President of the city’s Vietnam-America Friendship Association Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong and American Consul General in HCM City Kenneth Fairfax made the statement at a celebration of America’s Independence Day (4 July) in the city.

President Phuong said both sides need to make further steps to build up the friendship to a new level, worthy of Vietnam’s rising position in the region and the world.

According to Fairfax, Vietnam now ranks 8^th among countries who have the most students studying in America’s universities and colleges with over 10,000 students.

America is one of the Vietnam’s top 10 foreign investors, especially FDI.