On the evening of September 17th (local time), immediately after his plane landed at San Francisco International Airport, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had his first activity in the US: meeting with the Vietnamese community there.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chose not to read a prepared speech but instead quoted US President Joe Biden during his visit to Vietnam last weekend, saying that "the Vietnamese American community is one of the most successful, dynamic, and creative communities in America." The Prime Minister sincerely expressed: "We are proud to have our elders, brothers, sisters, and children contributing to the development of relations between Vietnam and the United States in recent years." He added: "I hope our compatriots will unite to achieve even greater success."
Overseas Vietnamese want to contribute more.
The opinions expressed by Vietnamese expatriates in the US, from Professor Phan Man, Dr. Hung Tran, to the President of the Vietnamese Youth and Student Association in the US, To Dieu Lien, etc., all expressed a desire to connect the Vietnamese community in the US and contribute more to the development of Vietnam.
Having spent many years researching and observing Vietnam-US relations, Professor Phan Manh is particularly excited about the success of the two countries' relationship, which has developed positively in recent years, from former enemies to partners, and then to comprehensive strategic partners. "The leaders of the two countries have drawn closer together; Vietnam and the US have sat down together to discuss mutual development. So, can Vietnamese expatriates in the US in particular, and in countries around the world in general, draw closer together in brotherhood and neighborly relations to talk about a prosperous and civilized Vietnam?" Professor Phan Manh pondered the need for reconciliation and harmony.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Vietnamese expatriates in the US, immediately after arriving in San Francisco.
VNA
To Dieu Lien, President of the Vietnamese Youth and Student Association in the US, expressed her wish that young Vietnamese communities in the US could connect to create a common strength "not only to help each other in studies and life but also to contribute more to the country."
Dr. Hung Tran, a Silicon Valley tech expert, is eager for Vietnam to capitalize on the improved relationship with the US to build a digital economy. "There's a question: how can we take advantage of such an opportunity?" Dr. Hung asks, and then answers himself: "The key is to build a high-quality workforce." Leveraging his strength as a major tech company in Silicon Valley, Dr. Hung Tran says he is willing to collaborate with domestic companies and authorities to train a high-quality tech workforce for Vietnam.
Elevating relationships opens up opportunities for cooperation.
In his exchange with overseas Vietnamese, the Prime Minister emphasized the significant importance of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Joe Biden's announcement to upgrade Vietnam-US relations to develop on all three levels: bilateral, regional, and international, after nearly 30 years of normalization and 10 years of establishing a comprehensive partnership. In particular, the economy, trade, and investment continue to be a bright spot and driving force of bilateral relations, with two-way trade reaching over $123 billion in 2022. Cooperation between the two countries in science and technology, education and training, security and defense, addressing the consequences of war, responding to climate change, and people-to-people exchanges continues to achieve significant progress.
The Prime Minister stated: "We hope that both sides will create breakthroughs in cooperation in science and technology, innovation, and education and training; and at the same time, further promote efforts to combat climate change, promote green growth, and develop renewable energy." According to the Prime Minister, the content of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is not only based on the needs and potential of the two countries but also on the potential and strengths of the Vietnamese community in the US, aiming to further enhance the community's role and contribute to nurturing and developing the increasingly deep relationship between the two countries.
The Vietnamese community in the United States in general, and on the West Coast in particular, possesses significant strengths in science, technology, and innovation, with tens of thousands of engineers and experts in various fields. The Vietnamese American community is one of the most successful, dynamic, and innovative communities in the United States. Over the years, they have made important contributions to the economy, trade, investment, and scientific and technological development in Vietnam.
Overseas Vietnamese still have a lot of potential.
"However, the community still has a lot of potential. I hope that in the future, the Vietnamese business community, intellectuals, and scientists in the US will continue to support the country's development, with concrete projects and deeper cooperation, with new thinking and truly groundbreaking approaches, especially by leveraging the support and commitment of the US in assisting Vietnam."
According to the Prime Minister, the Vietnamese diaspora community in general is growing in number and expanding geographically, with approximately 6 million people in more than 130 countries and territories, including many experts and intellectuals. The role, position, and prestige of the Vietnamese community abroad in their host societies continue to be strengthened and enhanced. Many Vietnamese-born politicians are increasing their influence in their host countries' political arenas, contributing their voices to protect the rights and interests and better meet the increasingly diverse needs of the community in their host societies, while also contributing to raising the community's position and role. Many Vietnamese experts and intellectuals have formed innovation networks in their host countries and are actively working back in Vietnam, with many initiatives and activities in high-tech and innovative fields contributing to the country on urgent and long-term issues.
According to the Prime Minister, overseas Vietnamese have so far invested in 385 projects in Vietnam with a total registered capital of over 1.7 billion USD and contributed capital to thousands of businesses in Vietnam. Remittances to the country are substantial, equivalent to 7% of GDP, continue to increase annually, and are an invaluable resource for the economy.
The Prime Minister highly appreciated the continued growth and strength of the Vietnamese community in the United States, with approximately 2.2 million people, making it the largest Vietnamese community in the world. Of these, over 1 million are located on the West Coast, including 700,000 in San Francisco. An increasing number of Vietnamese are achieving success in the fields of economics, science, technology, and education. Vietnamese professionals and intellectuals in the US account for about half of the total number of Vietnamese professionals and intellectuals abroad worldwide. Currently, there are approximately 170,000 Vietnamese-American entrepreneurs in the US.
The Prime Minister also informed overseas Vietnamese about the significant and comprehensive economic achievements in the country across many sectors. The macroeconomic situation is fundamentally stable, inflation is under control, growth is being promoted, and major balances are being ensured. In 2022, total GDP reached US$409 billion, with growth exceeding 8%, the highest rate in the period from 2011 to 2022; FDI reached approximately US$22.4 billion, the highest in the past five years; total import and export turnover reached a record high of over US$732 billion, with a trade surplus of over US$11 billion; and the number of tourists visiting Vietnam reached 3.7 million, more than 20 times higher than in 2021. In the first nine months of 2023, the socio-economic situation continued to show many positive signs across various sectors, with results showing "each month better than the previous month, each quarter better than the previous quarter".
Many activities in San Francisco
On September 18th (local time), Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is scheduled to have eight consecutive activities in San Francisco: working with representatives of prominent Vietnamese-American businesses in San Francisco; attending the Vietnam-US Business Forum on cooperation in technology and innovation; visiting the University of San Francisco; receiving a delegation of politicians and businesspeople from Oregon; and receiving a delegation of politicians from San Francisco and the Bay Area. Following this, the Prime Minister will visit the semiconductor chip manufacturer NVIDIA, Synopsys, and META. That evening, the Prime Minister will leave San Francisco for Washington D.C.
Thanhnien.vn
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