This means that Vietnam welcomes more foreign businesses and competition among businesses than China does. Indeed, Ho Chi Minh is a Westernized city, resembling a poorer version of a large city in the U.S. Also, Vietnam does not have strict censorship laws like China. In Vietnam, I had access to Google and other internet applications that are blocked in China. Therefore, I did not feel the effects of communism in Vietnam like I do in China. Still, I have heard that northern Vietnam may appear to be more communist because the capital of Hanoi is in the north.
Overall, I enjoyed visiting Vietnam. Before I visited, I had learned a bit about the Vietnam War in school and in a museum in Washington D.C. I gained a new perspective on the Vietnam War from experiencing the war remnants and environment firsthand. I hope to apply the knowledge I gained about the Vietnam War in my coursework as I learn about global peacekeeping. For now, I am eager to continue to learn about and compare Vietnam and China in regards to not only their war histories, but also their present realities.
