And yet, today, the socialist republic of Vietnam is hardly a pariah, or a communist menace, or a backwater or a threat to anyone.
If it turns out that Afghanistan has substantial mineral resources, as some claim, that could happen to Afghanistan. With substantial help from China.
Perhaps China will build a road and rail link to Afghanistan. There's a narrow corridor that connects the two nations. No roads. No rail. Mountains. But it's a shortcut for the Belt and Road Initiative, so it might happen.