Questions: Could you please evaluate the role of the overseas Vietnamese community in USA in strengthening and developing the relationship between Vietnam and the USA, especially the economic relation, as well as contributing to the cause of national construction?

Currently, there are about 1.3 million Vietnamese residing in the US, which accounts for almost half the total number of the Vietnamese residing overseas. Of the figure, about 70% are US passport holders.

Although formed recently, its economic potential is not yet strong, the Vietnamese community in USA is evaluated as a community rapidly integrating into and succeeding in US society with high potentials, especially in such areas as education, science and technology. For the past 10 years, the average academic qualifications of Vietnamese have increased to reach the US average and the young generation has been even more successful. In almost every scientific research institutions, major firms, and high-tech facilities in the US, there are Vietnamese engineers and experts with good expertise and professional skills. There are firms where hundreds or even thousands of Vietnamese work.

Another noteworthy point is a considerable number of Vietnamese engineers and experts are successful in spearhead technologies such as electronics, new materials, biology and chemistry etc. Many of them hold important academic titles and management positions at production firms, as well as at research institutes and schools.

In recent years, more and more overseas Vietnamese have been taking part in the political main stream of the US. The number of voters has also increasingly increased, which has further reinforced the status and heightened the voice of this community in the US political life.

The Vietnamese community in the US has crucial influence on the friendly and cooperative relations between Vietnam and the USA. With the peace-loving and friendship policy of the Vietnamese people in general and most of the overseas Vietnamese in the USA welcome and support the development of Vietnam US relations, especially in the economic relations as well as contribution to the cause of national construction.

How has the role of Vietnamese community in the US been shown in the past few years?

In different ways, overseas Vietnamese have actively lobbied the US government to lift its embargo against Vietnam, supported the normalization of Vietnam- US relations and the signing of the bilateral trade agreement between the two countries

Through the Vietnamese community in the US, the American people can understand more about the life, the history, the culture, the customs and the laws of Vietnam. Also, through the community, the Vietnamese people at home have a better understanding of the life, the history, the culture, the customs and the laws of the US A.

The overseas Vietnamese in the US is an important bridge for the development of the Vietnam- US relations. Many overseas Vietnamese work as legal and policy consultants or are directly engaged in investment and business cooperation, scientific research or act as a bridge linking US economic, scientic-techicnal organizations to their Vietnamese partners and vice versa.  So far, more than 400 businesses of overseas Vietnamese in the US have registered to invest under Vietnam's Law on Domestic Investment Encouragement with a total capital of VND750 billion ($47 million). There are 20 projects in line with the Foreign Investment Law with a total capital of $85 million. The foreign exchange remittance by overseas Vietnamese in the US accounts for 65-70% of the total foreign remittance. Overseas Vietnamese have the highest rate of visits to their home country. By 31 December 2004, 209,826 overseas Vietnamese from the US returned to visit Vietnam while the total number of visits by overseas Vietnamese visiting their country was 426.780.

Which policies will the Party and the government launch to encourage the overseas Vietnamese in the US, especially intellectuals, investors, businessmen in this community to return home for investment and business?

The Party and the government always consider the overseas Vietnamese as an integral part of and a resource for the Vietnamese national community. In 2004, the issuance of Resolution 36/NQ- TW of the Politburo toward overseas Vietnamese had had great impact on the overseas Vietnamese community. Moreover, in recent years, the country has increasingly developed and vehemently integrated into the world, which has encouraged overseas Vietnamese generations to make bigger and bigger contribution to the development of their original country.

Meanwhile, many policies and measures are being reviewed and adjusted or promulgated to create better conditions for overseas Vietnamese, particularly intellectuals and businessmen to return and cooperate with their local partners.

In February 2003, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs set up the Fund for Assisting and Mobilizing Overseas Vietnamese Community (FOVC). After two yearssss operations, the fund has carried out many projects with satisfactory resluts, thus helped   successfully carry out the policy of assistance to and mobiliziatuib if overseas Vietnamese.

The Committee for Overseas Vietnamese (affliating to the Foregin Affairs Ministry has been cordinating with Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry to carry out activities to boost up cooperation between overseas Vietnamese and domestic businesses, while considering the implementaiton of the idea to link overseas Vietnamese businesses in general and in the US in particular. 

The Ministry of Construction is developing a draft for the decree to revise Decree 81/CP of the Government so that overseas Vietnamese can buy houses in Vietnam with associated land-use right in the direction of futher expansion.

The Ministry of Justice is drafting a Resolution for the National Assemblyyyys Standing Committee to address civil transactions with foreign factors.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment is leading and coordinating with relevant agencies to research and adjust Inter-ministerial Circular 10/2000/TTLT/BKH-BTP-BNG-BCA dated August 15, 2000 that directs the implementation of the Domestic Investment Encouragement Law so that overseas Vietnamese could buy shares from domestic businesses.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working on a scheme to encourage overseas Vietnamese intellectuals to return and work in Vietnam, as well as create favorable conditions for them and satisfy their aspirations. The propsosal is due to be submitted to the government for approval shortly.

Besides activities to perfect the legal framework, relevant agencies will continue strengthening the promotion and assistance of information for overseas Vietnamese, especially the coordination between state agencies in linking   overseas Vietnamese businessmen with the counterparts in Vietnam. The Committee for Overseas Vietnamese will closely coordinate with the Ministry of Science and Technology and other relevant ministries, institutes and universities and domestic businesses to make full use of the knowlege of the overseas Vietnamese in the cause of natioanl construction.

It is hoped that with the above-mentioned efforts there will be many good conditions for overseas Vietnamese businessmen in general to invest and do business in Vietnam.