FILE - In this Nov. 11, 2017, file photo, U.S. President Donald Trump makes his way to a plenary session at the APEC Summit in Danang, Vietnam. Trump said Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2019 that he will hold a two-day summit with North Korea leader Kim Jong Un Feb. 27-28 in Vietnam to continue his efforts to persuade Kim to give up his nuclear weapons. As a single-party communist state, Vietnam boasts tight political control and an efficient security apparatus, and successfully hosted the APEC meetings in 2017, and the regional edition of the high-powered World Economic Forum in 2018, both in the central coastal city of Danang. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP, File)
America's past military involvement in Vietnam, whether it's seen as tragic or noble, provides a historically dramatic stage for Trump to again draw attention to his foreign policy accomplishments.
As a single-party communist state, Vietnam boasts tight political control and an efficient security apparatus, and successfully hosted the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings in the central coastal city of Da Nang and the regional edition of the World Economic Forum last year in the capital, Hanoi.
"Like Singapore, where they met last time, Vietnam is a very secure place," said Murray Hiebert, senior associate of the Southeast Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. "Vietnam's security police are able to keep away crowds of the curious and keep journalists in designated areas."
Trump's attendance at the 2017 APEC meeting means "he's familiar with the country and has good rapport with its leaders," Hiebert said.
