Ho Chi Minh's journey to find a way to save the country was recorded in history books. In 1912, he, then named Nguyen Tat Thanh, decided to go to America and stayed there until 1913, to learn and study the path to liberating the nation from the yoke of French colonialism. Because, the American people made a great revolution to overthrow British colonialism and gain independence in 1776.
During his time in the United States, Nguyen Tat Thanh lived in New York City, then went to Boston to study the history of the formation of the United States. In particular, in Boston, he came across the American Declaration of Independence in 1776. It can be said that this was a very important event for the young man Nguyen Tat Thanh.
On September 2, 1945, President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
The Declaration inspired him on his journey to find a way to save the country and later, he quoted the most quintessential and core content of the American Declaration of Independence as the opening words of the 1945 Declaration of Independence: "All men are created equal. They are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
In 1941, after returning home to lead the cause of national liberation, realizing the role and influence of the United States, an economic and military superpower, on world and regional politics, and at the same time building revolutionary forces, President Ho Chi Minh sought to build friendly relations with the American forces stationed in China.
Ho Chi Minh proactively built relationships with generals and the US Office of Strategic Services (OSS).
In February 1945, after the Viet Minh forces rescued American pilot Lieutenant William Shaw (whose plane was shot down by the Japanese army in Viet Bac), Ho Chi Minh personally took the pilot to hand him over to the US 14th Air Force Command stationed in Yunnan. He met and talked with General Chenault, the US Air Force Commander in China, and established a relationship with the US and Allied forces to help Vietnam fight the Japanese.
Through his contacts, the US Office of Strategic Services (OSS) (the predecessor of the CIA) helped the Viet Minh with radios, medicine and light weapons... Although this was only symbolic help, it opened up opportunities for Vietnam to seek help from allied countries in the struggle for national independence.
On August 29, 1945, at house number 48 Hang Ngang Street, Archimedes LAPatti, Head of the Indochina Department of the OSS strategic intelligence agency in South China, was the only foreigner invited by Ho Chi Minh to listen to the draft of the Declaration of Independence and discuss some policies and future plans of Vietnam. Among them was the organization of the Independence Declaration Ceremony of the Provisional Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam on September 2, 1945.
Not only that, LAPatti was one of the few foreigners invited by President Ho Chi Minh to attend the ceremony announcing the Declaration of Independence, giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. In the most solemn and sacred ceremony of the country, the slogan "Welcome the American delegation" was prominently displayed on the stage.
After the success of the August Revolution, to protect the young independence, our Party and President Ho determined: "For the US, the new diplomacy has had some results, we need to quickly move forward so that the US officially recognizes Vietnam's complete independence and reconciles with us."
Based on that viewpoint, President Ho Chi Minh proactively contacted a number of influential figures in the US Government. After the Provisional Government returned to Hanoi, he prioritized spending time meeting and talking with US officers such as Major Thomas, Major Archimedes LAPatti... to convey the Vietnamese Government's desire to receive support and assistance from President Harry Truman and US diplomatic officials.
Letters of President Ho Chi Minh to the US President and Secretary of State
To build a long-term Vietnam-US relationship, on November 1, 1945, in a letter to US Secretary of State James F. Byrnes, President Ho Chi Minh expressed his wish to "send a delegation of about fifty Vietnamese youth to the US with the intention of establishing close cultural relations with American youth, and on the other hand to promote continued research in technology, agriculture and other specialized fields". This showed his ingenuity and vision in relations with the US.
On January 18, 1946, President Ho Chi Minh sent a letter to US President Harry Truman, warning about "the consequences for world security from the French invasion of Vietnam".
Letters and telegrams from President Ho Chi Minh to US Presidents Harry Truman and Richard Nixon are displayed at Xoai Street, the Presidential Palace Relic Site in 2021.
The letter also expressed Vietnam's support for the US President's views on the principles of equality and self-determination of peoples and emphasized: "Vietnam warmly welcomes President Truman's speech on October 28, 1945, which clearly stated the principles of equality and self-determination set forth in the Atlantic and San Francisco Charters."
At the end of the letter, he expressed his hope that "the United States will help the Vietnamese people protect their independence and support the Vietnamese people in the process of rebuilding the country" and pledged that if it received support from the United States, "the Democratic Republic of Vietnam will contribute to building peace and prosperity in the world."
Then, in a letter to President Harry Truman on February 16, 1946, President Ho Chi Minh wrote: “Like the Philippines, our goal is complete independence and full cooperation with the United States. We will do our utmost to make this independence and cooperation beneficial to the whole world.”
Just over a year after the country gained independence, President Ho Chi Minh “sent eight messages, letters, and telegrams to the US President and Secretary of State, introducing the situation in Indochina, requesting the US to recognize Vietnam’s independence, and contribute to preventing the war of aggression caused by French colonialism in Indochina”. This shows that he devoted himself to seeking US support for Vietnam’s young independence and building friendly relations between the two countries.
But perhaps due to weighing the relationship with America's "strategic ally" at that time, France, and supporting a newly established Democratic Republic of Vietnam Government that was facing "countless difficulties", in a "thousand pounds hanging by a thread" situation, President Harry Truman chose to remain silent in the face of the enthusiastic sentiments of President Ho Chi Minh, the Government and people of Vietnam towards America.
So the Vietnam-US relationship has turned in another thorny direction.
The inevitable has happened.
In the face of the integration trend, the role and position of one country is bound to the development and implementation of strategic goals of another; in the face of the requirements of economic development, security and defense of each country, of the region and the world, what comes must come.
On the night of July 11, 1995 (July 12, 1995 Vietnam time), President William J. Clinton announced the “normalization of relations” with Vietnam. On the morning of July 12, 1995, in Hanoi (July 11 US time), Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet read the statement on the normalization of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the United States.
In November 2000, US President William J. Clinton visited Vietnam and became the first US President to officially visit Vietnam.
Since then, leaders of the two countries and leaders of their ministries have regularly visited each other to make the Vietnam-US relationship increasingly substantive and effective.
General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and US Vice President Joe Biden raise their glasses at a solemn reception hosted by the US Government in 2015 - Photo: US Embassy in Hanoi
Notably, in July 2013, during President Truong Tan Sang's visit to the United States at the invitation of President Barack Obama, the two sides established the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Partnership. And in July 2015, during General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's visit, also at the invitation of President Barack Obama, the two sides adopted the Joint Vision Statement on Vietnam-US Relations.
And unprecedentedly, on September 10 and 11, 2023, for the first time at the invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong, US President Joe Biden will officially visit Vietnam. According to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang, "President Joe Biden's visit aims to further deepen Vietnam-US relations, develop bilateral relations in a stable, substantive and long-term manner in all areas, contributing to maintaining peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region as well as in the world."
According to the White House's announcement on August 28, 2023, President Biden's visit will "explore opportunities to advance Vietnam's economic development, focus on technology and innovation, expand people-to-people ties through educational exchanges and workforce development programs, combat climate change, and enhance peace, prosperity, and stability in the region."
Interestingly, in 1913, the young man Nguyen Tat Thanh (later President Ho Chi Minh) left the United States, bringing with him inspiration and memories of the quintessence of the American Declaration of Independence, which he later used as the preface to the Vietnamese Declaration of Independence. Then 110 years later, the US President came to Vietnam to continue deepening the relationship between the two countries Vietnam and the United States.
Source vietnamnet
Source
Comment (0)