Why did Ho use words from American Declaration of Independence when he declared the independence of Vietnam?

Question

Why did Ho use words from American Declaration of Independence when he declared the independence of Vietnam?

Answer 1

He didn't confide in me personally, but my guess would be that his purpose was the same as the authors of the first document.

The whole idea behind the Declaration of Independence was to make the case to the world that the United States had been mistreated by the King and therefore deserved to be left alone.  They hoped for the support of France, and failing that, their neutrality.  

I suspect that Vietnam wanted outside help against China, or at least to only have to fight China and not France, the US, and everyone else.

Answer 2

I wasn't aware that he did; but I wasn't aware that he was a fool either. What matters is what is best for the people - not who thought of it first, even if they happen to have been your enemy. The Western world adopted old age pensions regardless of the fact that they were first introduced by the old German warhorse Bismark.

Answer 3

He clearly saw a parallel and he hoped he would gain the sympathy of the American people, if not the French.

Answer 4

When Thomas Jefferson "wrote" the document, he took the words of John Locke, George Mason, and other writers and philosophers of the day.  He took their words for their power and eloquence.  For the same reasons, Ho Chi Min used the same words in Vietnam's declaration,  power and eloquence.