Overseas Vietnamese help shape Vietnam’s global reputation: former German vice-chancellor

In a recent interview with Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper, Rösler, Honorary Consul of Vietnam in Zug, Switzerland, welcomed the Politburos’ Resolution No. 23 on overseas Vietnamese affairs.

He said that the resolution would elevate the status and strategic thinking surrounding engagement with the Vietnamese community abroad

He stressed that overseas Vietnamese represent an important resource for strengthening Vietnam’s national soft power.

“I think young people continuing to build and share their own success stories will be helpful for Vietnam’s reputation,” Rösler said.

“Vietnamese people abroad have a very good reputation.

“Whenever they demonstrate hard work, self-discipline and entrepreneurial spirit, they add to the reputational account of Vietnam.

“Successful Vietnamese living overseas can also become ambassadors for the spirit and mindset of Vietnam’s younger generation.”

He suggested that the government connect young Vietnamese across generations and borders.

Whether they grew up in the United States, Europe or elsewhere, and regardless of how different their paths may be, they share a common heritage and, in his view, a strong entrepreneurial spirit.

Many are building startups and small businesses.

If they demonstrate what Vietnamese people can achieve in the United States, Africa, Latin America or Europe, they can serve as role models for young people in Vietnam, showing that with entrepreneurship, hard work and discipline, it is possible to achieve great things both at home and abroad.

Ideally, those who succeed overseas could eventually return to Vietnam and help the next generation achieve even more in their homeland.

“I am very grateful for the opportunity to contribute to Vietnam,” Rösler said.

He underlined that he is only one of many as there are many Vietnamese people who care about the country and want to support and contribute to it.

The best approach is to bring these people together and build stronger connections, as the government is seeking to do.

This should include not only people of Vietnamese origin, but also honorary consuls and friends of Vietnam, he said.

Such strength could be developed through a global ‘Friends of Vietnam’ network, with overseas Vietnamese at its core and participation from people who have developed an affection for Vietnam through business relationships or family ties.

Resolution highlights role of overseas Vietnamese

Rösler said he considers the decision to mobilize resources from the Vietnamese community around the world to be the right one.

There are many people around the world with Vietnamese roots or connections who are willing to support and accompany Vietnam in its development, he said.

Although considerable efforts have already been made to identify, connect with and engage these people strategically, the potential of the overseas Vietnamese community remains far from fully tapped.

Therefore, the support from the government could provide additional momentum for building a community united by a shared interest in Vietnam, helping members feel that they are part of the broader Vietnamese family and encouraging them to contribute to the country.

Under the resolution, overseas Vietnamese are recognized not only as an inseparable part of the Vietnamese nation but also as a strategic resource that can help strengthen the country's overall capacity, serve as a bridge between Vietnam and the world, and participate directly in national development, integration, and defense.

The resolution also shifts the government's role from one focused on outreach, gathering, and supporting overseas Vietnamese to one centered on creating mechanisms and an enabling environment for them to make deeper contributions to the country's development.

Establishing and shaping a common support mechanism in this way could be highly effective and generate significant positive impacts for Vietnam, Rösler said.