Vietnam seeks stronger ties with Australia’s state

Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Pham Hung Tam (second from right) chairs a roundtable on education cooperation in South Australia.

During his visit, Ambassador Tam paid a courtesy call to Governor of South Australia Frances Adamson, and held working sessions with South Australia's Deputy Premier and Minister for Industry, Science and Innovation, Climate Change, Environment and Water, Labour and Population Strategy Susan Close, Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Tourism of the state Zoe Bettison, President of the South Australian Legislative Council Terry Stephens, along with member of the Legislative Council Tung Ngo.

He chaired roundtables on agricultural trade and educational cooperation, participated in a meeting with South Australian enterprises, and met with leaders of the University of Adelaide. He also had a meeting with representatives of the Vietnamese community and attended the inauguration of a South Australian branch of the Vietnam Association of Scientists and Experts in Australia (VASEA).

At the meetings, leaders from South Australia’s parliament, government, and business community highly valued cooperation with Vietnam, considering it a priority with significant untapped potential. They expressed a strong desire to further strengthen bilateral relations with Vietnamese localities, contributing to the implementation of the comprehensive strategic partnership framework between the two countries.

Governor Adamson noted that Vietnam was one of the first countries she visited after taking office, and she plans to visit Vietnam again in May 2025. She recommended that the two sides continue to focus on collaboration in trade, investment, people-to-people exchanges, education, and the development of low-carbon agriculture.

The Governor highly valued the Vietnamese community in South Australia, highlighting Vietnamese students who are hardworking, diligent, achieve high academic results, and engage actively in school and community activities. She also welcomed the establishment of the VASEA branch in the state.

Meanwhile, Deputy Premier Susan Close emphasised the strategic benefits of the countries' cooperation, especially amid global uncertainties. She agreed that both sides must continue to support trade and investment liberalisation, and work together towards building a peaceful and stable region that respects international law.

Close reaffirmed that Australia views Vietnam as an important and trustworthy comprehensive strategic partner with vast cooperation potential.

The Deputy Premier pointed out that Vietnam is currently among the countries with the strongest development cooperation with Australia, and South Australia continues to prioritise ties with Vietnam. Having visited the Southeast Asian nation twice, Close expressed her hope for enhancing collaboration in education, science, technology, innovation, tourism, culture, and green agriculture.

For his part, Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Tourism Bettison praised Vietnam’s transformation and expressed her admiration for the fast development of Vietnam’s economy, as well as the country’s rich culture.

President of the South Australian Legislative Council Stephens expressed his hope for more Vietnamese entrepreneurs to settle down, live, and do business in his state. Meanwhile, council member Tung Ngo said he hopes the friendship and cooperation between the two countries will grow even more, particularly in trade.

At the roundtable on agricultural trade and the meeting with businesses, representatives from South Australian companies expressed keen interest in partnering with Vietnamese firms. They recognised Vietnam as a vital market for diversifying supply chains and shifting production and investment in the region.

Bodhi Edwards, Trade Director at the South Australian Department of Trade and Development, noted that Vietnam is South Australia’s sixth-largest export market, with bilateral trade reaching AUD837 million (US$526.44 million) in 2024.

Manufactured goods, agricultural, and high-tech products accounted for 17.6% of total imports by the state, which in turn accounted for 6.5% of Australia’s exports to Vietnam. The state aims to export red meat, wine, cereals, wool, and dairy-related products to Vietnam.

South Australian businesses are also eager to establish a wool production supply chain with Vietnam, as well as export hay for the dairy industry and cereals to Vietnam, he added.

At the roundtable on education, institutions and universities in South Australia acknowledged the large number of Vietnamese students among the top international student groups in the state, particularly in vocational training. Several South Australian universities also have collaboration programmes with Vietnamese institutions.

Ambassador Tam expressed gratitude to South Australia for its cooperation in hosting Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son during the Deputy PM's visit to Australia in October 2024. He praised the robust growth of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries.

He commended South Australia’s role in fostering cooperation between the two nations, particularly in science and technology, innovation, information technology, and education.

The diplomat highlighted that Vietnamese entrepreneurs, associations, and students in South Australia have consistently contributed to the state’s prosperity. He expressed confidence that the newly established VASEA branch will play a crucial role in advancing scientific, technological, educational, and academic exchanges between the two sides.

The ambassador also called for an increase in cooperation with Vietnamese localities, including Da Nang, with a focus on training semiconductor engineers, information technology, digital transformation, and low-carbon agriculture. He further recommended facilitating VietJet’s resumption of a direct air route to boost people-to-people exchanges, trade, and investment between the two countries.