In an increasingly interconnected world, Vietnam regards internal strength as the foundation for maintaining autonomy and external resources as a lever to generate additional momentum. Foreign affairs serve as a bridge to channel these resources into national development, expand Vietnam’s development space, and raise its global status.
Domestic strength as the foundation, external resources as the lever, foreign affairs as the bridge
After 40 years of renewal, Vietnam has built a solid socio-economic foundation, enhanced its global position, and expanded its network of foreign relations.
Former Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh said: “After 40 years of renewal, Vietnam has reached a relatively high level of development and ranks among the fastest growing economies. Vietnam’s economy has improved, the country’s status has been elevated, and Vietnam’s foreign affairs have become more proactive. This has helped Vietnam seize external opportunities.”
But external resources can become a driving force only when the economy is strong enough to absorb and use them. Integration today is not just about attracting investment and expanding markets. Now it’s about gaining access to knowledge, technology, talent, and management experience.
General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President To Lam told the 33rd Diplomatic Conference in early August that “external opportunities can only become resources when there is sufficient capacity at home to harness them. Diplomacy should seek capital, knowledge, talent, and good practices, and bring appropriate knowledge and technology home."
"Foreign affairs should not be measured by the number of visits, meetings, or documents signed, but by whether the peaceful environment has been strengthened; whether national interests have been protected; whether relations with partners have been enhanced; which commitments have been fulfilled; which bottlenecks have been removed; which resources have been brought into the country; and whether the people and businesses are being better served," Mr. Lam said.
More important than how much capital is attracted or how many agreements are signed is how external resources improve productivity, competitiveness, technological capacity, and the quality of domestic human resources.
“In the context of global uncertainty, a country can only maintain a firm position when it has both domestic strength and the ability to turn external opportunities into a driving force for development. Vietnam needs to strengthen its national capabilities as the foundation. We need to strengthen the economy and improve productivity, technological capacity, innovation, and the quality of human resources. A country can only be self-determined when it has a strong economy and strong competitiveness,” according to former Ambassador to the Middle East Nguyen Quang Khai.
Translating resources into projects and benefits
In science, technology, and innovation, international cooperation can give Vietnam faster access to technological advances. Gonzalo Serrano de la Rosa, Deputy Head of Cooperation for the EU Delegation to Vietnam, said: “Vietnam is attaching so much importance at their current level of development to investing in research and innovation. There is a recent resolution by the Politburo that directs the country to invest 3% of GDP into research and innovation. This is very important because ideas and innovation are what are going to be the source of competitiveness for the country in the future."
"We will have a visit with startups in Vietnam that are being funded by Europe, but also developing plans with the Ministry of Science and Technology to reinforce our cooperation in this domain and to maximize the potential for participation of Vietnam."
Autonomy within the context of integration entails the capacity to select, adopt, and master the best external resources. The stronger one's internal strength, the more effectively external resources can be attracted and utilized. In turn, effectively assimilated external resources further enrich that internal strength. This is a mutually reinforcing process in which external engagement plays a connecting role, channeling international resources to serve domestic development goals.
When internal strength, external resources, and foreign affairs are leveraged in unison, Vietnam transforms opportunities into resources and capabilities, to confidently enter a new era.
