Vietnam in process of ascending as influential global player: World Economic Forum chairman

Vietnam is not only a star in East Asia but also a nation in the process of ascending as an economically influential player on the global stage, said Prof. Klaus Schwab, World Economic Forum (WEF) founder and executive chairman.

At a policy dialogue on Vietnam’s global vision during the 54th annual meeting of the WEF in Davos, Switzerland on Tuesday (local time), Schwab praised Vietnam's role as one of the trailblazers in the development of a green and smart economy.

Sharing a similar view with Schwab, renowned international relations commentator Thomas Friedman from The New York Times described Vietnam as an exemplary model of reform and development, internationally recognized for its rapid and sustainable economic progress.

In his keynote speech delivered at the event, one of the eight policy dialogues featuring heads of states and governments organized by the WEF, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh presented two suggestions regarding national development.

“First, motivation is rooted in innovation and strength is derived from the people,” he said, underscoring the role of international solidarity and multilateralism in addressing global challenges.

The second suggestion was placing people at the center as the main player, the most crucial resource, the driving force and the ultimate goal of development. Accordingly, people should be directly involved in policy-making and benefit from policies.

In response to Friedman's query regarding Vietnam's stance on balancing relations with major powers, PM Chinh stressed his nation’s status as one of the most adversely affected since the Second World War, enduring persistent impacts from wars, blockades, and sanctions.

“Nevertheless, Vietnam has shelved the past, overcome differences, promoted similarities, and looked toward the future to turn adversaries into friends,” he noted.

Chinh affirmed that the visits to Vietnam by Party General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden last year demonstrate strong political trust between Vietnam and the two partners as well as Vietnam’s foreign policy of independence and self-reliance for peace, cooperation, development and prosperity, multilateralization and diversification.

Highlighting several priority areas for Vietnam in the near future, including digital transformation, science and technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and green transition, the PM considered these both objective requirements and trends, and strategic choices.

Regarding the semiconductor field, he shared Vietnam's endeavors in developing strategic infrastructure, particularly in information technology, and disclosed plans to train 50,000-100,000 engineers in the time to come.

Regarding AI, Chinh said Vietnam will proactively leverage its advantages and mitigate its negative aspects, starting with building a national database, refining investment attraction policies, and boosting the effectiveness of manpower training.

He stressed the Vietnamese government's commitment to further developing three strategic breakthroughs in institutions, infrastructure, and human resources, creating the most favorable conditions for foreign companies to engage in business partnerships, based on maximising mutual trust. He said he wishes businesses to associate production and consumption with research and training.

The PM noted that Vietnam stands among the nations most severely impacted by climate change, underscoring its commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 made at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26).

“Over the past time, Vietnam has worked to adapt to landslides, droughts, and natural disasters, implementing an innovative initiative for cultivating one million hectares of high-quality and low-emission rice, which aligns with global sustainability trends and promotes Vietnam's crucial role in ensuring global food security,” he added.