5 reasons Vietnam selected to host second round of nuclear talks
When President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meet in Vietnam on February 27-28 for a second round of nuclear talks, the world spotlight will shine on a country that has come a long way from the Vietnam War. The communist-led Southeast Asian nation is now a booming economy and an increasingly assertive regional diplomatic player. It is also one of the few nations to enjoy friendly relations with both Washington and Pyongyang.
Experts said that made the selection of Vietnam both practical and symbolic. Here are a few reasons why:
1 Location
The host city hasn’t yet been disclosed, but one option is Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, which lies 1,700 miles from Pyongyang, North Korea. It means an even shorter flight for Kim than the one he took to Singapore.
Unlike his late father, Kim Jong-il, who was afraid of flying, the young North Korean leader appears comfortable in the air.
2 Security
The flight from North Korea to Vietnam would cross only friendly Chinese airspace, making Kim feel even safer. Vietnamese authorities exercise significant control over dissent, public demonstrations and the media. A recent anti-corruption crackdown ensnared high-level officials in the Communist Party and at state-owned companies, but drew comparisons to a Chinese-style political purge.
3 Neutral ground
The US and Vietnam share a bloody history, but the relationship has moved far beyond the 20-year war that ended in 1975 and claimed the lives of 58,000 US soldiers and an estimated three million Vietnamese troops and civilians. Since President Clinton normalised relations with Vietnam in 1995, the countries have developed close economic and military ties, centred in part on shared concerns over China’s trade practices and its advances in the South China Sea. Ties between Vietnam and North Korea go back further. The countries established diplomatic relations in 1950, and eight years later Kim Il-sung, North Korea’s founder and Kim Jong-un’s grandfather, visited Hanoi.
4 A source of economic inspiration
A decade after the “American War” ended, as the Vietnam War is known there, the Southeast Asian nation was internationally isolated and starving, a Stalinist experiment in collectivisation having left farmers starving and store shelves barren. In 1986, Hanoi’s leadership began the Doi Moi programme of liberalisation that reopened the country to the world and produced one of the most stunning economic turnarounds in recent times.
5 A model for reshaping US ties
From bitter enemies to trusted partners, the trajectory of the US-Vietnam relationship could excite a young North Korean leader who is said to be enamoured of Western culture (particularly NBA basketball). Cultural ties have also grown rapidly. Vietnam is one of the largest sources of foreign students to the United States, sending more than 20,000 annually.