It is necessary “to pay more attention to improving life for ethnic Chinese so that they consider themselves equal citizens in Vietnam,” the deputy PM said.

Nearly 17,400 enterprises are owned by ethnic Chinese in Vietnam, with more than 14,100 or 81 percent centered in Ho Chi Minh City. They have made remarkable contributions to economic development and generated jobs for tens of thousands of people in the city.

The Chinese community plays an integral role in various strata of society. Nearly 3,000 are Party members with 1,066 participating in the Party Committees and the People’s Councils at all levels. An additional 12,782 are youth union members.

The Ministry of Education and Training has been playing its part in preserving Chinese culture by supporting 102 Chinese language schools and centres, educating 65,000 students.