Thayer Consultancy Background Brief:

ABN # 65 648 097 123

Looking Back on the 49th
Anniversary of the Fall of Saigon
April 5, 2024

April 30, 2024 will mark the forty-ninth anniversary of the liberation/fall of Saigon.
Vietnam’s position in the region and the world has changed dramatically since then.
As a scholar with a deep knowledge of Vietnam, we request your assessment of the
main breakthroughs and achievement by Vietnam over this period.
Q1.How has Vietnam’s position in ASEAN, South East Asia and the world changed over
49 years? What are Vietnam’s main contributions?
ANSWER: In 1975 Vietnam was reunified and in 1976 it formally changed its name to
the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. This was during the Cold War and Vietnam was
viewed in the West as a member of the socialist camp, an ally of the Soviet Union, and
one of the least developed members of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance
(COMECON).
Vietnam’s position in the world changed dramatically after 1975. A major turning
point was reached in 1991 when an international conference in Paris brought an end
to the conflict in Cambodia. This set the conditions for Vietnam and China to normalise
relations. At the end of the year, the Soviet Union collapsed and Vietnam intensified
its policy of opening up.
In July 1995, Vietnam was admitted to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN). Vietnam has given priority to supporting ASEAN-led regional mechanisms
such as the ASEAN Regional Forum, East Asia Summit, ASEAN Defence Ministers’
Meeting (ADMM), ASEAN Maritime Forum, and the Asia-Europe Summit Meeting
(ASEM).
Vietnam served as ASEAN Chair three times, in 1998, 2010 and 2020. Vietnam made
two major contributions. In 2010, Vietnam hosted the inaugural meeting of the
ADMM Plus and in 2020 Vietnam led ASEAN members in combatting the COVID-19
pandemic.
In addition to ASEAN, Vietnam joined the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in
1998 and served as chairman in 2006 and 2017. In 2017, at the APEC Summit in Da
Nang, Vietnam play a key role in rescuing the Trans-Pacific Partnership after President
Donald Trump withdrew the United States from membership.
Vietnam’s enhanced prestige and influence as a member of the international
community can be measured by two remarkable achievements. First, Vietnam was
twice unanimously selected by the Asia bloc of nations at the United Nations as their
 2

candidate for non-permanent membership on the UN Security Council. Second,

Vietnam was twice overwhelmingly elected by the UN General Assembly for two
separate terms, 2008-2009 and 2021-2021.
In 2014, Vietnam further enhanced its standing by making its first contribution to UN
peacekeeping by sending military observers to the United Nations Mission in South
Sudan (UNMISS). In 2018, Vietnam deployed a Level 2 Field Grade Hospital. Also,
Vietnam currently contributes to the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization
Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), the UN Interim Security Force for
Abyei (UNISFA), and UN Headquarters.
Q2. What are Vietnam’s most important breakthroughs and achievements in
economy and foreign affairs over the past forty-nine years?
ANSWER: Vietnam has achieved three important breakthroughs in the economy.
First, under đổi mới Vietnam developed a “socialist market economy,” attracted
foreign direct investment, and achieved high rates of GDP growth. Vietnam also
reduced poverty and later achieved the UN’s millennium development goals. As a
result, Vietnam is now a lower-middle income country.
Second, Vietnam normalised relations with the United States in July 1995 and later
reached a Bilateral Trade Agreement (2000) and a Trade and Investment Framework
Agreement (2007) with the U.S. The United States is Vietnam’s largest export market.
Third, Vietnam became a member of the World Trade Organisation in 2007; that
required the unanimous consent of all of its 149 members. Vietnam thus bound itself
to observe international trade and labour standards. Currently, Vietnam has
multilateral Free Trade Agreements with the Eurasia Economic Union, European
Union, Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership, Regional
Comprehensive Economic Partnership as well as bilateral FTAs with major economies
Japan, United Kingdom and Republic of Korea.
Vietnam has achieved many successes in diversifying and multilateralizing its foreign.
Relations. There have been eight breakthroughs since 1975.
First, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam became a member of the United Nations in
1977. This provided the foundation for Vietnam to expand its foreign relations beyond
the socialist camp and Non-Aligned Movement to the entire international community.
Second, Vietnam succeeded in rescuing the Cambodian people from the genocidal
Khmer Rouge regime and creating a stable Cambodian government enabling
Vietnamese forces to withdraw in September 1989.
Third, Vietnam normalized relations with China in November 1991 enabling the two
sides to reach agreement on their land border and demarcate the waters in the Gulf
of Tonkin thus bringing stability to their relationship.
Fourth, Vietnam normalised relations with the United States in 1995 setting the basis
for addressing war legacy issues of both sides and eventually becoming
comprehensive partners.
 3

Fifth, Vietnam became ASEAN’s seventh member in 1995 despite differences in their
political systems. This sent a powerful message to the world that Vietnam’s status had
changed.
Sixth, Vietnam was twice elected a non-permanent member of the United Nations
Security Council thus attesting to Vietnam’s international prestige.
Seventh, from 2001 to 2021, Vietnam was able to develop a three-tiered structure for
foreign relations through thirteen comprehensive partnerships, fourteen strategic
partnerships and three comprehensive strategic partnerships with thirty countries
Eighth, from 2022 to 2023 Vietnam raised its relations with the Republic of Korea,
United States, Japan and Australia to comprehensive strategic partnerships creating a
firm basis for Vietnam’s goal of becoming a modern industrial country with a high
income by 2045.
Q3. How did the world change its views about Vietnam from the war-torn country to
the country of peace and rapid development?
ANSWER: In 1975 the West – and the United States in particular – widely viewed
Vietnam as a war and not an independent country seeking to develop. This image
began to change after Vietnam adopted reforms known collectively as đổi mới and
began to pursue a foreign policy of diversification and multilaterlization of relations
and proactive international integration.
Vietnam’s membership in ASEAN was a crucial turning point that demonstrated that
Vietnam was committed to peace, cooperation and development in Southeast Asia.
Vietnam’s economic success under đổi mới led many countries to view Vietnam as the
next Asian Tiger.
Q4.What are the most important factors that helped Vietnam’s successful
development?
ANSWER: There are five important factors that explain Vietnam’s successful
development since 1975.
First, the ability to engage in long-term strategic planning such as five-yearly socio-
economic development plans with a forward vision accompanied by regular
monitoring and review.
Second, the adoption of “bamboo diplomacy” as the practical framework for the
conduct of foreign policy by clearly setting out Vietnam’s fundamental principles of
independence, peace, cooperation and self-reliance and by pursuing these principles
in a pragmatic manner.
Third, Vietnam has developed a highly professional diplomatic corps that is well-
trained in foreign policy, international law, diplomacy and foreign languages.
Fourth, Vietnam has nutured its national identify and the character of the people with
a sense of community responsibility and respect for learning.
Fifth, Vietnam’s national unity and political stability are important factors.
 4

Suggested citation: Carlyle A. Thayer, “Looking Back on the 49th Anniversary of the Fall
of Saigon,” Thayer Consultancy Background Brief, April 5, 2024. All background briefs
are posted on Scribd.com (search for Thayer). To remove yourself from the mailing list
type, UNSUBSCRIBE in the Subject heading and hit the Reply key.
Thayer Consultancy provides political analysis of current regional security issues and
other research support to selected clients. Thayer Consultancy was officially
registered as a small business in Australia in 2002.