunification, as
well as in our current cause
of national reform, development and defense of our Fatherland.
Comrades and Friends,
2. On this day 50 years ago, 30 April, 1975,
the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign achieved complete victory, signifying the cessation of war and heralding
a new era for Viet Nam, an era
of peace, independence, reunification and
territorial integrity, with the country united as one. This was the triumph of
the fervent patriotism and unshakable determination of the Vietnamese people under the leadership of the Communist Party of Viet Nam and the great President Ho Chi Minh. It was not only a
joy for the Vietnamese people but also a shared joy for all peace and justice-loving people around the world. It stands as a
powerful testament to the truth that “righteousness
prevails over cruelty, and benevolence triumphs over
tyranny”. It reinforced the faith of peace-loving people and
oppressed nations and inspired collective movements for national independence, freedom, equality and fraternity worldwide.
This victory also underscored the profound strength of great national unity and the invaluable international solidarity of our friends from
all over the world.
Comrades and Friends,
3. Unity has long been an inherently valued tradition of the Vietnamese people, an enduring source of strength
for the resilience and evolution of our nation.
President Ho Chi Minh captured this sentiment of unity as a vital source
of strength and success. He said: “Unity,
unity, great unity; success, success, great success”. He further affirmed, “The strength, greatness and
perseverance of the Vietnamese people
fundamentally lie in their unity and in the support of the peoples of the
world... International solidarity holds profound significance for us”.
The Party, State and people of
Viet Nam have forever cherished the noble spirit of international solidarity and the
invaluable support extended by international friends - regardless of race, skin color, religion - during the most difficult and challenging years. We will
never forget the multifaceted assistance from the people of the Soviet Union
and other fraternal socialist countries, nor will we ever forget the words of Chairman Mao
Zedong of China: “700 million Chinese people are a
strong back up force for the Vietnamese people, and China’s vast land is a reliable rear base for Viet Nam”, the immortal statement by Cuban President Fidel Castro: “For
Viet Nam, Cuba is willing to shed its own blood,” or the resounding slogan heard on the
streets of India: “Amar Nam, Tomar Nam, Viet Nam, Viet Nam” (“My name,
your name, our name is Viet Nam, Viet Nam”). We remain deeply grateful to the unwavering political support from people across
continents: from the peoples of Laos, Cambodia and the Philippines; the anti-war, pro-Viet Nam movements in
Japan, Argentina, Chile, Sweden, the anti-war protests by American youth and veterans; the
blood donation movements in support of Viet Nam by the Italian people; the daring
Caracas guerrillas who captured an American lieutenant colonel in exchange for Hero Nguyen Van Troi; the sheltering support from the people of Paris, France for the delegations of the
Democratic Republic of Viet Nam and the Provisional Revolutionary
Government of South Viet Nam during the
Paris Peace Talks; the support of international people’s organizations such as the World Peace Council, the Afro-Asian People’s Solidarity Organization, the World Federation of Trade
Unions, the Women’s International Democratic Federation, the
International Association of Democratic Lawyers... and countless other examples
of noble international solidarity with Viet Nam. All the
invaluable support and assistance from our
international friends, including those of you who are present here today and many others who, for
various reasons, could not attend this gathering, have become an integral part of Viet Nam’s history in its struggle for independence and freedom, as well as in
the global movement for peace, justice and
righteousness. We are eternally grateful for the invaluable support and help extended to us by the people of the world throughout the arduous years
of our struggle and in our current cause of national development and defense.
Comrades and
Friends,
4. Since the Spring of 1975, Viet Nam’s history has entered a new chapter. Upholding the spirit of patriotism, self-reliance,
determination, resilience and creativity in overcoming all hardships and challenges coupled with a keen grasping opportunities, Viet Nam has
achieved significant progress and
remarkable milestones over the past 50 years of national reunification and almost 40 years of renovation, industrialization, modernization and international integration. Emerging a war-devastated country and
grappling with embargoes and blockades, Viet Nam has transcended from being one
of the poorest nations to attaining milestones of immense historical
significance, after 50 years of reunification and 40 years
of Đổi mới (Reform).
In the field of politics, Viet Nam has
consistently maintained its stability, independence, sovereignty,
national unity, territorial integrity and socialist orientation
while strongly promoting the people’s right
to mastery. The socialist rule-of-law state of Viet Nam – governed by the principles
“of the people, by the people and for the people” - under the leadership of the Communist Party, has been progressively improved under the oversight of the people. Grassroots democracy has been strengthened through
adherence to key principles: “the people know, the people discuss, the people
do, the people inspect, the people supervise, and the people benefit”. The fight against corruption, wastefulness and adverse practices
has been and continues to be resolutely strengthened
by the Party and the State, thereby consolidating the
people’s trust in the Party’s leadership role. Administrative reform has been strongly implemented and seamlessly integrated with breakthroughs in science and technology
development, innovation and digital transformation. These concerted efforts has culminated in
an increasingly modernized, efficient, and stable public administrative framework that fosters investment and
development.
In
the field of development, Viet Nam has joined the group of middle-income
countries, aiming to achieve upper middle-income status by 2030 and high-income
status by 2045. Viet Nam’s economic growth rate in 2024 reached 7.09%,
among the highest in the region and the world. Its GDP in 2024 reached 476 billion
USD, with a per capita GDP of 4,700 USD, ranking 32nd globally and 4th
in ASEAN, representing a remarkable 58.75-fold increase compared to
1976, when per capita income was a mere $80 USD following the cessation of war.
Viet Nam’s national brand value in 2024 reached 507 billion USD, ranking
32 out of 193 countries in the world. By 2024, the multidimensional poverty
rate was estimated at only 4.06% (compared to a staggering 75% in 1975). Social
security is guaranteed, living standards continue to be improved. The average
life expectancy of Vietnamese people increased from 62 years in 1990 to
about 74.7 years in 2025. Viet Nam Human Development Index (HDI) is
classified in the high-medium global group. The happiness index according to
the United Nations ranking in 2025 improved by 8 positions from the previous year, securing the 46th spot out of 143
countries—a notable ascent from its ranking of 83rd in 2020. The Party and State of Viet Nam are striving
to address housing inadequacies aiming to “eliminate temporary and dilapidated
houses” by 2025. Starting in 2025, the Party and State of Viet Nam will exempt
all tuition fees for students from primary to high school (12/12) and aim to
achieve free healthcare by 2030 - demonstrating the
Party and State's firm dedication to elevating the quality of life for all citizens.
In
terms of foreign affairs, alongside its economic
reform, Viet Nam has
been consistently pursuing a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, mutilateralism and
diversification, peace, friendship,
cooperation and mutually beneficial development on the basis of the fundamental principles of the United
Nations Charter and international law. The nation’s
international integration has evolved with increasing depth and efficacy, yielding many
important accomplishments of strategic and long-term significance, thereby inevitably enhance the country’s statute, capabilities, potential and global standing.
To date, Viet Nam has
established diplomatic relations with 194 countries and territories, including
12 comprehensive strategic partnerships, 9
strategic partnerships and 14 comprehensive partnerships. Viet Nam has established either a comprehensive strategic
partnership or a strategic partnership with all 05 permanent
members of the United Nations Security Council. The country has
also expanded economic and trade relations with 230 countries and territories,
and maintains relations with 245 political parties in 111 countries. Viet Nam is an active and responsible member of more than 70
important international organizations and forums, such as the United Nations,
ASEAN, APEC, ASEM, the WTO and others. Regarding people-to-people relations, the Viet Nam
Fatherland Front and its member organizations - including
the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations - have established relations with
thousands of people’s organizations and non-governmental organizations around
the world.
Viet Nam’s current achievements stand as evidence of the success of the Đổi mới (Renovation) reforms and the correctness of the socialist-oriented development
path embraced by the Party,
the State and the people of Viet Nam.
Comrades and Friends,
5. The world has undergone rapid,
complex and unpredictable transformations. Strategic
and geopolitical competition among major powers is becoming increasingly
intense, with a rising trend of power politics and the use of force in
international relations; territorial and sovereignty disputes, military
conflicts and arms race are becoming more complicated,
while terrorism, ethnic and religious extremism, populism and protectionism are emerging as more pressing issues.
The trends of peace, cooperation, and development are facing enormous
challenges; international law and multilateral institutions are being undermined. Economic and financial instability, trade wars, tariffs
and disruptions in supply chains, along with inflation, social injustice and increasing poverty are escalating in many parts of the world. Pandemics and extreme weather events caused
by climate change are becoming more severe, and the ecological environment is
being seriously destroyed, negatively impacting and threatening human life.
Therefore,
preventing conflicts and wars, building a world of
peace, equitable and sustainable development have become urgent
demands and the earnest aspirations of progressive humanity worldwide. As a nation that has endured immense sacrifices, suffering and losses through its struggle
against foreign invasion,
Viet Nam deeply cherish and steadfastly uphold the values of peace, the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter and
international law, including respect for independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity,
non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, non use of force or threat to use force in
international relations and
peaceful settlements of disputes
based on international law.
6. We hope that you, who are present here today,
along with friends from all around the world, will continue to uphold the noble spirit of international solidarity, supporting
Viet Nam on its endeavors to protect,
build and develop the country. Viet Nam still faces numerous challenges due to the aftermath of the war,
including tens of thousands of Vietnamese soldiers still missing in action with their remains yet to be found and repatriated, thousands of square kilometers of land still
contaminated with Agent Orange/dioxin and unexploded
bombs and landmines, and
thousands of people, many of them are children, suffer from the long-term effects of chemical
agents. We sincerely hope that international
friends, especially our friends in the United States, will continue to stand by
the Party, the State, and the people of Viet Nam to
work together in overcoming and addressing the consequences of war, in the
spirit of putting the past behind us and strive toward
the future.
7. With its consistent stance as a friend, a reliable partner and a responsible member of the international
community, Viet Nam remains steadfast in its goal of peace,
national independence, democracy and social progress. We are committed to working with other countries to uphold an environment of peace,
friendship cooperation and development in
the region and the world.
Once
again, on behalf of leaders of the Party, the State and the people of Viet Nam, I
would like to express my sincere thanks for the warm affection, solidarity and invaluable
support that you have shown us over
the years. We deeply trust in and cherish your continued
companionship and support
for the Vietnamese people’s current cause of national development and defense.
I wish all the delegates good health, happiness, success and many
memorable experiences about our country and people of Viet Nam.
Thank you very much./.
************************************************
Remarks by John McAuliff on behalf of the VPCC Delegation
at Fatherland Front meeting April 30, 2025
The
anniversary we celebrate has special meaning for Americans and Vietnamese. Our initial relationship could not have been
more positive in 1945 as the US Office of Strategic Services provided military
support to Viet Minh forces in Tan Trao led by Ho Chi Minh and Võ
Nguyên Giáp.
The pressures
of emerging cold war politics led the US government to a tragic course of first
supporting and then replacing the French colonial role in Indochina. How many million lives were lost and
opportunities for economic development were squandered because of American
historical and cultural ignorance and arrogance?
During the
next thirty years the people of Viet Nam and the US paid an increasingly
horrific and disproportionate cost.
The first
stages of US intervention were barely noticed in public opinion and
government. The path accelerated with
sabotage of the Geneva Agreement, most notably refusal to implement reunification
elections in 1954. As military advisers
and supplies of weapons grew into direct combat, a military draft and growing
casualties, US citizens took
notice. Symbolic vigils by traditional
pacifists expanded into teach-ins on university campuses, a draft counseling
and resistance movement, increasingly massive peace demonstrations, a
nationwide Moratorium, tax resistance, symbolic sabotage of draft boards and
large scale civil disobedience.
Civilian
activists were energized by antiwar veterans and gave significant support to
opposition within the military. African
Americans not only provided the inspirational model of the civil rights
movement but moral leadership uniting domestic and international concerns.
After the
Paris Agreement brought release of POWs and the end of US combat and bombing of
the north, the antiwar movement diminished in size but focused effectively on
pressuring the US Congress to restrict further US intervention and material
support for the Saigon government, undermining its morale and military
capability. A powerful motivator for
activists was exposure of the brutal tiger cages at Con Dao that we just
visited and repression of the Paris mandated role of the Third Force.
When the
war ended fifty years ago, a majority of Americans celebrated the end to the
bloodshed and favored humanitarian assistance.
Official opinion was more negative.
The rawness of feelings and distrust led to missed opportunities for
normal relations on both sides in the late 1970s. US public opinion soured because of postwar
problems in Viet Nam and illusions about China.
However,
sympathetic sectors of peace oriented religious organizations and remnants of
the secular antiwar movement advocated for normal relations beginning with Viet
Nam’s membership in the United Nations. A
rice shipment was provided by the Friendshipment coalition and individual
organizations established their own humanitarian programs in collaboration with
the Viet Nam Union of Friendship organizations.
Thanks to
Foreign Minister Nguyen Co Thach and General John Vessey a crucial diplomatic
pathway was opened through officially endorsed private humanitarian
assistance. During the decade before
normalization of relations, a growing number of US NGOs, veterans groups,
educational exchange institutions and businesses built a network of relations
with Vietnamese mass organizations and government ministries. They also pressured and worked with members
the US Congress and several Administrations to end the embargo and establish
diplomatic relations.
Many US
ambassadors have acknowledged that US government credibility with the
Vietnamese people was built on the moral foundation of activists who opposed
the war and non-governmental organizations and veterans groups that addressed
the humanitarian problems of its legacies, including Agent Orange, land mines
and unexploded ordnance.
In the
thirty years since normal relations, we have seen the flowering of bilateral
trade due to economic reforms created by Doi Moi, dramatically expanded
educational exchange and creation of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Both countries are determined that
neighboring waters should be a zone of peace, mutual respect and free
transit.
We had
begun to believe that the catalytic role of people to people engagement had
been supplanted by deep and enduring national ties. Then we witnessed the Trump Administration’s
butchery of USAID and the US Institute of Peace, including war legacy projects
in Viet Nam, a block on US embassy participation in 50th anniversary events and
threats of punishing irrational tariffs.
I hope and believe this is a short term aberration. In any case it has illustrated that the role
of friendship and mutual support has not ended.
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