Washington DC (VNA) – Overseas Vietnamese entrepreneurs, with their understanding of both Vietnam and the US, can serve as a “two-way bridge”, helping Vietnamese businesses access the US market while connecting US investors with business opportunities in Vietnam, said Gary Thanh Nguyen, Chairman of the DMV Business and Patriotism Club, which covers Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia.
Talking to the Vietnam News Agency ahead of the upcoming working visit to the US by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam, Thanh highlighted the significance of the trip, particularly amid the Political Bureau’s recent issuance of Resolution No. 23-NQ/TW on affairs concerning overseas Vietnamese (OV).
He said the Vietnamese community in the US has a growing pool of successful businesspeople, experts, scientists and young intellectuals who are gaining increasingly strong positions in their host society. He noted that if properly connected through appropriate mechanisms, they could provide a valuable source of knowledge, science – technology, management expertise, finance, investment and international relations.
The entrepreneur expressed his hope that the top leader's visit will generate fresh momentum for bilateral ties, fortify the confidence of the two countries’ business communities, and unlock more substantive cooperation opportunities in trade and investment.
He noted OV entrepreneurs can assist domestic firms in navigating consumer demand, technical standards, product safety, intellectual property, taxes, legal frameworks, distribution channels, and branding in the US. They can also introduce US partners to Vietnam's workforce, business environment, and integration potential.
To maximise these synergies, Gary Thanh Nguyen suggested expanding bilateral cooperation in high-value-added sectors such as technology, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, energy, logistics, education, healthcare, and innovation. The ultimate goal, he stressed, extends beyond introducing Vietnamese goods to the US market to building national brands and elevating the standing of Vietnamese enterprises within global supply chains.
The resources of OVs transcend investment capital to encompass knowledge, technology, management expertise, market intelligence, and relationship networks, turning each successful entrepreneur into an "economic ambassador" helping promote Vietnamese products and culture.
Addressing the situation in the DMV area, he proposed transitioning from event-based networking to a permanent framework, including establishing a nationwide network of Vietnamese entrepreneurs across the US linked directly with domestic trade promotion agencies and business associations, and building sector-specific and location-based databases to facilitate targeted matchmaking.
He also proposed organising regular business exchange programmes focusing on practical issues like product standards, taxation, laws, logistics, distribution, marketing and brand building in the US.
Regarding future initiatives, Thanh stated that the DMV Club plans to continue working closely with Vietnamese representative missions in the US to help Vietnamese businesses better understand the US market, laws and business culture, while encouraging Vietnamese entrepreneurs, intellectuals and young people to contribute to their homeland through practical actions.
The entrepreneur expressed optimism that the spirit of Resolution No. 23, coupled with the outcomes of General Secretary and President Lam's trip, will foster solidarity among OVs in the US and encourage them to actively contribute to the homeland's development./.
