Vietnam the history of, and the political policies of the United Term Paper

Vietnam the history of, and the political policies of the United States and Vietnam - Term Paper Example However, this was not always the case. Although there were behind the scenes talks between the two countries in the twenty years since the end of the war in 1975 it was not until 1995 that diplomatic relations were officially re-established. Since then the relationship between the two have been improving with each passing year. The present U.S. administration, headed by President Barack Obama has now officially designated the Republic of Vietnam as a â€Å"significant partner†. This paper will briefly outline the changes that have occurred in the last forty years, concluding that overall there is now a strong diplomatic and economic bond uniting the two nations. The U.S. relationship with Vietnam in the twenty years leading up to 1995 was strained. Almost immediately after its victory over South Vietnam the new Republic further antagonised American interests by turning to the U.S.S.R. for military aid and financial assistance (Largo 2002). China, other smaller South East Asian nations and the United States were all concerned with the growing influenced of the Soviet Union in the region; ironically, the very reason that the U.S. had previously involved itself in the Vietnamese civil war. The Vietnamese decision to invade Cambodia in 1979 also strained an already tense relationship. The U.S. promised to continue the trade embargo put in place after 1975 until Vietnam removed its occupying forces from Cambodia (Largo 2002). The prisoner of war issue also strained the relationship between the two countries. For many years after the end of the war in 1975 the U.S. claimed that Hanoi was not doing enough to repatriate American service personnel held prisoner during the war. While it is unlikely that American POW’s remained captive after the end of the war the image remained a strong one for many in the U.S; indeed, the image of the captive American was such a powerful cultural icon that it had a significant negative effect