China Focus · Carrie Zhao Dec 30, 2025

Recently, Vietnam’s high-speed rail project has turned into quite a comedy of errors. Vietnam tried to replicate China’s classic “two peaches kill three warriors” strategy to pit countries against each other and drive down prices. Instead of trapping China, they ended up ensnaring themselves, with Germany’s Siemens unexpectedly winning the bid in a bewildering turn of events.

Neel Patel · Lives in Vietnam7y

Because Vietnam had possibly the worst possible set of circumstances post WWII of any country in the entire world. First, the French did not immediately give it independence the way the British did with India. Instead Vietnam had to fight a war against France, which later turned into a war against the US. In the process millions died and millions more left, often the educated and businessman Vietnamese who were important to the economy. A lot of the country was devastated. Then after Vietnam finally gained its independence completely in the 1970’s (way later than countries like Indonesia, India, Philippines, etc), it had to fight wars with Cambodia and China.

All along western sanctions were still imposed until the 90’s. Diplomatic relations with the US were not re-established until the 90’s. The economy in the 70’s and 80’s did not do well because it was closed off from the rest of the world and heavily socialist and dependent on the USSR. Finally around 1986 the government at least reformed the economy to be more free market. Since that time Vietnam has grown fast. It is now a stable country with one of the fastest growing economies in the world.