Party General Secretary of Việt Nam Nguyễn Phú Trọng (seventh from right) and his spouse in a group photo with Party General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping (eighth from right), his spouse, and officials of the two countries in Hà Nội on December 13. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam has recorded many encouraging results amid complex and unexpected developments in the world situation in 2023. Many experts and international organisations perceived that the country remains a bright spot in the global panorama.

Elevating stature

This year, Vietnamese leaders have paid dozens of visits to other countries, attended many regional and international events, and engaged in a number of bilateral meetings with important partners. Leaders of many countries and international organisations have also come to Việt Nam, including Party General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping and President of the US Joe Biden.

Hundreds of exchanges and celebrations of the anniversaries of Việt Nam’s diplomatic relations with major countries and traditional friends have also been held both at home and abroad, bringing the Southeast Asian nation closer to people around the world.

Grigory Trofimchuk, chairman of the Russian Council of Experts of the Eurasian Research Fund, said Việt Nam’s influence is spreading to almost all continents in the world, even to the Middle East and Africa, at different levels and with diverse areas of cooperation.

The year 2023 also set a milestone in the upgrade of Việt Nam’s ties with many countries. In September, during US President Joe Biden’s visit, the two countries’ relations were lifted to a comprehensive strategic partnership for peace, cooperation and sustainable development. In November, Việt Nam and Japan elevated their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia and the world during President Võ Văn Thưởng’s visit to the Northeast Asian country.

Dr. Ruvislei Gonzalez Saez from the Cuban Centre for International Policy Research (CIPI) held that the upgrade of relations with important partners marks a particularly successful year for Việt Nam’s diplomacy.

In a complex world situation, maintaining independence in its foreign policy while not abandoning the principle of protecting an equal world where all people are respected regardless of their countries’ sizes is a sound path for Việt Nam’s diplomacy, he noted.

Assoc. Prof. Beak Yong-hun from the School of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies under the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s Dankook University, said that along with the previously established comprehensive strategic partnerships with China, Russia, India and the RoK, the progress in 2023 has shown that Việt Nam is continuing to pursue a balanced foreign policy embodying the features of ‘bamboo diplomacy’.

He added the increasing number of strategic and comprehensive strategic partners reflects other countries’ trust in Việt Nam, while affirming and consolidating Việt Nam’s stature in the international arena.

Meanwhile, Dr. Bharti Chhibber, an Indian expert on Việt Nam, stressed that the country is emerging as an important stakeholder in a multipolar world. Its ‘bamboo diplomacy’ with a flexible foreign policy has brought about many achievements in its international relations this year.

Together with its active participation in multilateral frameworks and forums, the strides in bilateral ties have helped perfect a bright panorama of Việt Nam’s external relations in 2023.

Resilient internal strength

Amid continuous and complex changes in the world, the firmness in the diplomatic front has created more momentum and opened up more opportunities for socio-economic development.

During recent interviews granted to the Vietnam News Agency, experts said the attention to Việt Nam following diplomatic activities has been translated into investment and business cooperation chances as well as external resources for the country to boost socio-economic development.

Chhibber said the large number of visits to strategic partners and neighbouring countries by Vietnamese leaders this year has built up trust and enhanced cooperation in broader areas. Việt Nam has continued to emerge as an attractive destination for foreign investors and supply chains.

The elevation of relations with other countries, including the US and Japan, is leverage for Việt Nam’s economic development. The US is a major export market of Việt Nam, and new cooperation opportunities will be opened up in various fields like education, health, climate change, security and defence. Japan is a crucial supplier of official development assistance (ODA) and also one of the most important foreign investors in Việt Nam, and bilateral connections have been promoted considerably in science-technology, education, culture and defence, according to Ruvislei.

The stability and growth of Việt Nam’s economy have also provided an important basis for other countries to place their confidence in and bolster partnerships with Việt Nam.

Despite the global economic contraction, Southeast Asia is considered a bright spot with Việt Nam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore posting fast growth.

Yasuhiro Nojima, chairman of the Việt Nam-Japan Friendship Association, affirmed that Việt Nam’s economic strength is growing, and in terms of potential, it could be said that the country is the brightest among ASEAN members.

The World Bank (WB) forecast the Vietnamese economy could expand by 4.7 per cent this year before growing by 5.5 per cent next year and 6 per cent in 2025. WB Lead Economist in the country Andrea Coppola said the growth rate in Việt Nam is at a level many others only dream of.

For its part, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) predicted that the economy will grow by 5.2 per cent this year and 6 per cent in 2024, while inflation has been controlled relatively well at 3.8 per cent, lower than the cap of 4 per cent.

Experts of WB and ADB described the Vietnamese economy this year as resilient in the face of recession shocks or headwinds, with the recovery drivers of export, public investment and private consumption.

Việt Nam has been taking firm steps on the path to affirm its voice, role and stature in the international arena, and attract external resources for socio-economic development. The expansion of substantive and effective relations and the consolidated political prestige in the eyes of international partners are believed to provide a solid stepping stone for the country to obtain more socio-economic achievements in the coming years. VNS