Two weeks ago, Communist Party General Secretary Do Muoi implored a Time-sponsored group of visiting U.S. business executives to help train the Vietnamese. Yet foreigners are finding it increasingly difficult to work in Vietnam.
Tales are rampant of spot police interrogations and visa cancellations.
In just five years, the country has thrown itself into one of the most remarkable transformations in modern history. Investors are flocking, despite the country's reputation for corruption and inefficiency. That, however, was about when things started turning sour. The government thinks they can do anything they want now, and they are missing the reality. The reality is that Vietnam's politics are way behind its new economic and diplomatic station.