There are currently about 5.3 million Vietnamese people living and working in more than 130 countries and territories around the world. No matter where they are, they have always been looking towards the Fatherland and are an inseparable part of the nation.

With the country's increasing international reputation, the trust of the overseas Vietnamese (OV) community is also growing. In the current process of national building and development, Vietnamese living abroad have become an important resource for the country's development.

Promoting key resource 

The close affection and connection between OVs and the Fatherland is apparent after two years of implementing Politburo Conclusion No. 12-KL/TW dated August 12, 2021 on OV affairs in the new situation.

Vietnamese at home and abroad support the viewpoints, guidelines and policies of great national unity for overseas Vietnamese. At present, more and more overseas Vietnamese contribute their economic, intellectual and "soft" resources to the homeland.

Many overseas Vietnamese provide opinions on important issues in the country, such as high-quality human resources, finance, trade, investment, technology, artificial intelligence, start-ups, innovation, disease prevention and control, and economic development models.

There are currently 376 investment overseas Vietnamese projects with a total registered capital of US$1.7 billion, along with capital contributions to thousands of enterprises in Việt Nam. The flow of remittances to Việt Nam is quite stable and may increase by 3.6-4.5 per cent in 2023. HCM City is a leading locality in the country in receiving remittances. In 2021, despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, remittances hit US$6.5 billion, up 9 per cent year-on-year. The figure was around $6.8 billion last year.

Trần Đình Hùng, General Manager of US-based Tran Group, said that an increase in remittances showed that Vietnamese people around the world are finding a stable path of development, gaining a stronger foothold, affirming their position in many countries.

Remittances not only contribute to supporting the economic development of HCM City, but also are a source of supply that helps stabilise the foreign currency in the city in particular and the country in general.

Honouring Vietnamese language in the overseas Vietnamese community

Realising Conclusion 12, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 930/QĐ-TTg dated August 3, 2022  designating September 8 as the Day for honouring the Vietnamese language in the OV community.

Teaching Vietnamese language to Vietnamese people abroad, especially young generations, has become a widespread movement. Typically, there are about 200 centres and establishments teaching the Vietnamese language in the US, 39 in Thailand, 33 in Cambodia, and 13 in Laos.

In Laos’s Vientiane capital city, since the beginning of July this year, free Vietnamese-language classes at Phật Tích Pagoda have resumed after a period of interruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These classes aim to contribute to preserving, developing, and popularising the Vietnamese language and cultural identities of overseas Vietnamese.

Teacher, Đinh Thị Phương Loan, a Vietnamese expatriate in Laos, said that with her experience, she volunteered to teach the Vietnamese language to the second and third generations born in Laos.

"When they grow up, they will continue to preserve and spread their mother tongue to the next generations. Understanding the national culture, they will have the opportunity to return to Việt Nam to study and work," Loan said.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Lê Thị Thu Hằng, who is also Chairwoman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, said that in the annual Việt Nam Summer Camp held for young OVs around the world, the committee always emphasises the need to speak and preserve the Vietnamese language.

Đinh Hoàng Linh, Director of the committee’s Department of Information and Culture, said that through the spread cultural values as well as national spirit, the committee wants to build a united, stable, developed OV community. He also expressed his hope that OVs can further promote their confidence, pride and love for the homeland. — VNS