Vietnam mounted its biggest-ever celebration of the fall of Saigon on its 50th anniversary Wednesday, including Chinese troops for the first time after Xi Jinping visited to portray Beijing as a more reliable partner than Washington.

When the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon fell to the North Vietnamese forces 50 years ago this week, it prompted a mass exodus of some 2 million people — hundreds of thousands fleeing perilously on small boats across open water to escape the communist regime.

Ho Chi Minh City lined its streets with flags and posters on Tuesday (April 29) as it prepared to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam war when North Vietnamese tanks burst through the gates of the presidential palace and Communist forces took control of the city.