▁the ▁Army ▁Douglas ▁Mac Ar thur ▁to ▁bring ▁as ▁many ▁soldiers ▁as ▁possible . ▁He ▁broke ▁the ▁V iet min h ▁block ade ▁around ▁Sa ig on , ▁then ▁drove ▁through ▁the ▁M ek ong ▁delta ▁and ▁up ▁into ▁the ▁Central ▁High lands . ▁This ▁was ▁possible ▁because ▁Ho ▁fe ared ▁Chinese ▁dom ination ▁far ▁more ▁than ▁French ▁colonial ism , ▁which ▁he ▁perce ived ▁to ▁be ▁in ▁decl ine . ▁Ho ' s ▁first ▁priority ▁was ▁getting ▁rid ▁of ▁the ▁Chinese , ▁and ▁for ▁this ▁he ▁needed ▁French ▁help . ▁L ec ler c ▁quickly ▁perce ived ▁the ▁necessity ▁for ▁a ▁political ▁solution ▁to ▁the ▁conflict . ▁ ▁The ▁French ▁government ▁negoti ator ▁Jean ▁Sain ten y ▁fle w ▁to ▁Sa ig on ▁to ▁consult ▁L ec ler c , ▁who ▁was ▁acting ▁as ▁high ▁commission er ▁in ▁the ▁absence ▁of ▁d ' Ar gen lie u . ▁L ec ler c ▁approved ▁Sain ten y ' s ▁proposal ▁to ▁negoti ate ▁with ▁Ho ▁because ▁he ▁preferred ▁a ▁diplom atic ▁solution ▁to ▁a ▁larger ▁conflict , ▁but ▁he ▁still ▁dispatch ed ▁a ▁fl ot illa ▁with ▁ship loads ▁of ▁French ▁soldiers ▁to ▁northern ▁Vietnam ▁ready ▁to ▁attack ▁if ▁the ▁tal ks ▁failed . ▁At ▁that ▁time , ▁Ho ▁felt ▁that ▁negoti ations ▁with ▁the ▁French ▁constit uted ▁his ▁best ▁option ▁because ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁had ▁not ▁yet ▁end ors ed ▁the ▁V iet min h ▁or ▁the ▁Vietnam ese ▁national ist ▁party ▁( V N Q DD ), ▁and ▁the ▁French ▁Commun