Viet Nam's major achievements over last 80 years

First, it successfully regained independence after an eight year Anti-French Resistance War with the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam with a capital in Ha Noi and diplomatic recognition by the People’s Republic of China, the Soviet Union and socialist countries in Eastern Europe. Viet Nam achieved independence by successfully prosecuting people’s war with successful diplomacy supported by socialist countries.

Second, Viet Nam successfully resisted American intervention, defeated the Saigon regime and reunified the country by establishing the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam. Viet Nam achieved independence by conducting a protracted war with substantial material aid from the socialist countries, and astute diplomacy that navigated differences between major powers and that mobilized the support of the world peace movement and friendly countries. In sum, Viet Nam adopted s practical strategy of negotiating while fighting.

Third, Viet Nam successfully ended the polarization between the states of Indo-China and ASEAN and restoring peace on mainland Southeast Asia. 

Fourth, Viet Nam successfully opened to the outside world by normalizing relations with China and the United States and joining multilateral institutions such as ASEAN, APEC and the World Trade Organisation. Viet Nam achieved this objective by setting far-sighted goals and pursuing these goals though cautious practical diplomacy.

Fifth, Viet Nam contributed to the goal of ASEAN’s development as a successful regional organisation. Viet Nam achieved this objective by proactive and practical diplomatic leadership. When Viet Nam joined ASEAN it lobbied for the inclusion of Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar as members; once they were admitted Viet Nam gained consensus to overcome the development gap between the new members and the old members. Viet Nam used its role as ASEAN Chair for the first time to advance ASEAN community-building by the adoption of a six-year Ha Noi Plan of Action. When Viet Nam served as ASEAN Chair for the second time it successfully lobbied for the expansion of membership in the East Asia Summit to include the United States and Russian Federation. When Viet Nam was ASEAN Chair for the third time it made an outstanding contribution to ASEAN’s development during the COVID-19 pandemic. Viet Nam pioneered virtual meetings of ASEAN officials and Viet Nam was proactive in lobbying members of the international community for greater access to COVID vaccines and medical equipment. Finally, Viet Nam hosted the ASEAN Future Forum in 2024 and 2025. This is a significant development as the ASEAN Future Forum brought together a diverse group of stakeholders to discuss how ASEAN should meet current challenges to develop people-orientated sustainable development in coming years.

Sixth, Viet Nam has consistently raised economic growth since the adoption of Doi Moi (renewal) in 1986 to the present, transitioning from a less developed country to a developing country with a middle income status. Viet Nam achieved this by successfully attracting direct foreign investment and creating an export-orientated manufacturing industry.

Seventh, Viet Nam successfully achieved the UN’s millennium development goals (2000-25) with marked success in reducing poverty and gender inequality and improving public healthcare and education. Viet Nam achieved this objective by strong domestic leadership which aligned Viet Nam's socio-economic development goals with that of the United Nation’s millennium development goals. Viet Nam mobilized domestic resources in combination with support from international donors.

Where Viet Nam is standing now on the international arena?

In 1989, Viet Nam had diplomatic relations with only twenty-three non-socialist states, by 1995 this increased to 163. Today, Viet Nam has diplomatic relations with 194 countries and territories. At the same time, Viet Nam has signed trade agreements with over sixty countries and economies including the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

Viet Nam is also a member of seventy-five international bodies including ASEAN-led institutions such as the ASEAN Regional Forum, ASEAN Plus Three, Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum, ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus, East Asia Summit, and ASEAN Europe Meeting.

Viet Nam has established itself as a respected and responsible member of the international community. This is demonstrated by the fifty-five countries represented in the Asia-Pacific Group in the United Nations General Assembly who twice nominated Viet Nam their unanimous choice as candidate for non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2008-2009 and 2020-2021 terms. Viet Nam won election to the Security Council both times with a large majority vote in the General Assembly.

Another measure of Viet Nam's standing in international community is provided by the Lowy Institute’s Asia Power Index 2024. This survey ranked Viet Nam twelfth out of twenty-seven states in the Asia-Pacific. Especially noteworthy, the Lowy Institute assessed that “Viet Nam's biggest improvement in 2024 was in resilience and diplomatic influence, rising by one rank in each of these measures [and that] Viet Nam exerts more influence in the region than expected given its available resources, as indicated by the country’s positive power gap score, which remained steady in 2024.”

Viet Nam has managed to achieve a high standing in the international community because of its long-term strategic planning, resources and professional diplomatic corps. In 2006, the Political Report to the Tenth National Congress of the Communist Party of Viet Nam stated that Viet Nam, will “carry out the foreign policy of openness, multilateralization and diversification of international relations.” Subsequently Viet Nam developed a three-tiered structure for bilateral relations that now totals thirty-eight, including thirteen comprehensive partners, ten strategic partners and fifteen comprehensive strategic partners.

What should be done to be successful in new area of the nation's rise?

In July, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh outlined three key future objectives at the BRICS Summit which are applicable to ASEAN: (1) reinforce multilateralism, improve connectivity and global governance; (2) promote trade liberalization by opening market access, supply chain connectivity, technology transfer, and human resource training; and (3) harness safe and secure Artificial Intelligence to improve public health, education, digital infrastructure, green transition, and climate change adaptation.

Viet Nam should pursue these three key objectives in Southeast Asia. For example, Viet Nam is due to assume the ASEAN Chair in 2029. Viet Nam can use its experience in streamlining its political system to transform Viet Nam into a developing country with a modern industry and high-middle income level by 2030 to promote ASEAN’s growth and development.

Viet Nam is due to assume the ASEAN Chair a decade later in 2039. Both ASEAN and Viet Nam will be at a higher stage of development, this will provide the synergy for Viet Nam to achieve the longer-term goal of becoming a developed country with high income by 2045./.