The Vietnamese top leader’s visit is of particular importance to the bilateral relationship. It’s the first state visit to New Zealand by a Vietnamese General Secretary and President in both capacities, and the first visit by a top Vietnamese leader since the two countries upgraded their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in February 2025.
A steady, substantive relationship
Over the past half century, Vietnam and New Zealand have built a resilient, substantive, and increasingly deep relationship. In 2025, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations, the two upgraded their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Mr. Lam's visit aims to turn political commitments into concrete results.
Vietnamese Ambassador to New Zealand Phan Minh Giang said: “The Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has opened a new era of cooperation between Vietnam and New Zealand. The key is implementing this new framework and translating political commitments into concrete actions that deliver substantive results and tangible benefits to the people of both countries. General Secretary and President To Lam's state visit to New Zealand is expected to create fresh momentum to elevate the Vietnam–New Zealand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the new era, in line with the potential and stature of both countries.”
The most notable aspect of this visit is its focus on "substantive results". A cooperation framework is only meaningful when it is translated into programs with tangible benefits for people, businesses and the economy. Vietnam and New Zealand have favorable conditions for doing so, given the complementarity between their two economies.
New Zealand has strengths in high-tech agriculture, education, applied science, and green development. Vietnam has a large market, a young workforce, increasingly strong production capacity, and deep integration into global supply chains. The two countries have set a target of raising bilateral trade to 3 billion USD this year.
With its strong growth and deeper international integration, Vietnam offers numerous opportunities for New Zealand businesses.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said during his visit to Vietnam in 2025: “This country is the rising star of Southeast Asia. It's been the fastest-growing economy in the region for the last 25 years, and will be for the next decade. That makes it one of the top export growth opportunities for New Zealand. And when we trade with countries like Vietnam, we're growing our economy at home, and of course, that means more jobs and higher incomes for Kiwis. Or in other words, that just simply means we're putting more money in your back pocket. And it means a bigger economy, which also means better schools and more hospitals."
Connecting people and knowledge for sustainable development
The most enduring values the two countries are building together are their people and knowledge. For decades, education has been one of the important bridges connecting Vietnam and New Zealand. As Vietnam enters a new stage of development and identifies science, technology, innovation, and high-quality human resources as key drivers of growth, cooperation in education, research, and knowledge connectivity is becoming increasingly important.
The overseas Vietnamese community represents significant untapped potential for cooperation. The Vietnamese community in New Zealand have knowledge, experience, international networks, and a deep understanding of the host country's development environment. If effectively connected and harnessed, they can make practical contributions to Vietnam's development.
Dr Vu Anh Dao, co-founder of the Vietnam–New Zealand Young Intellectuals Forum, said: “The greatest resource of the overseas Vietnamese community is their academic qualifications, research achievements, professional expertise, and their international networks and ability to connect Vietnam with developed ecosystems. They can contribute by sharing knowledge and experience with younger generations, connecting universities and businesses, conducting joint research projects, participating in technology transfer projects, and bringing best practices from other countries to Vietnam.”
General Secretary and President To Lam's visit is an opportunity to open a new chapter of cooperation between Vietnam and New Zealand. When political trust is transformed into a driving force for development, today's connections will create tomorrow's opportunities and tangible results.
