Vietnam - Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Northern Thailand - page 334

When it comes to the older generation, the south has never forgiven the north for bull-
dozing their war cemeteries, imposing communism and blackballing whole families. The
north has never forgiven the south for siding with the Americans against their own people.
Luckily for Vietnam, the new generation seems to have less interest in the country's har-
rowing history.
Vietnam's Place in the World
Today, relations with the USA are politically cordial and economically vibrant (bilateral
trade was worth US$24.9 billion in 2012). The US and Vietnamese militaries hold annual
Defense Policy Dialogue talks. Vietnam's suppression of political dissent and issues of
freedom of speech and religion remain areas of contention though. For the Vietnamese,
the legacy of Agent Orange and dioxin poisoning remains unresolved - the USA has nev-
er paid compensation to the up to four million victims of dioxin poisoning resulting from
aerial bombing during the American War.
The situation with Vietnam's traditional historic enemy, China, is far more complicated,
and occasionally fraught. On the plus side trade is booming (though more one-way than
the Vietnamese would like) and borders are hyper busy. Chinese is the second-most popu-
lar foreign language studied in Vietnam. However, the Spratly Islands, rich in oil deposits,
remain a potential flashpoint, with both nations - in addition to several others - claiming
sovereignty. There have been regular protests in Hanoi against the Chinese occupation of
the islands.
Vietnam enjoys good relations with most Southeast Asian countries, but there are ongo-
ing tensions with Laos over the construction of dams on the Mekong River.
State of the Nation
Overall, most Vietnamese are pretty happy with their lot - for now. The last couple of dec-
ades have transformed the nation as blue-chip finance has flooded into a red-flag com-
munist society and comrades have become entrepreneurs. The country is stable. However,
this status quo is very much dependent on the economy and with declining rates of
growth, the situation is less rosy than it was a few years ago.