A gathering for Vietnamese community in China’s Macao Special Administrative Region. — VNA/VNS Photo

HONG KONG — The Vietnamese community in China’s Macao Special Administrative Region is promoting solidarity, improving legal compliance and preserving national identity, demonstrating the role of overseas Vietnamese as a strategic resource for national development under Resolution No. 23-NQ/TW of the Political Bureau. 

Building on Resolution No. 36-NQ/TW, Resolution No. 23 reaffirms that OVs are an inseparable part of the great national solidarity bloc and an important strategic resource for the country's development and intergration into the world.

The experience of the OV Association in Macau reflects this spirit as they have overcome difficulties, formed a united community, complied with local laws and built trust among local authorities and residents.

The association’s efforts gained momentum in 2021, when the COVID-19 pandemic left many Vietnamese workers unemployed amid tightened controls in Macao. 

Chairman of the association Dương Trung Đức and founding members coordinated with the Vietnamese Consulate General in Macao and Hong Kong to organise 12 repatriation flights, safely bringing home thousands of Vietnamese in particularly difficult circumstances.

After the pandemic, the association focused on raising legal awareness among the more than 9,000 Vietnamese workers. The association reorganised its 29-member executive committee into three divisions covering legal affairs, charity and cultural activities.

In particular, the division of legal affairs is responsible for translating Macau police’s warnings into Vietnamese on drug prevention, high-tech fraud and schemes involving the transport of goods for others. It also helps resolve disputes at the grassroots level.

As a result, Macao’s Judiciary Police reported in 2025 that the rate of legal violations by Vietnamese nationals had dropped from over 20 per cent to 2 per cent, while illegal residence had almost disappeared. The recent invitation extended by local authorities to Duc to attend a ceremony marking Macao’s Judicial Police Day marked the first time a Vietnamese community group had been invited to an official security and judicial event.

Beyond legal assistance and social support, the association has helped preserve Vietnamese identity and provide a sense of belonging for workers living far from home. 

Vietnamese Consul General in Hong Kong and Macao Lê Đức Hạnh said the Party and State always regard OVs as an important strategic resource and a bridge connecting Việt Nam with the world. Resolution No. 23 marks a shift towards working alongside OVs and creating mechanisms for their greater participation in national development.

She praised the Vietnamese community in Macau for their unity as well as contributions to the homeland and their host society’s prosperity, particularly the cooperation and assistance among intellectuals, students, engineers and manual workers.

To support sustainable development, the association and workers expected more support from Việt Nam's diplomatic representative agencies and local authorities, including providing standardised Vietnamese-language information on labour law and insurance, establishing a direct legal counselling channel, and organising language programmes to help workers learn Cantonese and Mandarin. 

Stronger links with labour authorities and the Macao administration are also hoped to improve the community's legal awareness, environmental protection and disaster preparedness.

The association’s ultimate goal is to reduce legal violations to zero, Đức said, stressing the importance of dedicated leadership and community solidarity in advancing Resolution No. 23’s objectives. — VNA/VNS