Overseas Vietnamese aid welcomed

Overseas Vietnamese, once shunned, are now welcomed with open arms when they return to Vietnam, reports Bill Bainbridge of the International Herald Tribune. Twenty years ago, Vietnamese hid their relationship with relatives living abroad, and overseas Vietnamese remittances to Vietnam amounted to the mere thousands. Now their remittances outstrip foreign direct investment and Vietnam’s annual development aid. Last year, they came to $3.8 billion, up 23% from $3.1 billion the previous year. (International Herald Tribune, April 18).