On the coattails of the rise of Mikhail Gorbachev, Nguyen Van Linh was elected cheif of the Vietnamese Communist Party with a mandate to experiment with capitalist-style economic reforms. Like Gorbachev, Linh and his fellow reformers are encountering resistance from among party conservatives, slowing the pace of reform.

Yet, in spite of the slow pace, there is evidence of dramatic change in today's Vietnam. Men who were enemies during the war are meeting, even embracing. Customs officials smile as they go about their excruciating luggage checks. The majority of political prisoners have been...