Thousands of Vietnamese have waved red flags and sang patriotic songs as a grand military parade held in Ho Chi Minh City concluded Vietnam\u2019s 50th anniversary celebrations of the end of war with the United States. Wednesday\u2019s event commemorated the first act of the country\u2019s reunification on April 30, 1975, when communist-run North Vietnam seized Saigon, the capital of the US-backed South, renamed Ho Chi Minh City shortly after the war in honour of the North\u2019s 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. According to international media reports, thousands of people stayed in the streets overnight to get the best vantage point for the parade, which was \u201ca day of sombre reflection but also a day of celebration\u201d. \u201cI am proud of having contributed to liberating the south,\u201d said 75-year-old veteran Tran Van Truong who had travelled \u2013 dressed in full military uniform \u2013 from the capital, Hanoi, to see the parade. \u201cBut what\u2019s gone is gone, I have no hatred for those from the other side of the battle,\u201d Truong told the AFP news agency. \u201cWe should join hands to celebrate the end of the war.\u201d 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. \u201cI think Hanoi is signalling to China that they recognise China\u2019s historical contribution,\u201d said Zach Abuza, a professor at the National War College in Washington who focuses on Southeast Asian politics. \u201cIt\u2019s also another way for them to signal: \u2018Don\u2019t think our foreign policy is lurching towards the Americans.’\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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