50 years after the Vietnam War

On GZERO World with Ian Bremmer speaks with Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen and historian Mai Elliott—two authors whose lives were shaped by the Vietnam War—to understand how one of the 20th century’s most devastating conflicts continues to shape the world today. “We were a community that had lost so much,” Nguyen, author of the bestselling novel "The Sympathizer," says of the Vietnamese refugee experience in the US. Elliott recalls the physical and emotional toll of the war she witnessed firsthand, “I didn’t care who won the war by the end of it—I just wanted it to stop.”

But the conversation also turns to Vietnam’s surprising present: a country that has become a regional success story, balancing its economic rise with geopolitical pragmatism. While welcoming US re-engagement, beginning in the 1990s, Vietnam remains cautious not to provoke China—its largest trade partner and historic rival. “If Vietnam gets too close to China, it could lose its country. Too close to the US, and it could lose its regime,” Elliott explains. Nguyen adds, “Vietnam is a country, not a war”—a reminder that the nation has moved forward, even if its history remains unresolved.

GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, the award-winning weekly global affairs series, airs nationwide on US public television stations (check local listings).

New digital episodes of GZERO World are released every Monday on YouTube. Don't miss an episode: subscribe to GZERO's YouTube channel and turn on notifications (🔔).GZERO World with Ian Bremmer airs on US public television weekly - check local listings.