U.S. Tells Its Diplomats in Vietnam to Avoid War Anniversary Events

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1. SS: In a move laden with symbolic rupture, the Trump administration has directed senior U.S. diplomats, including Ambassador Marc Knapper, to abstain from Vietnam’s 50th-anniversary war-end commemorations—events once seen as milestones of hard-won reconciliation. Reporting from Ho Chi Minh City, *The New York Times*’ Damien Cave notes that the decision comes amid intensifying geopolitical friction: Trump, entering his second term, reportedly viewed the ceremonies as undercutting his posture of strength, especially following Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s high-profile visit to Hanoi. Trump has [openly accused both Vietnam and China of colluding](https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/southeast-asia/trump-tariffs-xi-jinping-vietnam-us-china-b2733360.html) to undermine U.S. interests. This diplomatic freeze halts a trajectory of postwar healing powered by veterans and civil society on both sides, leaving planned projects—like a U.S.-funded museum exhibit—suspended in bureaucratic limbo. For many, it’s not just a missed opportunity for symbolism, but a recalibration of American strategy—one where reconciliation gives way to realpolitik and rivalry.

2. Even if, IF a democrat took the helm, the USA’s reputation has been permanently tarnished.

   Welcome to China’s world, for better and worse.

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