 General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong (L) and General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and President of China Xi Jinping at a ceremony to present China's Friendship Order to Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong on October 31, 2022 (Photo: VNA) |
In 2022, Vietnamese Party, State, and government leaders conducted a number of overseas trips, most notably Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s visit to China in late October. Mr. Trong was the first foreign leader to visit China after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, an indication of China’s respect for its relations with Vietnam.
 Yang Dan Zhi, an international affairs expert with the Chinese Institute for Social Sciences (Photo: VOV) |
Yang Dan Zhi, an international affairs expert with the Chinese Institute for Social Sciences, said: “The visit played an important role in promoting the traditional friendship and and strengthening and deepening the relationship between Vietnam and China in the new context. It also helps enhance stability and development in the region. I believe that outcomes of the visit will direct the future development of bilateral ties.”
Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Laotian leaders exchanged several visits last year to mark the Vietnam-Laos and Laos-Vietnam Friendship Year, 60 years of the Vietnam-Laos Amity and Cooperation Treaty, 55 years of Vietnam-Cambodia diplomatic ties, and the Vietnam-Cambodia and Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Year.
Last year President Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited Singapore, Japan, Thailand, the Republic of Korea, and Indonesia. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited the US, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Cambodia. National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue visited Hungary, the UK, Laos, Cambodia, the Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand.
In 2022, Vietnam welcomed several foreign leaders including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Singapore President Halimah Yacob, Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, and the leaders of Laos, Cambodia, and many other countries.
Vietnam successfully implemented a number of multilateral diplomatic activities last year. It made important contributions to forums of the UN, ASEAN, and APEC. Vietnam was elected to the UN Human Rights Council for the second time, a reflection of its growing international prestige and its contributions to promoting human rights and human development.
 Veeramalla Anjjaiah, an expert in Southeast Asian affairs (Photo: VNA) |
Veeramalla Anjjaiah, an expert in Southeast Asian affairs, said that Vietnam is a stable and peaceful country and the Vietnamese government pledges to protect human rights and people’s right to freedom. As a responsible country, Vietnam has contributed to enhancing shared values and human progress by participating in forums on human rights organized by the UN and other international organizations, he noted.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres praised Vietnam’s success in promoting human rights and its re-election to the UN Human Right Council. During his visit to Vietnam on the occasion of Vietnam’s 45th anniversary of joining the UN, Guterres highlighted Vietnam’s great contributions to UN activities, saying, “It’s really surprising that Vietnam, a poor country when it joined the UN, has become a dynamic economy with important things to say about UN activities, conflicts and peace, human need and international aid, poverty and development. The Vietnamese economy is one of the world’s most dynamic and rapidly growing economies.”
Vietnam has implemented proactive, flexible economic diplomacy to create momentum for economic recovery and development and provide a foundation for rapid, sustainable economic growth in the near future.
To celebrate diplomatic ties with countries like India, the Republic of Korea, and Cambodia, Vietnam has strengthened trade and investment promotion activities, and has expanded cooperation with countries in Latin America, the Middle-East, Africa, and the South Pacific.
Last year a number of Vietnamese heritages were internationally recognized. The pottery-making craft of the Cham ethnic minority was recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in need of urgent protection; and the “ma nhai” steles on Ngu Hanh Son Mountain in Da Nang city and handwritten documents in Truong Luu village, Ha Tinh province, were recognized as documentary heritages of Asia-Pacific. Vietnam Day in Austria, the Republic of Korea, and India impressed international friends.
Diplomatic successes in 2022 have helped Vietnam strengthen international integration and national development, increased the trust of international friends, expanded Vietnam’s cooperation with other countries, and contributed to peace, stability, cooperation, development, and prosperity in the region and the world.