VietNamNet's columnist Viet Lam talks with Prof. James Dale Bindenagel, former US Ambassador to Germany and now with the US-based Boston Global Forum, and Dr. Nguyen Hong Son, Deputy Director of the Institute for the East Sea Studies of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about China's rise and Vietnam's choices. Below is the full content of the talk. Viet Lam: I would like to start our discussion today with an event that has captured the world's attention in recent months. That is the placement of the Chinese oil rig in Vietnam's exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Though China withdrew the oil rig and de-escalated the tensions, some say that the incident has changed the world perceptions of China's rise fundamentally. Do you agree with the comment? Dr. Nguyen Hung Son: I do not know whether the world perceptions towards China have changed or not, but the regional perceptions towards China have certainly changed because all of a sudden, China has conducted very assertive activities … [Read more...] about China’s rise and Vietnam’s choices (Part 1)
Korean and vietnam wars
“Scars of the Vietnam War” to appeal for peace
"Through images of wounds, legacy of the war as well as pains featured on each face, I would like to send a message that the war was over, however its consequences have remained to Koreans as well as a message of peace", said Murayama Yasufumi, a Japanese photographer. His message will be delivered at an exhibition to open at Art Space Seogyo, Seoul, the Republic of Korea, on November 12th. The week-long exhibition will showcase 60 photos, themed "Scars of the Vietnam War", resulted from his 14-year fact-finding trips on the post-Vietnam War. Since September 1998, Japanese photographer has attached his life to taking photos of pains of people after the Vietnam War. In his talk with the Youth Newspaper on August 23rd in Vietnam, he confided that the Republic of Korea dispatched 320,000 troops to join the Vietnam War. Younger generations in Japan and some other countries in the world have no longer showed their interests in topics of the war. In 2009, photographer Murayama exhibited … [Read more...] about “Scars of the Vietnam War” to appeal for peace
Mr. Len Aldis: Consequences of Vietnam war must be healed
On March 10 and 11, 2006, the US National Archives and the Nation's Presidential Libraries will host a two-day conference at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston to examine the history of the Vietnam War and the American presidency. Len Aldis, Secretary of the Britain-Vietnam Friendship Society, has written a letter to the moderator of the conference. The following is the full text of the letter: Dear Mr Williams, Many will welcome this important conference and look forward to hearing the comments from guests, many of whom were deeply involved in the war that ended over thirty years ago. As one who is unable to participate, will you allow me to raise some points for consideration by your guests? In the introduction to the conference it is recalled that the American War on Vietnam was the longest waged by the United States, and resulted in the deaths of 58,000 Americans and over 3,000,000 Vietnamese. Unfortunately, not mentioned was the number of those injured … [Read more...] about Mr. Len Aldis: Consequences of Vietnam war must be healed
Two films on Vietnam wars to be screen
Hanoi Times - Vietnam Television has reached an agreement on airing a film named "Last Illusion of War" with two film makers Janet Gardner and Pham Quoc Thai.On July 5, the documentary film will officially be on air. Finished at the end of the year 2006 and updated after a series of progresses of trial against chemical companies for using Agent Orange in Vietnam, the movies showed audiences an overview of heavy consequences of Agent Orange. The movies shows in the U.S draw great attraction and strong emotion of American audiences. Also, about Vietnam's war, a Korean director Lee Jun Ik presented public a movie called "Sunny" featuring the love during Vietnam War. "Sunny" will be screen in Korea from July 24.- … [Read more...] about Two films on Vietnam wars to be screen
Seoul exhibition to examine Vietnam War scars
Japanese photographer Murayama Yasufumi, who is well-known for adopting the cause of Vietnamese dioxin victims, will hold an exhibition about the consequences of the wars in Vietnam in South Korea in November. One of the photo in Murayama Yasufumi's “Scars of the Vietnam War” Photo: Murayama “Scars of the Vietnam War” will feature more than 60 photos taken by Yasufumi during his decade-long travel across Vietnam. “The exhibition aims to send Korean people a message that while the war is in the past, its consequences still remain,” he told Tuoi Tre. "Through the pictures of the wounds and the grief that Vietnamese people still suffer, I want to raise people’s awareness of peace. Yasufumi was born in 1968 in Hyogo. He first came to Vietnam in 1998 and has since visited the country almost 30 times, traveling its breadth and photographing the consequences of the wars. In 2009 he held an exhibition on … [Read more...] about Seoul exhibition to examine Vietnam War scars