50 years of ‘Dien Bien Phu in the air’ victory celebrated in Hanoi

In the 12 days and nights of fierce fights in Hanoi in late December 1972 against the US air force, the Vietnamese army and people defeated US airstrikes in the North, shooting down 81 aircraft of all kinds, including 34 B-52 strategic bombers, forcing the US to sign the Paris Agreement on ending the war and restoring peace in Vietnam (Paris Peace Accords) in January 1973.

This triumph is also called the “Dien Bien Phu in the air” victory, which took the name from the resounding victory of the Dien Bien Phu Campaign in 1954 that put an end to the French colonial rule over Indochina.

In his opening speech at the ceremony, Dinh Tien Dung, secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, described the victory as one of the most glorious feats, the great epic of the 20th century that demonstrates the bravery, intelligence and revolutionary heroism in Vietnam.

It is a victory of profound historical and epochal significance, making a very important contribution to bringing the resistance war against the US for national salvation to complete victory, he stressed.

According to Dung, over the years Vietnam has secured the highest economic growth in Southeast Asia, and it is one of few countries with high growth in the world. By the end of 2022, the national economy is valued at nearly US$400 billion, with GDP per capital reaching more than US$4,000. Its trade turnover is projected to fetch US$750 billion, belonging to the list of 20 leading economies with the largest trade.  

As the capital of Vietnam, Hanoi is determined to expand international cooperation and integration, striving to develop on par with the capitals of developed countries in the region by 2030, and with the capitals of developed countries in the world by 2045, said Dung.