English Reading Practice - 0013 Power vacuum

The fall of the Soviet Union has given Vietnam a practical usefulness to the U.S. that it never had during a war in which fifty-eight thousand American soldiers died. The Soviet Union's collapse has created a power vacuum in East Asia. The American withdrawal from the Philippines and the decrease of the U.S. military because of the end of the Cold War and economic troubles at home are also partially responsible for this power vacuum. This could be more of an illusion than reality because the U.S. still maintains both the air and naval capability to assert itself in East Asia. However, this illusion is very powerful and the Chinese have begun to perceive it. The Chinese are intent on filling the vacuum. In order to curb Chinese regional ambitions, the U.S. must strive to lift the economic embargo, open diplomatic relations, and support the cause of economic reform in Vietnam. The Vietnamese believe that the more involved American business is in Vietnam, the more China will be discouraged to invade them. The constant threat from and fear of China encourages the Vietnamese to make peace with the U.S.