Australia and Vietnam are strong partners with shared strategic interests in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region

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Mù Cang Chải, Mù Cang Chải District, Yên Bái, Vietnam

Australia and Vietnam are strong partners with shared strategic interests in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region based on international law. This is complemented by our bilateral trading relationship, which has been one of Australia’s fastest-growing in recent years; our expanding educational and innovation links; and Australia’s role as a long-term, constructive development partner. Looking beyond differences in our political systems, the relationship has matured into one of our most important in the region.

On 15 March 2018, Australia and Vietnam officially elevated relations by signing a Joint Statement on the Establishment of a Strategic Partnership between Australia and Vietnam in Canberra. During Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s official visit to Vietnam in August 2019, Australia and Vietnam agreed that the Plan of Action for the Strategic Partnership for the period of 2020-2023 would focus on three priority areas: enhancing economic engagement; deepening strategic, defence and security cooperation; and building knowledge and innovation partnerships.

A strong program of two-way visits and dialogues has strengthened relations at senior levels.

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Mù Cang Chải, Mù Cang Chải District, Yên Bái, Vietnam

Enhancing economic engagement

Australia’s total two-way trade with Vietnam in 2019 was valued at $15.5 billion (6.3 per cent goods and services growth in 2019). Vietnam is Australia’s fourteenth largest trading partner (2019) and Australia is estimated to be Vietnam’s fourteenth largest trading partner (2018). Total two-way goods trade for 2019 was $12.2 billion. Total two-way services trade for 2019 was $3.4 billion.

Vietnam’s strong economic growth, a shift towards a more market-based economy, and expanding middle-class have increased demand for imported goods, creating significant opportunities for Australian exporters of energy, dairy, meat, consumer goods, wheat and grains, machinery, and professional services.

Colours of the market, Hanoi, Vietnam

"Prime Ministers agreed to develop an Enhanced Economic Engagement Strategy"

Nha Trang, Vietnam

Formal defence relations between Australia and Vietnam were established in February 1998, with the opening of a Defence Attaché Office at the Australian Embassy in Hanoi in 1999. Vietnam’s first Defence Attaché to Australia commenced in September 2000.

Our Defence Cooperation Program ($3.1 million in 2019-20) focuses on: peacekeeping, including cooperation on Women Peace and Security and support for Vietnam’s deployment to the UN Mission to South Sudan; training and education, including English language training; counter-terrorism cooperation; maritime security, including annual ship visits; and military medicine. Australia also cooperates closely with Vietnam in the ASEAN Regional Forum and ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus.

Nha Trang, Vietnam

Building knowledge and innovation partnerships

Australia is a leading education destination for Vietnamese students, with 26,050 Vietnamese students in Australia in 2019. Vietnam is Australia’s fifth largest source of foreign students.

Australia collaborates on many education and training initiatives with Vietnam, including in quality assurance, qualification recognition and vocational education; facilitating institution-to-institution partnerships; and supporting vibrant Australian alumni associations.

References

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James Lead
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