ABSTRACT
The history of Vietnam is one of continuous struggle, whether against its giant northern neighbor, the weaker southern kingdoms, or the colonialists from the West and the East. In modern times, perhaps no other country on earth has paid a higher price than Vietnam in its fight for political independence. After 30 years of full-scale war ending in 1975, Vietnam’s economic performance was seriously hampered by the failures of its foreign policy and command economic management, the collapse of the former Soviet Union and the US-led trade and investment embargo.1 As a result, Vietnam stood among the poorest countries in the world in terms of standard of living.2
