What does Vietnam mean to you? The exact answer will likely depend on how old you are and where you come from. But one thing is for sure: you will almost certainly find it easier to visualise this country in your mind’s eye than most others.
The reason why is simple. For its entire history, Vietnam’s geographic location has made it a prize asset, particularly for the neighbour it shares a long border with – China.
Vietnam has been continually fought over and colonised, making it well known the world over. And when people come to visit, work or invest here, they often find that the imprint, which those various Asian or European great powers have stamped on the country, elicits a comforting cultural familiarity too.
In the past, the politics of the “great powers” had devastating consequences for the indigenous population despite their ability to successfully fight back. In today’s multipolar world, that has been turned on its head. Everyone is courting Vietnam as their “new best friend”…
