Soldiers from China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on Wednesday made their first ever appearance at Vietnam’s annual celebration of the fall of Saigon, marching in its biggest ever parade to mark 50 years since the end of Vietnam’s civil war.
Vietnam’s defence ministry invited a PLA honour guard to join the military parade in Ho Chi Minh City, a display that marked the end of the civil war 50 years ago, which saw the ruling party defeat the regime that controlled southern Vietnam.
The celebration came as both sides confront steep trade pressures from US-imposed tariffs, with Vietnam and China facing some of the highest tariffs imposed. Chinese state media described the PLA’s appearance as symbolic of a “brotherhood” between Hanoi and Beijing.
The event commemorated the seizure of Saigon on April 30, 1975, and is celebrated as National Reunification Day in Vietnam.
It marked the end of the decades-long Vietnam war, in which the communist North, backed by China and the Soviet Union, defeated the US-backed South Vietnamese regime.
While the anniversary is framed domestically as a celebration of unity, it is also a moment of ideological reaffirmation. The anti-imperialist tone of the event reflected enduring war memories and the continued influence of Cold War-era alliances in Vietnam’s political messaging.
