Statistics show that the overseas Vietnamese community currently has about 6 million overseas Vietnamese living, working and studying in 130 countries and territories around the world.
According to estimates, those with a university degree or higher account for about 10-12% of the community of nearly 6 million overseas Vietnamese, equivalent to about 600,000 people. Many scientists are famous in new and high-tech fields that Vietnam needs, such as information technology, electronics, telecommunications, machine manufacturing, cybernetics, biotechnology, space technology, new materials, nanotechnology, energy, economic management, finance and banking.
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| Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh meets outstanding overseas Vietnamese attending the Spring Homeland program 2023. (Photo: VNA) |
The Vietnamese workforce working abroad contributes financially and becomes a human resource for the country with vocational skills and experience after being trained in foreign environments. When returning, most of them have stable jobs. Some are able to establish businesses and production facilities with capital accumulated after many years of working abroad.
Vietnamese businessmen are present in most countries and territories in the world, have economic potential and have increasing influence not only on the community but also on the local government. Vietnamese businessmen abroad are the most active force in bringing Vietnamese goods into many markets around the world, forming distribution networks with many trade centres, organizations or business associations of industries, especially strong products such as garments, footwear, agricultural products, food and handicrafts.
According to recent statistics, overseas Vietnamese from 35 countries and territories have invested in 385 FDI projects in 42 out of 63 provinces and cities across Vietnam with a total registered capital of 1.72 billion USD. Besides, there is also overseas Vietnamese’s investment capital in the country in other indirect forms or in the form of domestic investment. Investment and business activities of overseas Vietnamese have contributed to promoting socio-economic development, creating jobs for local employees and increasing tax revenue for the state budget.
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Overseas Vietnamese delegation attends Hung King's death anniversary 2023.
(Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs) |
In addition, the amount of remittances sent home from 1993 (the first year of remittance statistics) to 2022 reached over 190 billion USD, nearly equal to disbursed FDI capital in the same period. Remittances sent to the country have increased steadily every year, even in the difficult context of the COVID-19 epidemic. Vietnam has been in the top 10 countries receiving remittances in the world for many consecutive years.
Overseas Vietnamese in other countries are increasingly integrated into the host society, have a stronger position, and participate in the political system at different levels such as in the US, Germany, Japan, New Zealand and Australia. The number of Vietnamese and Vietnamese origin people participating in and holding important positions in international organizations also tends to increase.
Despite different political viewpoints and attitudes, the overseas Vietnamese community's spirit is clearly shown in the desire to contribute to protecting the country's sovereignty over the territories, sea and islands.
Overseas Vietnamese also increasingly fill the role of bridging culture, cuisine, language, promoting the country's image and Vietnamese tourism; making important contributions to connectivity, strengthening foreign relations, people-to-people exchanges, and cultural exchanges between Vietnam and countries around the world.
According to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang, Chairwoman of the State Commission for Overseas Vietnamese, the potential of overseas Vietnamese in terms of human resources, material resources, and intelligence is still very large, that can be considered an external force and is also the internal force promoting the country's development. We need to be truly aware of the position and role of overseas Vietnamese resources in the cause of development of the country. It is necessary to remove bottlenecks in mobilizing these important resources in order to achieve the goal of developing a prosperous and happy country as set out by the 13th National Party Congress.
Accordingly, it is necessary to review and have specific instructions to remove obstacles in implementing regulations on encouraging overseas Vietnamese to participate in activities in all fields in Vietnam, especially those fields of science and technology; simplify administrative procedures, boldly empowering, expanding decentralization and increasing autonomy for ministries, sectors, localities and establishments that need to employ overseas Vietnamese experts and intellectuals to work.
In addition, it is necessary to focus on creating a professional and modern scientific research and working environment, therefore, to recruit overseas Vietnamese talents, experts, and intellectuals to work in the long-term, contributing to improving the country's endogenous capacity in science and technology.
Each locality, ministry and sector needs to build flexible strategies and policies based on its characteristics and practical needs to utilize appropriate talented human resources; have policies to effectively use skilled employees trained in developed countries; boldly creating opportunities for young talents and excellent graduates abroad returning to the homeland.
It is necessary to invest financial resources in developing and implementing plans and projects to attract overseas Vietnamese resources such as building a database of overseas Vietnamese experts and intellectuals; and support overseas Vietnamese experts and intellectuals abroad to return home to work./.