I have learned that VAFI (Vietnam Advanced Filtration Inc) (or AFI for short) is a Vietnamese company (that makes Premium Guard, Valvoline, and a bunch of autostores housebrand filters). VAFI has manufacturing factories in Vietnam & China.
Link to VAFI
I've got no beef with Vietnam. The Vietnam/USA undeclared war was a long time ago. The Vietnamese want to repair relations with USA. In the years after the Vietnam/USA war, China invaded Vietnam and there was a Vietnam/China undeclared war that lasted several years. The Chinese could not defeat Vietnam and eventually the Chinese gave up and went home. The Vietnamese have been invaded by Mongols, France, Japan, USA, Russia, and China. Vietnam is the only nation on earth that's been invaded by multiple superpowers over last 600 years and never been defeated in the longterm by anyone. That's worthy of respect, IMO.
Vietnam's undeclared war with China (which Vietnam won) is more recent than the war between V & USA. The Vietnames civilians and gov like and trust the USA a lot more than China.
Due to politics & economics, Vietnam is now a competitor to China and is trying to become a friend to USA. It's likely that eventually VAFI will make all its filters in Vietnam and none in China because Viet/Chinese relations are souring again as Viet becomes closer to USA. Part of that is Vietnam knows China wants to take over Asia and knows the USA cab be a powerful trading partner and that the USA might become a military ally to help them resist China.
Vietnam has become a USA trading partner and is migrating towards being an ally against China. The Vietnamese have no bad intentions towards USA and haven't for decades. China on the other hand, is a growing enemy of Vietnam, South Korea, Asia in general, and of the USA.
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Pentius appears to me to be a USA & South Korean venture.
http://pentiusautoparts.com/about/