Sydney (VNA) – Vietnam’s 30-year journey in ASEAN has cemented its role as a key regional player, said Harry Hoang, State Chapter President of the Vietnam-Australia Scholarꦏs and Experts Association (VASEA) and President of𓃲 the Vietnamese Business Association in Canberra in a recent interview with the Vietnam News Agency (VNA).

Hoang, a Medal of the Order of Australia recipient for community service, pointed to Vietnam’s strategic geographic location and diplomatic acumen in conflict management, making it a linchpin for trade flows between ASEAN, China, and Australia. Vietnam also played an active role in crafting and stepping up the signing of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), a major milestone in ensuring peace and security both within ASEAN and in the waters, he added. Over the past three decades, Vietnam’s steady economic growth has caught the eye of global investors betting on ASEAN’s potential. Hoang spotlighted its strides in green technology and multi-sector growth, which have diversified regional supply chains. As the first ASEAN nation to master both production and technology, Vietnam is driving a “Made in ASEAN” identity, Hoang said, positioning it as a catalyst for the bloc’s economic evolution. Vietnam’s economic rise is striking. Since joining ASEAN in 1995, it now leads in agricultural exports, technology, tourism, education, and green innovation. Its 2007 entry into the World Trade Organisation, just 12 years after joining ASEAN, signaled not only regional but global ambitions. Hoang cited Viettel’s telecom success in Myanmar as a prime example of Vietnam’s ability to export both products and expertise. The early agreement on a trade deal framework with the US has solidified Vietnam’s role in regional supply chains, Hoang added. ASEAN and Vietnam could establish a special reciprocal tax mechanism and jointly negotiate with the US to help the bloc maintain a balanced trade relationship between regions, he suggested. Hoang also pushed for an ASEAN-led infrastructure investment fund to reduce dependence on external powers, and urged innovation in technology tailored to local climates and resources to give ASEAN a competitive edge. Looking to 2045, Hoang predicted Vietnam could lead ASEAN in GDP, fueled by a tech-savvy workforce. He suggested Vietnam prioritise economic development alongside maintaining a sustainable green environment, explaining that as the world’s manufacturing hub, ASEAN is likely to face billions of tons of waste. Vietnam’s workforce, with its logic, persistence, and precision, is poised to dominate hi-tech manufacturing, Hoang noted, drawing parallels to India’s two-decade software dominance. Still, he cautioned that continued investment in sci-tech and youth empowerment is critical to sustaining Vietnam’s momentum while prioritising environment protection and global peacekeeping efforts./.