A year on, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership continues to generate momentum, and engagement at all levels is strong and growing.
The AVPI hosted an informal Experts in Conversation event in Sydney on 28 August 2025, bringing together new and existing members of the AVPI network.
The session was facilitated by Ms Louise Adams, Chief Executive Officer of Aurecon, Australia’s Southeast Asia Business Champion for Vietnam, and a member of the AVPI Advisory Board. Ms Adams was joined by Mr Andrew Goledzinowski AM, former Australian Ambassador to Vietnam and AVPI Fellow, and Dr Huong Le Thu, AVPI Advisory Board Chair and Deputy Director of the Asia Program at the International Crisis Group.
The dialogue explored the trajectory of the bilateral relationship in Vietnam’s “rising era”, one year on from the elevation of the Australia-Vietnam relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP). Themes included the implications of Vietnam’s ambitious domestic reforms for Australia, the need to unlock Australia’s private sector appetite for risk-adjusted investment in Vietnam, the strategic role of the Vietnamese diaspora, and opportunities for the two nations to collaborate as regional leaders amid global uncertainty.
Key Takeaways
- The CSP marks the beginning of a new phase in the relationship, not its culmination. After its first year, it is proving to be both a symbol of trust and a catalyst for action.
- While they generate some short-term uncertainty for potential investors, Vietnam’s domestic reforms signal opportunity.
- The wider unpredictability of the regional trading environment, including as a result of US tariffs, presents opportunity for closer economic engagement.
- Australia’s private sector must lift its ambition. Despite strong interest from Vietnam, Australian businesses remain overly cautious.
- The Vietnamese diaspora in Australia serves as a bridge to the future.
- Regional cooperation amplifies shared influence. As middle powers invested in ASEAN’s success, both Australia and Vietnam have scope to shape responses to regional volatility, from supply chain disruptions to climate and security challenges.
- Emerging sectors will define the next chapter of economic engagement. Growth in agritech, fintech, critical minerals, education, and digital transformation offers pathways for the relationship to evolve from traditional trade into future-oriented collaboration.
