To be frank, 20% is double that of 10%, and if we compare with other countries, we are already in the lowest bracket. I see most other countries are up to 50%. By easing tariffs, Vietnam can remain competitive since the price of Vietnamese goods exported to the US will be cheaper, making them more attractive to Americans. Still, it’s double compared to the previous tariff (10%). So I believe it’s still going to hurt Vietnam regardless, and the number of orders from American people will be less compared to before the tariff. Why is it important for Vietnam to be able to export its goods? I believe that, from my perspective, Vietnamese people need jobs and dollars in order to purchase items like machinery. For me, I use Cursor, AWS services, and ChatGPT every day; I also use American products like the iPhone and MacBook. I also use several other software programs for which I pay subscription fees, like GitKraken, Dashlane, iCloud, and YouTube Premium, just to name a few of the products that I need from Americans. I don’t know about other folks, but I do work for Americans directly, and the earnings I get from them are more than enough to pay for those items. But then, I still need to pay for a whole lot of other things, like food (which could cost up to $500 a month) and rent ($300 more). I’m not sure I even get any savings back—living in Vietnam costs much less than living in the United States, but still, if I want a comfortable life, then I will not have any savings. Of course, unless everybody, including me, lives a modest life: let’s just not buy Coke and drink pure water instead, for example. I do spend a huge chunk of $500 on soft drinks. To be fair, I do eat better than most people: I usually spend $5 to double my meal (I do eat a lot, which is why I’m fat). Normal people would only spend $2.50 for a meal in my place. Sometimes I spend up to $10 on food and deliveries.
Anyways, all I want to say, Americans are important to us, and so are Chinese: we bought a lot from China for raw materials and machinery: they do provide us with tools and materials so we can make stuff to sell to the world. Without China, Vietnam cannot be like today. And without American funding us, we will also have no money to buy stuff from China. Politically, I don’t agree with China’s hegemony on the East Sea of Vietnam, yes, tell me I’m a nationalist, but to be frank, Vietnam does realize how important the trade routes in the East Sea are; imagining one day China turns their back against us (like how they did for the last few thousand years), they block our trade routes, then boom, our economic collapse, right? Of course I put my own position as a Chinese person too; I know they need to secure the trade routes, they need to import oil and raw materials from Africa and Middle Eastern countries, so their economy can survive. But, I’m, right now, born as a Vietnamese, not Chinese; I have to think as a Vietnamese often thinks: we must protect our land, our people, our families, right?
So, to be fair, a bamboo diplomatic policy makes sense. Vietnam needs both China and the United States to thrive. So I believe we cannot just side with one and against another; it’s just harmful to do it that way. If one of these two countries forced us, it’s a difficult stance, but if I were the one who decided the fate of Vietnam, then I would choose whoever provides more benefits for us, not just now, but for 100 years ahead of time (of course if I have enough wisdom). But for my modest understanding of world geopolitics, China is thriving so fast, and they have like 1.4 billion people; a lot of brains there; they are the world alone by themselves. To be frank, I look at China and I think they are like a 2nd version of Europe. America is big too, but they are distant away, so if the United States really benefits us, they must have some kind of connection right here in Southeast Asia. I believe the connections are made via their alliances with Japan, Korea, and the Philippines; they have strong economic relations with Singapore too (right?), and these are important FDI trade partners with Vietnam. So I do think right now the US has huge leverage as well, just as much as China. So China, if they really want to gain full trust from Vietnam, they better build up business relations, somehow, one way or another. But for now, I would side with Americans. Don’t blame me; I just feel like I do business with Americans more, and I do feel like in the future, China alone is not better than all Japanese, Korean, Singaporean, and Filipino combined.
Last thing I want to mention, the US is degrading. I’ve been there around 2012 and stayed there for almost 2 years. I do have a certain impression of the US: the majority of people are obese, and there are a lot of homeless people. I do feel Americans need to adjust their mindset; they need to fix their society, and they also have racism and LGBT issues too. It’s a “woke” issue. I say this not because I hate the USA; I love it. I love their iPhone, their Hollywood movies, music, rocket ships, vaccines, and their entrepreneurs, and so on. But hey, I have huge faith that the US can become even greater than this. I believe if they can fix their “woke” issue, then they can be a better leader of the current world order. The current world order is benefiting everybody, including Vietnamese people, so I want them to become better, first by fixing their internal issues.
Vietnam is having its own issues too. Vietnam cannot just get low paychecks forever; they need to climb to higher ladders of income. They need to work in more complex fields and offshore those low labor jobs to countries that need jobs, like Bangladesh or African nations. I believe Vietnamese people can work in technology and science fields and provide more benefits to the world. Like, maybe we should not just make shoes but maybe produce an AI machine that can produce shoes? (That’s just an example of what I’m trying to convey).