Vietnam Itself The Clear Winner In The Aborted Trump/Kim Summit

American expatriates living and working in Hanoi were celebrating the Trump/Kim summit in advance, but are now bitterly disappointed by the two leaders’ inability to compromise for world peace.

Both long and short-term US expatriates in Hanoi are disgruntled after Trump abruptly pulled the plug on the long-awaited second meet-up between the two controversial leaders. Hanoi’s authorities were eager to celebrate what was hoped to be a concrete step on the path to peace between the two Koreas and a minimal reduction in the threat of nuclear war, but the lights over the red carpet went out almost before the party started.

All Southeast Asian countries love the opportunity to showcase their images to the Western world and its assembled media, with Hanoi and its contingent of US expats no exception to the rule. Being selected as the host to the US/DPRK summit was seen as good fortune for the economically-booming country, with locals, expats and visitors alike festooning the streets and plazas with flags and blooming flowers as well as slogans and optimistic billboards. In reality, very few people, possibly including the organisers, had any idea how the meet between the two leaders would turn out, but the effort was made with flair. However, the majority of expats, it seems, had little in the way of expectations beyond the fact that Hanoi would benefit from being the number one choice for the event.

Hanoi is known as the City for Peace, following on the still-remembered horrors of the war, and with its administration doing its best to present a thriving, ultra-modern conurbation to its two famous, or even infamous, guests. The streets were swept clean and the military, the police, the anti-riot squad and other armed groups were stationed at crucial points on the route to the Metropole Hotel, the venue hosting the talks. Traffic chaos resulted, with onlookers both local and expatriate lining the sidewalks, and any faintly controversial activity was swiftly quashed.

It seemed as though the entire city was awaiting a miracle but, as the news of Trump’s walkout became known, one thing was certain – the only participants in this show to win hands down were Vietnam itself and its capital. However either leader represents the failure of the summit in future, Vietnam’s success as the most convincing and so far ,most successful of Southeast Asia’s developing countries is being blazoned across world media, with both its locals and its expats proud of its achievements to date