Vietnam's choices in a volatile, strategically competitive world

On the afternoon of May 11 (local time), in Washington, DC, the United States, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited and delivered an important speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), ahead of the ASEAN-US Special Summit.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in the United States. Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

"Sincerity, trust and responsibility for a better world"

In his speech with the theme "Sincerity, trust and responsibility for a better world", Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh recalled that 77 years ago, the great President Ho Chi Minh, a national hero and world cultural celebrity, opened the Declaration of Independence with the immortal truth: "All men are created equal. They are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". This is also the spirit of the 1776 Declaration of Independence of the United States and demonstrates the sharing of common, universal values, not only of our two countries but of all humanity.

We are very pleased to witness the remarkable development of the Vietnam-US relationship after nearly three decades of normalization. That relationship has "blossomed" with the efforts of both sides with sincerity, trust and responsibility, with sympathy, sharing and mutual respect to achieve the goals that the two countries, two nations and peoples desire and aspire to. The two sides have overcome differences and achieved the fundamental principles for the bilateral relationship, as affirmed in the Vietnam-US Joint Vision Statement when General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong officially visited the United States in 2015, which emphasized respect for "each other's political institutions, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity".

In a letter to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in 2021, President Joe Biden emphasized: "The strong and vibrant comprehensive partnership that our two countries have been building together is based on the foundation of mutual respect, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Vietnam highly appreciates the United States' support for a strong and independent Vietnam over the years. In the 27 years since the two countries normalized relations, four consecutive US Presidents have visited Vietnam and left a good impression on the people of both countries.

Since the beginning of President Joe Biden's term, many high-ranking US officials have visited Vietnam during the difficult time of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, including Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. In November 2021, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and President Joe Biden met at COP26.

Delegates from Vietnam and the United States listen to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

With the desire to emphasize sincerity, trust and responsibility for a better world, the Prime Minister shared about 3 major contents.

One is Vietnam's view of the world today;

Second, the role of sincerity, trust and responsibility in today's volatile world;

Third, what do we need to do to demonstrate sincerity, increase trust and responsibility, for a better world?

No single country can solve all problems.

According to the Prime Minister, entering the third decade of the 21st century, peace, cooperation and development are still the ardent aspirations of the people of the world, but we are facing what can be said to be the most difficult time since the Cold War. Globalization, international economic integration, and the world economy are facing new development opportunities, especially with the achievements of the fourth industrial revolution.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical and geo-economic shifts, and strategic competition among major countries are creating turning points in the world situation with many unpredictable factors, multi-dimensional impacts on the security and development environment of countries, with advantages, opportunities, difficulties and challenges intertwined.

Just a few years ago, few people could have imagined that over 6 million people would die from the COVID-19 pandemic, and few could have imagined that conflict would occur in the heart of Europe, causing huge consequences for the global security, politics, economy, and society.

"It can be said that the world is generally peaceful - there is still war in some areas; generally peaceful - there is still tension in some areas; generally stable - there is still conflict in some areas. Therefore, the risk of war and political instability is increasing, and the world economy is facing many risks. Meanwhile, competition and confrontation are leading to separation in politics, security and economy," said the Prime Minister.

In addition, traditional and non-traditional security challenges such as climate change, natural disasters, resource depletion, energy security, water security, food security, human security, cyber security, etc. continue to develop complicatedly, seriously affecting countries and efforts to realize the United Nations' sustainable development goals by 2030.

We need to fully perceive both the opportunities, advantages and challenges, difficulties for peace, cooperation and development in a world that is changing rapidly, in which the challenges and difficulties seem to be emerging more and more, requiring us to make cooperative efforts to handle them effectively.

The Prime Minister talks with the US Ambassador and leaders of the US Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

The Prime Minister affirmed that peace, security and development are organically linked. The peace, security and development of a country have an impact on neighboring countries, the region and the world. The interests of each country and nation need to be in harmony and respect the legitimate and legal national and ethnic interests of other countries on the basis of international law and the United Nations Charter.

Along with that, international cooperation is an inevitable trend to jointly preserve peace, promote development and friendship among countries; no single country, no matter how big and powerful, can solve all problems, especially global problems, but requires cooperation from other countries, the international community and people. Solving global problems requires a global approach, international solidarity and cooperation, promoting multilateralism, for example, preventing and fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, responding to climate change, environmental pollution, resource depletion, etc.

According to the Prime Minister, all countries and peoples wish for a better world, for a peaceful and happy life for every citizen. Therefore, it is necessary to pay special attention to the human factor, considering people as the center, the subject, and at the same time the goal and the driving force for development; all cooperation and partnership in international integration are oriented towards people. Solving problems of the whole people must have a whole-people approach; all policies must be aimed at the people; encourage creativity and call for cooperation from all people.

The Prime Minister also emphasized: International integration is an objective trend. However, in integration, each country must take internal strength as the fundamental, strategic, long-term, and decisive factor, and external strength as an important, necessary, regular, and breakthrough factor. In other words, it is necessary to know how to mobilize national strength in combination with the strength of the times in an appropriate and effective manner.

More than ever, we need to promote building and strengthening sincerity and trust.

According to the Prime Minister, sincerity, trust and responsibility play a particularly important role in solving the problems facing the world today. The lack of sincerity, trust and responsibility is one of the causes of tension and conflict in many regions. Lack of sincerity and trust is a serious obstacle to bilateral cooperation between countries as well as cooperation in dealing with regional and global challenges.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh: Solving national issues requires a national approach; all policies must be aimed at the people; encourage creativity and call for cooperation from all people. Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

Therefore, more than ever, we need to promote the building and strengthening of sincerity and trust among nations. At the same time, each nation needs to act responsibly, first of all by complying with its own commitments, complying with international law, the United Nations Charter, respecting each other's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, respecting the political regime that each nation has chosen and supported by the people, and contributing to the common work of the international community according to its own capabilities and strength. We need to promote dialogue to better understand each other, contributing to resolving disagreements and conflicts among nations.

Dialogue, equal cooperation, mutual benefit on the basis of mutual respect is one of the most effective ways to solve problems between countries as well as to build a better world. In the face of complex and unpredictable changes in the world, we need to think seriously and responsibly, not to let this main method be broken for any reason. Only with full sincerity, trust and responsibility can countries together solve the problems in a practical and effective way.

The Prime Minister stated that ASEAN is a shining example of the value of sincerity, trust and responsibility in contributing to solving regional and global issues. Located between the Pacific and Indian Oceans, ASEAN has been striving to affirm its central role in the evolving regional structure and join hands in building the ASEAN Community according to the Vision to 2025.

On the common foundation of sincerity, trust and responsibility, ASEAN is promoting its role and making efforts with its partners to promote the building of a world and regional situation of peace, stability, cooperation and development, based on international law and the United Nations Charter. The ASEAN Vision on the Indo-Pacific emphasizes the element of openness and inclusiveness based on cooperation and dialogue with all parties. ASEAN has established and continues to strengthen its network of strategic partnerships with most important partners, including the United States. ASEAN wishes to work with its partners to build sincerity, strengthen trust, act responsibly, promote cooperation on the basis of respecting each other's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and political institutions, and respecting international law; at the same time, strengthen international cooperation, address global challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, environmental protection, etc.

Vietnam's development aspirations are closely linked to the aspirations for peace, stability, cooperation and development of the region and the world.

Regarding the third content, the Prime Minister stated: As an active and responsible member of ASEAN and the international community, Vietnam always strives to contribute to dialogue and cooperation, and is ready to play a proactive and positive role, in accordance with its potential and position.

Vietnam rose from a colony to gain independence, from a country divided by an absurd war to bravely fight for independence, freedom and national unification, from a poor, backward country to strive to become a middle-income country and is realizing its aspirational development goals.

"It is important that Vietnam's development aspirations are closely linked to the aspirations for peace, stability, cooperation and development of the region and the world. I hope that the United States and its partners will pay close attention, cooperate and support Vietnam in realizing that strategic vision in a sincere and effective manner. At the same time, this will open up great opportunities for more comprehensive and deeper cooperation between Vietnam and the United States and other countries," said the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister shared and affirmed Vietnam's views on demonstrating sincerity, strengthening trust and enhancing responsibility in cooperation with countries, regions and the international community:

First of all, Vietnam is steadfast in its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, diversification and multilateralization, being a good friend and reliable partner to countries around the world, and a responsible member of the international community. Vietnam always demonstrates sincerity, consistency and transparency in building and implementing that policy.

"Second, between independence and dependence, we always choose independence with the spirit of "Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom" of the great President Ho Chi Minh; between negotiation and confrontation, we choose negotiation; between dialogue and conflict, we choose dialogue; between peace and war, we choose peace; between cooperation and competition, we choose cooperation and competition must be healthy, equal, respecting each other's legitimate and legal rights and interests.

In a world full of fluctuations, strategic competition and many choices, Vietnam does not choose sides but chooses righteousness, fairness, justice and reason based on the principles of international law, the United Nations Charter; equality, mutual benefit, and mutual victory," the Prime Minister said.

Third, Vietnam is ready to dialogue and cooperate to resolve differences and disagreements, contributing to world peace, stability and development; at the same time, ensuring harmony of interests and satisfactorily resolving concerns of partners, countries and the international community.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh clarified a number of issues raised by the President and CEO of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

In resolving disputes and conflicts in the region and the world, including the East Sea - an important sea area for countries in and outside the region, Vietnam always advocates maintaining peace, stability, ensuring security, safety, freedom of navigation and aviation; protecting legitimate rights and interests, resolving disagreements by peaceful means, through dialogue, on the basis of respect for international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982); effectively and fully implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), striving to build a substantive, effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in accordance with international law, including UNCLOS 1982.

To make responsible contributions to common international and regional issues, Vietnam proactively participates in and promotes its role in multilateral mechanisms, especially ASEAN, the United Nations, regional, inter-regional and Mekong Sub-regional cooperation mechanisms, in accordance with specific requirements, capabilities and conditions.

Vietnam has been proactive, active and responsible in promoting its role as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (term 2008-2009, term 2020-2021). Vietnam has directly participated and contributed military personnel to the United Nations peacekeeping force since June 2014.

As a country that has experienced many changes and understands the losses of many wars for independence, freedom and national reunification, Vietnam is a peace-loving country, ready to contribute to the reconciliation process between nations. Vietnam is the venue for the second US-North Korea Summit. Regarding the Ukraine issue, Vietnam supports and is ready to participate in the efforts and initiatives of the international community in creating conditions for the parties to dialogue and seek long-term, sustainable solutions. Vietnam has provided humanitarian assistance of 500 thousand USD to Ukraine.

Regarding the situation in Ukraine, Vietnam's consistent stance is to respect the United Nations Charter and the principles of international law, respect the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and legitimate and legal interests of nations; resolve all disputes by peaceful means, without using or threatening to use force.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, despite many difficulties, Vietnam has provided masks and some medical supplies to 51 countries, including the United States; and contributed millions of USD to the COVAX Program. On this occasion, the Prime Minister expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the international community, including the United States, for providing a large source of vaccines and medical equipment to Vietnam in its efforts to control the pandemic, especially the United States' establishment of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Southeast Asia Regional Office in Hanoi.

Despite many difficulties in socio-economic conditions and being a developing country, Vietnam has shown great responsibility and determination in responding to climate change, implementing commitments under the Paris Agreement and COP 26 in the UK to bring net emissions to zero by 2050.

Vietnam has been strongly promoting economic, trade and investment cooperation with most countries in the world. In particular, Vietnam has negotiated and signed 15 free trade agreements (FTAs), opening up a large free trade market with over 60 countries and partners, including all major economies in the world, demonstrating its responsibility in implementing equality and free trade.

To achieve national development goals, Vietnam cannot go alone.

President and CEO of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

The Prime Minister affirmed that Vietnam always wishes to strengthen cooperative relations with the United States on the basis of sincerity, continue to strengthen trust, and enhance the responsibility of both sides, for the common interests of the people of the two countries, for peace, cooperation and development of the region and the world.

The Prime Minister affirmed: To achieve the country's development goals, Vietnam cannot go alone. If you want to go far, you must have friends. It is not now that Vietnam has expressed its desire to cooperate with the United States. President Ho Chi Minh, the great national hero and world cultural celebrity, from the early days of the country's founding, expressed his desire to establish an equal and comprehensive partnership with the United States in letters sent to the US government in 1946. In his letter to President Harry Truman on February 16, 1946, President Ho Chi Minh wrote: "Our goal is complete independence and comprehensive cooperation with the United States."

Vietnam and the United States have come a long way in demonstrating sincerity and building trust with each other. First of all, both sides have shown sincerity in sharing, focusing on and being determined to overcome the consequences of war; in which Vietnam has actively and effectively cooperated with the United States in searching for dead or missing American soldiers in Vietnam. We welcome and hope that the United States will continue to make efforts to overcome the consequences of war with Vietnam, through projects to clean up dioxin, support people with disabilities, victims of Agent Orange, clear bombs and mines, and promote cooperation in searching for the remains of Vietnamese soldiers who died in the war. In the coming time, both sides need to continue to promote cooperation in overcoming the consequences of war, so that the people of both countries can sympathize, share the losses, and look towards the future together.

Since the normalization of relations in 1995, the relationship between the two countries has continuously developed in many aspects. The Prime Minister mentioned the achievements in the fields of politics, economics, education - training, defense - security, and coordination on many international and regional issues.

On the foundation of the relationship that has been built over the past three decades, the two countries need to be sincere, trustworthy, respectful and continue to be responsible in overcoming the consequences of war, to heal the wounds of both peoples, to foster the cooperative relationship between the two countries to develop further in the future, commensurate with the potential, to meet the aspirations and interests of the people of the two countries, to contribute to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world, as the two sides affirmed during General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's visit to the United States in 2015.

With the United States and many countries turning to the Indo-Pacific region, while Vietnam is accelerating the implementation of ambitious development goals, the two countries are facing new opportunities to develop the Comprehensive Partnership in a stable, long-term, substantive, effective and in-depth manner, especially in economics, trade, investment, science and technology, digital transformation, training of high-quality human resources, combating climate change, fighting epidemics, people-to-people exchanges, etc., and in solving international and regional issues.

Along with traditional areas of cooperation, the two sides need to look towards future areas of cooperation. In particular, the Prime Minister especially wanted to emphasize three important areas with great potential for cooperation between the two countries in the coming time - green growth, technological innovation, digital transformation and supply chain diversification.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and President and CEO of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) discussed and clarified a number of issues. Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

Vietnam considers promoting green growth a key task to create a space for sustainable, in-depth and happy development, not only for the present, but also for future generations. To achieve the committed goal of bringing net emissions to zero by 2050, we pay special attention to attracting resources, science and technology, experience in institution building, and management to invest in clean energy development, modern infrastructure, and sustainable water resource management, etc.

Clearly identifying technological innovation and digital transformation as a key driving force of the global economy, Vietnam is striving to take the lead in the major trend of digital transformation to break through and narrow the development gap. In particular, promoting comprehensive digital transformation based on 3 main pillars: Digital Government, Digital Economy and Digital Society.

At the same time, Vietnam is also making efforts to proactively and actively participate in the global production network and value chain, especially diversifying the supply chain, meeting urgent global requirements today. Vietnam has been, is and will continue to be a reliable destination for businesses, including US businesses, in their efforts to diversify sustainable and stable supply chains in a volatile world.

Green growth, technological innovation, and digital transformation are areas in which the United States has leading strengths in the world. At the same time, the United States is also the world's largest economy with a large, rich, and diverse market, creating a good foundation to promote supply chain diversification on a global scale. The combination of the United States' strengths in these important areas, along with the dynamism, proactiveness, and increasingly deep integration of the Vietnamese economy, will open up great opportunities for cooperation between the two countries and the business communities of the two countries in the coming time.

"Sincerity, trust and responsibility are the keys for countries to resolve disagreements and differences in a volatile world like today. Sincerity, trust and responsibility have also contributed significantly to the strong development of Vietnam - US relations over the past 30 years. I believe that these will also be the key factors to orient, promote and bring the Vietnam - US comprehensive partnership to a new level, more substantive and effective in the coming time," said the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister reiterated the statement of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong when visiting CSIS in 2015, that the two sides need to "put aside the past, overcome differences, promote similarities, and look to the future".

"I hope that all of you will join hands and contribute to fostering, building, and strengthening trust, responsibility, and sincerity between our two countries, making practical contributions to the interests of the two peoples, for peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world," the Prime Minister concluded his speech.

After his speech, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh answered a number of questions from the audience. Regarding the US Indo-Pacific Economic Framework initiative, the Prime Minister said that the pillars of this initiative are also important issues for Vietnam, the US and many other countries. Therefore, Vietnam is ready to discuss with the US and its partners to clarify the specific content, tasks, roadmap, steps... within this framework, in which Vietnam is ready to support the contents serving peace, stability, cooperation, development, prosperity and well-being in the region and the world, especially for the interests of the people of the two countries.

CSIS is the leading academic and strategic research center in the United States and the world, with the goal of enhancing dialogue and understanding between politicians, scholars and people of all countries. CSIS also plays an important role in raising awareness of issues related to security, peace, stability and prosperity in the world. Former President Truong Tan Sang in 2013 and General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in 2015 visited and spoke at CSIS.