Delegates at the opening of the 13th National Party Congress (Photo: VNA) Professor Thomas Engelbert from the University of Hamburg and economistDaniel Muller from the German Asia-Pacific Business Association citedfuture-forward actions together with clear and consistent goals as a crucialfactor in the success of the Communist Party of Vietnam.
They said the country’s greatest success is in the economic field. Beginningas a backwards agriculture-reliant nation, Vietnam has become an emergingmarket focusing on production and trade. The poverty rate has fallen significantlywhile average annual per capita income has improved considerably and progress hasbeen seen in social indicators.
The economic achievements are attributable to Vietnam’s participation inthe world market via free trade policies and welcoming foreign investors.
In the international arena, Vietnam’s stature in ASEAN has increasinglyimproved after its successful tenure as the ASEAN Chair in 2020. Vietnam has alsobecome a promising partner of several Asian and Western countries in variousfields, including the US and the EU.
Germany also wants to reinforce its strategic partnership with Vietnamin a practical manner.
The German scholars stressed that Vietnam’s success in the fight againstCOVID-19 has received attention around the world, contributing to improving itsimage, leadership’s prestige, and economic efficiency.
Forecasting Vietnam’s orientations in internal and external affairs, thescholars said that, in the short term, Vietnam will continue benefiting fromeconomic activities that are almost undisrupted. They suggested tappingexisting advantages to conduct necessary reform and modernisation policies,such as building a network of effective suppliers and improving the quality ofproducts from domestic manufacturers.
They proposed that Vietnam facilitate digitalisation to become ahigh-tech destination, ease its reliance on foreign investors, and enhance the addedvalue of businesses.
Vietnamese companies should receive support to tap trade agreements suchas the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, they said, adding that infrastructure,energy supply, and the education landscape need to catch up with economicdevelopment.
Meanwhile, Singapore’s the Straits Times said that during the nine daysof the National Party Congress, delegates will choose new leaders, and most analystshave predicted that Vietnam will continue with its existing economic, internal,and external policies.
The US’s Foreign Brief forecast that Vietnam will prioritise promotingsustainable growth by diversifying trade partners and improving domestic supplychains before framing its middle power strategy./.
VNA
