Vietnam steps up efforts to harness overseas Vietnamese for national development

HANOI TIMES — Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has called for stronger protection of the legitimate rights and interests of overseas Vietnamese, while urging the development of more effective connection channels to better harness the community’s role in national development.

Chinh was speaking at a national conference in Hanoi on December 25, which reviewed the implementation of Resolution 36, the Party’s first comprehensive strategic document on overseas Vietnamese affairs issued in 2004.

Addressing more than 400 delegates at the plenary session, which was livestreamed to 98 Vietnamese representative missions abroad, the Prime Minister said policies and legal frameworks related to overseas Vietnamese affairs should be refined to better align with the community’s aspirations and practical contributions.

The Prime Minister also called for the expansion and diversification of programs connecting overseas Vietnamese, alongside the establishment of specialised networks and community databases in areas such as science and technology, business, culture, the Vietnamese language and legal expertise.

In addition, the Prime Minister suggested developing dedicated information channels on investment and promoting the role of overseas Vietnamese in linking capital flows into Vietnam.

"Efforts should also focus on building production and supply chains for “Make in Vietnam” and “Made by Vietnam” products with the participation of overseas Vietnamese," said Chinh.

At the same time, he said the government must continue strengthening citizen protection efforts, safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of overseas Vietnamese and Vietnamese citizens abroad, particularly in regions affected by conflict or natural disasters.

Efforts made and outcomes

Reviewing recent progress, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh noted that the Party and the State have shifted their mindset and approach to better utilise overseas Vietnamese as a valuable resource for national development, with Resolution 36 serving as a key guiding framework.

A wide range of activities connecting overseas Vietnamese with the homeland have been organized, including the “Spring in the Homeland” program, the Hung Kings Commemoration Day, overseas Vietnamese youth summer camps and visits to major national sites such as the Spratly Islands and the DK1 offshore platforms.

According to the Prime Minister, overseas Vietnamese from 35 countries and territories have invested in 457 projects in Vietnam, with total registered capital reaching US$1.729 billion across 26 of the country’s 34 provinces and centrally governed cities.

Efforts to preserve and promote Vietnamese cultural values, particularly the Vietnamese language, have also been intensified within overseas communities. Notably, September 8 has been designated as Vietnamese Language Honouring Day each year.

“The overseas Vietnamese community has grown rapidly in size, strengthened in quality and maintained close ties with the homeland,” said Chinh.

He praised the community’s wide-ranging contributions across political, economic, scientific and technological, cultural, social, external affairs and national image promotion fields.

At the conference, delegates shared views on measures to better mobilize overseas Vietnamese resources, particularly the contributions of experts and intellectuals in science and technology, innovation and digital transformation.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung highlighted the achievements in overseas Vietnamese affairs in recent years, saying they demonstrate the strength of the great national unity bloc.

He affirmed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to implement the directives of the Party and the Government, while closely coordinating with ministries, sectors, local authorities and overseas Vietnamese communities.

"We will also renew its implementation methods to further promote the role, potential and significant contributions of overseas Vietnamese to national construction and defence, while enhancing Vietnam’s standing and prestige in the international arena," said Trung.

According to the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, the overseas Vietnamese population has increased from about 2.7 million people living in nearly 90 countries and territories in 2004 to nearly 6.5 million across more than 130 countries and territories today.

Around 80% now reside in developed countries, where their role and standing are increasingly recognized at both local and international levels.