Vietnam commemorated the 50th anniversary of the cessation of hostilities with the United States and the establishment of its contemporary state on Wednesday, featuring a military procession and emphasizing a peaceful future.

The fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, meant the end of a Vietnam that was divided into the communist North and the South, which was allied with the U.S. The country's main leader told people that the past decades had brought more and more unity.

“All Vietnamese people are descendants of Vietnam. They possess the rights to reside and work, and to pursue happiness and love with freedom in this nation,” stated To Lam, the General Secretary of the Vietnam Communist Party.

He also said that the party, the people, and the army promised to work towards a future of peace, unity, wealth, and progress for Vietnam, leaving the past behind and respecting different ideas.

Thousands slept outside on the streets of the former South Vietnamese capital, which was renamed Ho Chi Minh City after North Vietnamese and Viet Cong soldiers took control, to get the best place to see the parade. Many stayed on the streets later in the afternoon and had picnics while waiting for drone and fireworks shows at night.

Vietnam's national colours, red and yellow, pervaded the city, visible on flags hoisted from buildings, painted onto the faces of enthusiastic adolescents, and emblazoned on the T-shirts of visitors from across the nation.

“It is now time for peace,” remarked spectator Nguyen Thi Hue, a city resident. “Peace is the universal aspiration everyone in the world desires.”

One float featured the mythical Lac bird, Vietnam’s emblem, while another bore a portrait of Ho Chi Minh.

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

Large crowds watched the event from outside the barriers and at some street corners where big screens were put up. People held up their phones and watched with wide eyes, waving and cheering for the soldiers marching past. Meanwhile, people at home gathered around their televisions.

Sitting next to the leader of Vietnam were Hun Sen, the former leader of Cambodia, and Thongloun Sisoulith, the General Secretary of the Laotian Communist Party.

Beyond a victory over the U.S. and South Vietnam, To Lam described the fall of Saigon as a "glorious landmark" concluding a three-decade struggle for independence, initiated by the campaign to expel French colonial forces.

He attributed Vietnam's current global standing to backing from the Soviet Union, China, solidarity with Laos and Cambodia, and support from 'progressive' individuals worldwide, including within the U.S.

Nguyen Khac Giang, an analyst at Singapore’s ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute, said that Vietnam is now focusing on bringing people together instead of just celebrating military success, which is different from past years. This shows how Vietnam is changing with the global economy and world politics. He also said that the Vietnam War is still very important for the Communist Party to show it is in charge, seeing it not just as a win in war but also as a sign that the country is united. However, To Lam’s comments highlighted that this process of bringing people together is not yet finished.

“The war continues to shape Vietnam’s sense of unity, as well as its enduring internal divisions,” Giang stated.

According to Pham Ngoc Son, a veteran who fought for the communists, the present climate between the U.S. and Vietnam is one of "only space for peace and friendship."

"The war finished a long time ago," said the 69-year-old man. During the war, he worked as an army truck driver. He brought soldiers and supplies from the north to the south using the Ho Chi Minh trail. This was a secret route North Vietnam used to send supplies.

This year additionally signifies three decades of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the U.S.

In 2023, Vietnam elevated its relationship with the U.S. to that of a comprehensive strategic partnership, the preeminent diplomatic designation it accords to any nation, placing it on par with its ties to China and Russia.

However, the relationship with Washington is showing renewed signs of tension, particularly following President Donald Trump’s introduction of substantial tariffs and the considerable reduction of foreign aid, which has impacted efforts to address the consequences of the war in Vietnam.

Vietnamese officials assert that the relationship with the U.S. is fundamentally grounded in American endeavors to confront the enduring legacies of war, such as the contamination from Agent Orange and the persistent threat posed by unexploded ordnance in rural areas.

The future of those projects is now in jeopardy due to the extensive reductions in USAID funding implemented by the Trump administration.

Furthermore, the country, reliant on exports, is susceptible within a fragile global economy due to Trump's proposed tariffs.

Vietnam faced retaliatory tariffs of 46%, among the highest imposed, which, according to Huong Le-Thu of the International Crisis Group, casts significant doubt upon the strategic goals the U.S. aims to accomplish in Asia.

She noted that strong historical connections with Washington have historically allowed Vietnam to manage its relationship with its significantly larger and more influential neighbor, China.

Vietnam, alongside the Philippines, is among the nations that have experienced direct confrontations with China concerning competing maritime claims in the South China Sea.

A concentration on economic rather than strategic rivalry could diminish the significance of Vietnam and other Southeast Asian nations to the United States.

"This will be instrumental in determining the new administration's perception of the strategic landscape in the Indo-Pacific and the role countries like Vietnam will occupy," she said.

In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce on Tuesday declined to comment on reports that the Trump administration had advised diplomats against attending anniversary events, stating, "I am not going to discuss what has been suggested or not suggested."

The Embassy in Hanoi stated that Susan Burns, the U.S. consul general in Ho Chi Minh City, was present at the event, although the U.S. ambassador, Marc E. Knapper, did not attend.

Approximately 13,000 individuals, comprising troops, militias, veterans, and local citizens, participated in the parade, which proceeded along the principal boulevard towards the Independence Palace before diverging into the city streets and passing the U.S. Consulate.

A video of Chinese soldiers singing the famous song “As If Uncle Ho Were With Us on Victory Day” during practice was shared a lot online. This happened after China's leader, Xi Jinping, visited Vietnam earlier that month. His visit seemed to be an effort to show China as a country that brings stability, which is very different from Trump.