On Wednesday, Vietnam celebrated 50 years since the end of the war with the United States. They marked the start of their modern country with a military parade and looked forward to a peaceful future.

When Saigon fell on April 30, 1975, it showed that Vietnam was no longer split into the communist North and the South, which was helped by the U.S. The country's leader said to large groups of people that over the past years, the country had become more and more united.

To Lam, the leader of Vietnam’s Communist Party, said, “All Vietnamese people come from Vietnam. They have the right to live and work, and to be free to find happiness and love in this country.”

He also said that the party, the people, and the army promise to make Vietnam a peaceful, united, successful, and developing country. They will do this by forgetting the past, respecting different opinions, and planning for the future.

Thousands slept outside in the old capital city, now called Ho Chi Minh City, to get the best view of the parade. Many stayed on the streets later, eating picnics and waiting for drone and fireworks shows at night.

The red and yellow colours of Vietnam’s flag were seen across the city – on buildings, on the faces of excited teenagers and on the shirts of visitors.

"Now it is time for peace," said Nguyen Thi Hue, who lives in the city and was watching. "Peace is what everyone in the world wants; it is a dream for everyone."

One decorated vehicle showed the legendary Lac bird, which is a symbol of Vietnam, and another showed a picture of Ho Chi Minh.

Soldiers from China, Laos, and Cambodia marched behind the Vietnamese soldiers. Some of these soldiers wore uniforms that looked like those worn by soldiers from North Vietnam during the war. Helicopters with the national flag and planes flew over the parade near Independence Palace. This is where a tank from North Vietnam broke through the gates on the last day of the war.

People watched the show from outside the barriers and at street corners with big screens. They held up their phones, watched with interest, and cheered for the soldiers. People at home watched on television.

Next to Vietnam’s leader were Cambodia’s former leader, Hun Sen, and the head of the Laotian Communist Party, Thongloun Sisoulith.

To Lam said the end of the war in Saigon was a great success. He said it marked the end of a 30-year fight for freedom that began with removing French soldiers.

He said Vietnam is important in the world today because of help from the Soviet Union, China, and strong support from Laos and Cambodia. He also said that people around the world who wanted progress, including those in the U.S., helped.

According to analyst Nguyen Khac Giang, Vietnam is now focusing on bringing people together instead of just winning wars. This shows how the country is reacting to changes in the world's economy and politics. He also said that the Vietnam War is still very important to the Communist Party, not just because they won, but because it represents the country being united. However, To Lam's comments show that this process of bringing people together is not yet finished.

Giang said that the war still affects how united Vietnam is and the disagreements that are left.

Pham Ngoc Son, a soldier who fought for the communists, thinks that today the U.S. and Vietnam should only have "peace and friendship".

"The war ended a long time ago," said the 69-year-old man. During the war, he drove army trucks, bringing soldiers and supplies south on the Ho Chi Minh trail. This was the secret route used by North Vietnam.

This year is also the 30th anniversary of official relations between Vietnam and the U.S.

In 2023, Vietnam improved its relationship with the U.S. to the highest level, the same as its relationships with China and Russia.

However, there are new problems in the relationship with Washington. President Donald Trump has put high taxes on imported goods and stopped a lot of foreign aid. This has negatively affected efforts to help Vietnam recover from the war.

Vietnamese officials say their relationship with the U.S. is based on America helping with problems from the war, like the effects of Agent Orange and bombs that didn't explode in the countryside, which still put people in danger.

The future of those projects is now uncertain because the Trump administration has greatly reduced the money for USAID.

Also, the country that relies on exports is easily hurt in a weak global economy because of Trump's plans for tariffs.

Vietnam had very high taxes of 46% put on its goods. This makes people wonder what the U.S. is trying to do in Asia, according to an expert.

She said that Vietnam's close relationship with the United States helped it manage its relationship with its bigger and stronger neighbor, China.

Vietnam and the Philippines have had direct disagreements with China about who controls parts of the South China Sea.

If the U.S. focuses more on economic competition instead of strategic competition, countries like Vietnam in Southeast Asia may become less important to them.

"It will depend on how the new government sees the situation in the Indo-Pacific and where countries like Vietnam fit in," she said.

In Washington, spokeswoman Tammy Bruce did not want to say anything about reports that the Trump administration had told diplomats not to go to anniversary events. She said, "I will not talk about what has been suggested or not suggested."

The US Embassy in Hanoi said that Susan Burns, the US consul general in Ho Chi Minh City, went to the event. The US ambassador, Marc E. Knapper, did not go.

Around 13,000 people, such as soldiers, citizen soldiers, former soldiers, and people living in the area, joined the parade. The parade route went along the main street towards the Independence Palace, then turned into other city streets and went past the U.S. Consulate.

A video of Chinese soldiers singing a well-known song called "As If Uncle Ho Were With Us on Victory Day" during a practice was shared a lot on social media. Earlier that month, China's leader, Xi Jinping, visited Vietnam. He wanted to show that China is a country that helps keep things stable, which is different from Trump.