Shortly after Viet Nam and the United States resumed diplomatic relations (1995), De Paul University organized a conference to introduce foreigners to the country. The conference itself was in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh city) at the “floating hotel” which was moored in the Mekong ? River. The after conference was stunning: Danang, Hoi An (China Beach), Hue (what was left of the imperial capital) and Hanoi, without the embellishments the future would bring. These are notes I made at the time, and probably shared with the Asian Studies committee at IWU.
I. 1963: Bill Williams and John Kennedy (and Fred Hoyt wanting to learn about Asia)
II. Viet Nam in the 1960s and Fred Hoyt’s growth
, but was caught in the emotionalism of the made for TV series. Believed President (Fred as Cold warrior ala Kennedy)
III. The offer crossing my desk and the memories it conjured up.
IV. The conference
Paper available
Business opportunity of the future
V. Arrival (Aseana Airlines with Bing Crosby singing White Christmas; Beer Nuts as a snack. Tan Sen Hut airport still had the hangers for fighters I remembered from the news)
Viet Nam (some basic facts)
Long country–over 1000 miles from Saigon to Hanoi. All in the tropics. Hanoi roughly on parallel with Manila. Valetudinarian factors important.
Populous–over 72 million people. Most of them born since 1974. Over 2x size then. Hence, population is young and growing. Population control is nowhere near as extreme as in China, but govt is now encouraging 1-2 children at most. Could be a problem in near future.
Poor–average income less than 200$ US a year, but an awful lot of $2500 Hondas in the cities. Some of it may come from overseas Vietnamese, who are both retiring in Viet Nam and sending money back to relatives.
Government seems to be following the Chinese model of opening to the West–in a limited way and on well-defined terms. Non-Viet Namese managers on site all say the same thing: looks better from a distance than close up.
May benefit from brick walls around China and need to diversify portfolios: e.g., Taipei is encouraging Chinese investment in Viet Nam. Korea is eyeing, and of course, the French would like to return. Belief growing if you don’t someone else will.
Great potential for the smokestack industries to follow. Korea/Taipei/HK all getting too expensive to do the labor themselves.
Conclusions
Glad I went; gladder I was not there in the 60s
Certainly expanded my images of East Asia. Probably gave me a better idea of what China must have been like 15-20 years ago.
As a market for business, more attractive from a distance than close up.
For most Vietnamese, Imperialist Americans and their fascist allies is history, probably more than is true here.
I’d almost forgotten, but Carolyn and I parleyed this trip to visit Taiwan. Taiwan was then (as it wants to be now), the “real China.” The
purpose of visiting was to stay in the Palace Hotel, designed by Mme. Chiang Kai-shek and to see the treasures in the Palace Museum that Chiang Kai-shek took when he fled the Mainland. Magnificent. It was interesting to see the cult associated with Chiang and the Kuomintang, a slightly (!) different version than on the Mainland!