(Photo: Nhat Minh/Vietnam+)
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In its 80-year journey towards independence and nation-building, Vietnam has turned the impossible into possible by persevering through countless challenging periods.
This was shared by Mr. Clement Ngu, a correspondent for Nikkei Asia in the UK, in a recent interview with Vietnam News Agency’s reporter in the UK on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (September 2, 1945 – September 2, 2025).
To support his viewpoint, Mr. Clement pointed out Vietnam’s successful resistance wars against French colonialists and American imperialists, the determination and efforts to lift the country out of poverty after the wars, as well as its remarkable international achievements.
In terms of specific socio-economic accomplishments, Mr. Clement highlighted that since the Doi Moi (Renewal) policy in 1986, Vietnam’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has increased a hundredfold, and per capita GDP has grown more than sixfold, rising from below $700 to nearly $4,500 in 2023.
Vietnam has also made impressive strides in poverty reduction, with the poverty rate dropping from about 58% in the early 1990s to below 5% in 2020.
The country reached another remarkable milestone in the late 1980s when it transformed from a food importer to a significant agricultural exporter thanks to Resolution 10 on agricultural management reform (“Khoán 10”), which paved the way for agricultural development and eliminated bureaucratic centralism by granting autonomy to farmers.
In the 2000s, a wave of state-owned enterprise reforms and encouragement for private economic development propelled the private sector to become a vital driver of employment and innovation.
Mr. Clement asserted that over the past 80 years, Vietnam has consistently developed, recording economic growth in the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s. This growth trajectory continues to the present day. The Vietnamese government aims for a GDP increase of over 8% this year and double-digit growth next year.
In terms of foreign relations, Vietnam has also made significant strides with its policy of befriending all nations. Mr. Clement affirmed that Vietnam is an active member of the international community, always open to cooperation and playing a positive role in fostering international peace.
Journalist Clement Ngu, correspondent for Nikkei Asia in the UK. (Photo: Huu Tien/VNA)
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He cited Vietnam’s ability to move beyond old narratives and build relations with the US, the hosting of the US-DPRK summit in Hanoi in 2019, and the recent visits of leaders from China, Russia, and the US within just nine months as testaments to this.
According to Mr. Clement, the primary reason for these achievements is Vietnam’s unique position and strength as a nation adept at maneuvering and cooperating with multiple countries, including competing superpowers.
He attributed these accomplishments to Vietnam’s multilateral diplomacy, whereby the country asserts itself in an era of competition among major powers, turning this competition into benefits for Vietnam.
Meanwhile, Vietnam’s economic achievements demonstrate the openness of its people and leaders at both central and local levels.
This openness pertains to trade and the private business sector, with central-level leaders embracing an entrepreneurial spirit, willing to take risks, and enabling and supporting private sector development, along with implementing mechanisms to attract international investors.
Mr. Clement assessed that the goal of becoming a developed, high-income country by 2045 is ambitious, but Vietnam – with its stable politics – is doing everything in its power and is well on its way to achieving this goal. It has identified key sectors to drive growth, such as the semiconductor industry and international finance, and has implemented significant resolutions on institutional reform, scientific and technological development, and international integration, especially the 68-NQ/TW Resolution of the Politburo on private economic development.
Minh Hop-Huu Tien-Phong Ha
– 14:44 17/08/2025
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