Huynh Vinh Ai, Deputy Chief of the Sub-Committee for Communications and Culture of the APEC National Committee, said: 

"This is not the Vietnamese national costume but APEC 2017 costume. Using mostly made-in-Vietnam materials, the costume shows Vietnam’s unique tradition and culture. This will be a gift to economic leaders attending this year’s APEC Summit".

In 2006, Vietnam hosted the APEC summit for the first time and the traditional long dress made a good impression on the leaders of the 21 member economies.