Last weekend, the Da Nang People’s Committee Vice Chairman, Mr Vo Duy Khuong, held a reception for a group from the US Institute for Global Engagement (IGE) led by its president, Dr Chris Seiple.

Dr Seiple thanked the city leaders for their warm welcome, and applauded the city for its rapid economic growth over recent years and for ensuring religious freedom.  He said that Da Nang has emerged as a model city for religious freedom, and promised to advertise the city’s positive image to other countries around the world.  He also vowed that he would do his utmost to boost bilateral cooperative relations between Da Nang and US localities.

Vice Chairman Khuong (third left) and IGE representatives

Vice Chairman Khuong said that Da Nang has so far established cooperative relationships with 32 foreign countries worldwide, including the USA.  Numerous memoranda of understanding on economic, educational and cultural cooperation have been signed between leaders of Da Nang and 30 localities of the USA.  Many non-governmental organisations in the USA have also effectively implemented humanitarian programmes to help the city’s disabled children and poor people, he added.

The city leader remarked that Da Nang is a Vietnamese city which has complied with the provisions for religious freedom in the Vietnamese Constitution and Law.  He also took the opportunity to refute untruthful information about human rights and religions in the city.  He asked the visitors to accurately report about the religious situation in the city, and Viet Nam in general, to the politicians and people of the USA when they return to their country.  This will help to provide an objective view of Da Nang, as well as enhance the bilateral cooperative ties between the USA and Da Nang, and Viet Nam as a whole.