Ho Chi Minh City (VNA) – The Politburo’s Resolution No. 23-NQ/TW, issued on August 2, 2026, has introduced new perspectives and solutions to enhance the role and contributions of Vietnamese people abroad in the country’s new development period.
The resolution has received strong attention and support from officials working in foreign and overseas Vietnamese (OV) affairs in Ho Chi Minh City.
Ha Thanh, Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City Union of Friendship Organisations and head of the advisory council for international integration, people-to-people diplomacy and overseas Vietnamese affairs under the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of the city, said Resolution No. 23 builds on the fundamental viewpoints of the Politburo's Resolution No. 36-NQ/TW issued in 2004, reaffirming that overseas Vietnamese are an inseparable part of the nation and a bridge connecting Vietnam with the world.
A notable feature of the new resolution is that it elevates the OV community to one of the country’s important strategic resources, enabling them to participate more deeply in national integration, construction and development.
According to Thanh, the most significant shift is the move toward a mindset of accompanying and creating mechanisms to mobilising resources from OVs. Beyond protecting their legitimate rights and interests and strengthening national unity, Vietnam needs to establish mechanisms that enable Vietnamese experts, intellectuals, scientists, entrepreneurs, artists and younger generations abroad to make practical contributions.
The resolution highlights emerging fields such as innovation, digital transformation, semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI) and biotechnology, while encouraging OVs to help preserve the Vietnamese language, promote national culture, strengthen external communications and enhance the country’s soft power.
For Ho Chi Minh City, which has deep international integration and is focusing on science and technology, innovation, finance, high-quality services and digital transformation, the key is to turn the potential of overseas Vietnamese into concrete connections and results. These include expert consultation, knowledge and technology transfer, investment and business linkages, market expansion and promotion of the city’s image.
Thanh said the city should shift from “event-based connections” toward connections based on specific needs, fields and outcomes. The Ho Chi Minh City Union of Friendship Organisations will strengthen ties with overseas Vietnamese associations, intellectuals, experts, entrepreneurs and younger generations, while listening to their aspirations and creating more opportunities for people-to-people, cultural and educational exchanges and activities toward the homeland.
The union will also coordinate with agencies, research institutes, universities and business associations to mobilise OV resources in science and technology, AI, innovation, finance, healthcare, education, trade and investment, with a focus on concrete cooperative projects.
Lawyer Lam Quang Quy, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Overseas Vietnamese Support Centre under the Association for Liaison with Overseas Vietnamese in Ho Chi Minh City, said Resolution No. 23 represents a new stage in the thinking and approach to OV affairs.
Ho Chi Minh City is home to the country’s largest overseas Vietnamese community, including numerous experts, intellectuals and entrepreneurs with extensive international networks. Beyond capital, their valuable resources include knowledge, technology, innovation, management experience, high-quality human resources and international connections. To translate the resolution into reality, Quy said the city should shift from simply encouraging overseas Vietnamese to contribute toward creating spaces for them to participate directly in addressing the city’s development challenges. It should build databases and networks of overseas Vietnamese experts, intellectuals and entrepreneurs by sector, while identifying specific projects and development needs requiring their expertise./.
VNA
