Currently, the overseas Vietnamese (OVs) community has approximate 5.3 million people living and working in over 130 countries and territories worldwide.  In the face of changes in the international context and the growth in the number and geographical expansion of the OV community worldwide, the Politburo, on August 12, 2021, issued Conclusion No. 12 -KL/TW adverting many key contents on work related to OV in the new situation.

Chairman of the Da Nang People's Committee Le Trung Chinh (middle) presents certificates of merit to Ms Cécile Le Pham (fourth, right), Vice President of French Association for Orphans and Destitute Children in Viet Nam (ASSORV) and other organizations, individuals on the occasion of meeting foreigners in Lunar New Year 2021. Photo: Reporter.

Conclusion No. 12-KL/TW proposes 6 groups of tasks and solutions for the work related to OVs in the new situation, namely implementing the policy of great solidarity; supporting OVs to have a solid legal position, stabilising life in the host country; promoting the resources of OVs; preserving Vietnamese language, enhancing national cultural identity; boosting external information towards OVss; mechanism of coordination and organisation of the apparatus to do OVs’ affairs.

In particular, the conclusion highlights the sense of responsibility in the implementation of the policy of great national solidarity towards the Vietnamese people; emphasising the advocacy towards the younger generation of expatriates; persistently campaigning to help OVs strengthen their beliefs, awareness and actions in accordance with national interests.

In Da Nang, on the basis of the guidelines and policies of the Communist Party and the Government, the city has gradually mobilized overseas Vietnamese experts and intellectuals to participate in programs and projects in many fields, in tandem with acting as a bridge to promote international cooperation and develop friendly relations between the city and foreign localities.

Typically, a number of overseas intellectuals have joined outstanding cooperation programmes with typical cities in the field of science and technology. Notable amongst them were Mr. Nguyen Dang Khoa, residing in the U.S., who supported the establishment of the Da Nang Circuit Design Centre; Prof. Dr. Le Thanh Nhan, French expatriat, deploying the research and application of LoRa wireless technology, artificial intelligence in smart application deployment in Da Nang; Prof. Dr. Nguyen Truong Hai, residing in the U.S., supporting teaching training courses for software engineers at IT enterprises in the city.

The city has also collected enthusiastic opinions made by OVs for the city's development. For example, Mr Bao Hoa has proposed to promote the establishment of a representative office of Da Nang in Silicon Valley, California whilst Mr Ly Xuong Can, the Viet Nam - Korea Tourism Ambassador, has exchanged thoughts, aspirations and recommendations on a number of issues related to the city's tourism development.

Apart from that, the city has also built and maintained good cooperative relations with a host of expatriates who are leaders of foreign NGOs such as Ms Cecile Le Pham, Vice President of ASSORV, Ms Thanh Armagost, representative of Friends of Da Nang, thereby successfully campaigning for many humanitarian aid programmes and projects, supporting child-rearing and education in some difficult locations across the city.

Moreover, during days the city facing the complicated situation of COVID-19, Quang Nam - Da Nang compatriots in the U.S., Italy, Japan, Taiwan (China) and some other OV individuals have supported cash, medical equipment and children's clothes, gifts to households facing difficulties due to the influence of the pandemic as well as frontline workers fighting against the pandemic.

In particular, Mr Tran Thang, residing in the U.S., has presented Da Nang 150 maps and two atlantes proving Viet Nam's legitimate sovereignty over the archipelagos of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa in an active response to the call made by the Communist Party and the national government to defend the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Thereby, creating a ripple effect for domestic and international people together with researchers, contributing to raising people's awareness about sovereignty over sea and islands.

In the coming time, Da Nang firstly needs to raise awareness and synchronous coordination of the whole political system for OVs-related work; strengthen the effective implementation of the city's guidelines and policies on OVs-related work; consolidate and assign cadres to work in OVs-related affairs at departments and grassroots localities.

Secondly, promoting foreign information activities, publicise policies and laws of the Communist Party and Government to OVs via numerous forms; strengthening contact, exchange and connection with OVs, creating trust and strengthening the connection between the expatriate community and the homeland.

Thirdly, continuing to review and simplify administrative procedures related to OVs-related work; researching and proposing specific local policies to attract overseas experts and intellectuals.

Fourthly, mobilizing human resources, especially young intellectuals to participate in economic, scientific and technological activities, start-up projects, innovation and smart city construction, connecting with several regions and countries with many expatriates living to support city businesses to access, connect trade, cooperate in investment and business, introduce local products to foreign countries; attracting investment from OVs in key projects in the period of 2020-2025 and priority field to attract investment of the city.

Fifthly, continuing to maintain and improve the operational efficiency of the Vietnamese language centres has been invested in the South - Central Laos provinces; researching and proposing programmes to support OVs in Laos and Cambodia; strengthening the protection of citizens; fighting to prevent activities of sending people out of the country illegally, deceiving in labour export.

All in all, the participation of the whole city’s political system is decisive in order to effectively implement these above-mentioned contents. In addition, Da Nang City has also strengthened coordination with the State Committee on Overseas Vietnamese under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Overseas Vietnamese in Ho Chi Minh City, in tandem with learning best practices and experiences from neighbouring provinces and taking advantage of the support of Vietnamese representative agencies abroad in mobilizing OV to return to the homeland, contributing their heart, their mind and energy to the city's development.

Reporting by NGUYEN THUY ANH
Deputy Director of the Da Nang Department of Foreign Affairs 
Translating by T.VY