Singapore (VNA) – Politburo member and Standing member of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee’s Secretariat Tran Cam Tu met with the Vietnamese Embassy staff and Vietnamese community in Singapore on August 24.
The activity formed part of his official visit to the city-state, during which he is set to co-chair the first Vietnam–Singapore Strategic Dialogue between the CPV and Singapore’s People’s Action Party (PAP).
Participants included many Vietnamese experts and intellectuals and working in Singapore.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore Tran Phuoc Anh welcomed Tu and the high-ranking CPV delegation, saying bilateral relations have developed effectively across various fields. He described the visit as an important opportunity to further strengthen the Vietnam–Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
He said embassy officials and staff have continued to focus on three key tasks, namely political and diplomatic work, community affairs, and Party affairs and internal solidarity, aiming to contribute to national construction and defence.
Reporting on the Vietnamese community in Singapore, the ambassador said Vietnamese expatriates remain closely connected with and strongly supportive of their homeland.
In coordination with the embassy, the community has organised various activities to promote people-to-people diplomacy and connect with partners in Vietnam in science – technology, innovation, education – training, digital transformation and start-up promotion, helping enhance cooperation between the two countries.
Prof. Dr Vu Minh Khuong of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy said the visit could open a major opportunity and become a model for bilateral and regional cooperation towards peace, prosperity and partnership.
Ta Thuy Lien, head of the liaison board of the Vietnamese community in Singapore, shared the community's experience in digital transformation and called the visit a major source of encouragement. She affirmed the community's desire to contribute its expertise and knowledge to the homeland's development and serve as a strategic link between Vietnamese people overseas and those at home.
Expressing his pleasure at meeting the Vietnamese community, Tu said the visit reflects Vietnam's consistent policy of giving high priority to relations with neighbouring countries, including Singapore. It also aims to deepen ties between the CPV and PAP, thus strengthening the political foundation for comprehensive cooperation between the two countries' parties, states and peoples while further advancing the Vietnam–Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Updating the community on the domestic situation, he said Vietnam has passed one year of operating its two-tier local administration model. The reform has a broad scope and strategic significance, helping streamline the administrative apparatus, improve institutional frameworks and renew leadership and implementation methods.
He said the next priority is to improve the quality, capabilities and effectiveness of the new system, with a focus on institutional reform, decentralisation linked to resources and power control, better telecommunications and digital infrastructure, digital transformation across the political system, and development of a contingent of capable officials.
The leader also highlighted progress in implementing Politburo Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW on breakthroughs in science – technology development, innovation and national digital transformation.
Vietnam has identified 10 strategic technologies, 30 strategic technology products and 20 major national challenges, he said, adding that some Vietnamese businesses are gradually mastering technologies and developing products for both domestic and export markets.
However, bottlenecks remain in institutions, infrastructure, human resources and cybersecurity. The country will therefore focus more strongly on turning scientific and technological advances into concrete products and value, contributing to double-digit economic growth.
Tu noted that Singapore boasts strengths in these areas, and that the two sides have reached preliminary agreement on a Vietnam–Singapore technology connectivity strategy with specific projects.
The Standing member of the Secretariat welcomed the active role of the Vietnamese community liaison board in bringing Vietnamese expatriates together and preserving cultural identity. He encouraged experts and intellectuals overseas to contribute knowledge and technology to the homeland's development.
The Party and State always care for Vietnamese people abroad, considering them an inseparable part and an important resource of the nation, he affirmed.
Tu praised the Vietnamese Embassy staff in Singapore for their efforts and urged the embassy to further strengthen community affairs and links between Vietnamese expatriates and the homeland./.
