during the reception hosted at the US Department of State to welcome General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong six years ago.

In 2000, during the reception at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi, hosted by then President Tran Duc Luong, then US President Bill Clinton delivered his remarks to thank the Vietnamese government for their warm welcome. He also quoted two sentences from “The Tale of Kieu”:

“Sen tàn cúc lại nở hoa

Sầu dài ngày ngắn, Đông đà sang Xuân”

(Just as the lotus wilts, the daisy blooms forth.

Time softens grief, and the winter turns to spring).

The lotus is traditionally understood as a symbol of summer. Similarly, the daisy represents fall. By referring to a verse describing cyclical change and renewal, implying that time softens grief, Clinton offered a message of hope for such renewal to occur between the US and Vietnam, from former foes to close friends.

Without a lengthy speech, he only used a few sentences in “The Tales of Kieu” by Nguyen Du to talk about the relations between the two countries. That’s great!

The Vietnam-US relationship was actually established by President Ho Chi Minh 70 years ago. Ideological difference hindered the two countries from holding opportunities to shake hands with each other, even causing pain and suffering for the two peoples. But the Vietnam war gave birth to a student who was strongly opposed to the war. That was Bill Clinton.

Time softens grief, and the winter turns to spring

Therefore, it is no coincidence that when becoming the US President, one of the important tasks that he did was to lift the embargo and normalize relations with Vietnam.

US President Bill Clinton shakes hands with Hanoians in 2000.

That‘s why the 42nd President of the United States quoted two sentences of The Tales of Kieu to describe in a gentle, easy to understand, but deep cultural way about the Vietnam - US relationship.

“Just as the lotus wilts, the daisy blooms forth.
Time softens grief, and the winter turns to spring”

The Vietnamese were very surprised and excited to hear the US President quoting “The Tales of Kieu”. The US President chose culture to convey an important message about the relationship between the two countries at that time.

He stated: “We are honored to join you in writing a new chapter in the relationship between the United States and Vietnam, and grateful that this chapter has a happy beginning. Yes, the history we leave behind is painful and hard. We must not forget it, but we must not be controlled by it. The past is only what precedes the future, not what determines it.”

After 26 years of normalization, from two enemies in the past, Vietnam and the US have established a comprehensive partnership. It is an unexpected success, consistent with the trend of peace and cooperation of the era.

In fact, the development of the Vietnam-US relationship is getting better and better, because it has been built and challenged over a long process, by conscientious leaders.

To see the sun through parting fog and clouds

Once again, culture was used to express the results of diplomatic relations as well as the prospect of comprehensive cooperation and partnership between the two countries, exactly like the two sentences of “The Tales of Kieu” quoted by then US Vice President Joe Biden in 2015:

“Trời còn để đến hôm nay
Tan sương đầu ngõ vén mây giữa trời”
(Thank heaven we are here today
To see the sun through parting fog and clouds)

Now, Mr. Joe Biden - a veteran politician - has fulfilled his aspiration to sit in the most powerful chair in America as the new US president.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and then Vice President Joe Biden at a reception hosted at the US Department of State to welcome Mr. Trong six years ago.

His victory over Donald Trump was dramatic, “unique” in American history. The handover of power between him and Mr. Trump was also a very special one. But in the end, Joe Biden was elected the 46th President of the United States of America.

General Secretary, State President Nguyen Phu Trong and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc sent a congratulatory message to Mr. Biden, expressing "the trust that the President and the new US government will achieve with many new successes for the prosperous and happy development of the country and the American people, contributing positively to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the world".

The fog has disappeared. It is expected that US President Joe Biden will always be a friend of the country and people of Vietnam.

Let’s "clear clouds" to brighten the sky, so that with the foundation of the Vietnam-US relations that has been built and nurtured over the past 26 years, bilateral ties will continue to be developed and deepened, and be effective and sustainable, striving towards human happiness, so that culture is always the foundation to override differences, creating a world of peace, cooperation and development in the future!

Luu Huong

US Ambassador describes his addiction to banh chung and four Tet holidays in VN

“I really love the Tet season,” US Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel J. Kritenbrink told VietNamNet in an interview on the occasion of the lunar New Year (Tet).