The New York Times reported on Tuesday that Washington told its senior diplomats in Vietnam not to participate in events related to the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War.



April 30th marks the anniversary, as well as the 100th day of US President Donald Trump's second term. The newspaper said some US officials speculate the directive came out of fear that the events may highlight America's defeat and draw attention away from the administration's milestone.



Vietnam's foreign ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang said on Thursday that she has not been briefed on the accuracy of the report.



She stressed the significance of the events by saying the anniversary is an occasion to honor the immortal values of forgiveness and peace, as well as the spirit of putting aside the past and striving toward the future.



A diplomatic source told NHK that US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper has asked the White House to reconsider the directive. July marks 30 years since the normalization of US-Vietnam diplomatic relations.