Later, as a young diplomat, he was the first man to receive Henry Kissinger in Vietnam after the signing of the Paris Peace Accords. As the two men reminded their audience, their work has been made more difficult by the long and bitter memory of most Americans toward the war. For decades the issue of accounting for U.S. prisoners of war and for soldiers missing in action has precluded relations between the two countries. For now, Vietnam has more to gain from this new relationship than does the United States. Peterson added that attracting U.S. businesses has become such a strong desire in Vietnam that as he travels the country his past is never mentioned.
Investment always is.
Both ambassadors cautioned that, despite the new era of good feeling between the two countries, serious obstacles remain. The country is weak in management expertise, and the judicial system is not very good. And Vietnam does not yet enjoy Most Favored Nation status, mostly because the Administration cannot certify that the country has free immigration. Because of this, if you make a widget in Vietnam, you can't send it to the United States, the biggest consumer in the world. Nevertheless, Ford now makes vehicles in Vietnam, and more than 500 U.S. companies are doing business there for markets outside the United States.