A massive military parade in Ho Chi Minh City capped Vietnam’s 50th anniversary celebrations of the end of the war with the United States, with thousands of Vietnamese waving red flags and singing patriotic songs.
Wednesday’s celebration marked the first act of the country’s reunification on April 30, 1975, when communist-run North Vietnam conquered Saigon, the capital of the US-backed South, and renamed it Ho Chi Minh City immediately after the war in honour of the North’s founding leader.
A lotus-shaped float carrying a portrait of Ho Chi Minh was near the front of the parade as fighter jets and helicopters carrying red flags flew overhead.
Thousands of people stayed in the streets overnight to get the best vantage point for the parade, which was “a day of sombre reflection but also a day of celebration”.
For the first time, more than 300 soldiers from China, Laos and Cambodia also took part in the spectacle.
More than 300,000 Chinese soldiers were involved in the bloody conflict, according to state media, providing crucial anti-aircraft defence support and helping with logistics and supplies.
This year marks the 30-year anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and the US.
In 2023, Vietnam upgraded its relations with the US 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.
There are new signs of strain in the relationship with Washington, however, with President Donald Trump’s imposition of heavy tariffs and the cancellation of much foreign aid, which has affected war remediation efforts in Vietnam.
