According to the article, in his address at the celebration, Party General Secretary To Lam highlighted the importance of reforming the country.

The article published on Nikkei Asia.

The article reported Lam’s calling on Vietnamese people to build upon the spirit of the great victory in the spring of 1975, and the values and triumphs over the past 40 years under 'Doi Moi' (renewal) to reap greater triumphs and forge new miracles in the new era.

Describing the atmosphere of the celebrations, Nikkei Asia said that hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese slept on the streets overnight in Ho Chi Minh City to watch the celebrations and greet the 13,000 soldiers and police, among others, who marched across the southern city on April 30.

Speaking to the newspaper, 24-year-old Nguyen Hoang Quan, who traveled to Ho Chi Minh City for the first time the night before the parade, said that he felt the nation's pride, seeing the culture and modern weapons presented.

He was also impressed to seeing people clean up trash afterward to protect the environment. Quan said he was tired, but the celebration met his expectations.

Nikkei Asia also asked Duong Tho Hung, 69, a veteran from northern Bac Ninh province. Hung said that he and his comrades camped on the street the night before the ceremony.

"It was amazing. We stayed up the whole night as we were excited to see the parade. And it was beautiful," Hung told Nikkei Asia reporter.

Meanwhile, 24-year-old Nguyen Ha Chi, who works in Ho Chi Minh City, said that young people like her felt slightly pressured after hearing Lam’s speech.

"But I think that is also our responsibility. And we are trying to improve ourselves so we can grow and meet [our leaders'] expectations," Chi said.

Nikkei Asia reviewed Vietnam's heroic history of fighting for independence and commented on the country's strong economic rise.

The Japanese newspaper emphasised that from the once war-torn country is now among the world's fastest-growing economies, buoyed by a population of 100 million, along with strong manufacturing and exports. The Vietnamese government has set an economic growth target of around 8% for 2025 and wants to push it above 10% in the future.

The Southeast Asian nation has undertaken sweeping regulatory reforms, merging ministries as well as provinces. This "second round of Doi Moi" follows on from the original programme initiated in 1986 that transformed a previously closed economy into a more market-oriented one.

Major General Nguyen Duc Huy, who entered Saigon with the victorious northern troops on April 30, 1975, also expressed his pride over the development of Vietnam.

“It's a whole different world from 50 years ago. How the country has developed was beyond my imagination," said Huy.

At the aged of 95, Huy said that every year, he visits the tombs of his fallen comrades.

“If they can see the country today, they must feel overjoyed that their sacrifice has paid off," Huy said.

Nikkei Asia also mentioned that for the first time, a delegation of Vietnamese from abroad attended a parade celebrating the events 50 years ago.

In his address at the celebration on April 30, Party General Secretary To Lam called for "closing the past, respecting differences, and looking forward to the future", Nikkei Asia reported.

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