PM’s visit hoped to fuel fruitful growth of Vietnam - New Zealand ties
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s official visit to New Zealand on March 10 - 11 is expected to help further intensify the two countries’ political trust and multifaceted cooperation and develop bilateral relations more fruitfully.
The visit, following PM Chinh’s attendance in the special summit commemorating the 50th anniversary of the ASEAN - Australia dialogue relations and his official visit to Australia, will be made at the invitation of his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon. It is Chinh’s first visit to New Zealand as the Government leader of Vietnam.
The two countries established diplomatic ties on June 19, 1975. Bilateral relations were elevated to a comprehensive partnership in September 2009 and then a strategic partnership in July 2020.
They have maintained meetings and delegation exchanges at all levels, bilateral cooperation mechanisms, along with close coordination and mutual support at important regional and international organisations and forums such as the United Nations, the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum, the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Effective and mutually beneficial cooperation in economy, trade, and investment is considered a focus and driver of bilateral ties.
Vietnam is currently the 14th largest trade partner of New Zealand. It ranks 13th among the exporters of goods to and 17th among the importers of commodities from the latter. Bilateral trade sustained good growth to top US$1.3 billion in 2021 despite the COVID-19 pandemic’s impacts. It stood at US$1.4 billion in 2022, US$1.3 billion in 2023, and US$113 million in January 2024, statistics show.
Vietnam’s main exports to New Zealand include telephones and components, computers, electronic products and components, aquatic products, cashew nut, and footwear. Meanwhile, the Southeast Asian country mainly imports milk and dairy products, fruits, timber, textile - garment and footwear materials, machinery, equipment, tools, spare parts, and steel from the South Pacific nation.
As of November 2023, New Zealand had invested in 52 projects worth 208.35 million USD in Vietnam, ranking 39th among the 143 countries and territories investing in the latter. Meanwhile, Vietnam now has 10 investment projects with registered capital totaling 37.8 million USD in New Zealand.
New Zealand’s official development assistance (ODA) for Vietnam has gradually increased over years, from 3.2 million NZD (US$2.3 million) in the 2003 - 2004 fiscal year to NZD10.5 million in 2012 - 2013, and NZD26.66 million in 2015 - 2018. It pledged NZD26.7 million in non-refundable ODA for the period from July 1, 2021 to July 30, 2024, with a focus on agriculture, climate change response, education, and COVID-19 response.
Educational cooperation is a highlight of bilateral relations. Learning in New Zealand is now a popular choice of Vietnamese students who number about 3,000 there at present.
Besides, people-to-people exchanges and the partnerships in labour, agriculture, security - defence, and culture are also among the priorities of bilateral ties. The two countries are implementing some new cooperation areas like climate change fight, digital transformation, and energy transition.
There are about 11,000 Vietnamese people in New Zealand, mainly in Auckland, Christchurch, and Wellington.
The cooperation results obtained so far are considered a positive basis for the countries to foster cooperation in both bilateral and multilateral aspects so as to reap tangible outcomes on the threshold of the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations and the fifth anniversary of the strategic partnership in 2025.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet said that during PM Chinh’s visit to New Zealand, the two countries will continue discussing measures for further strengthening collaboration, including in trade, investment, people-to-people links, labour, education - training, agriculture, and expansion of their markets to each other’s high-quality farm produce.
