Ho Chi Minh City vice-chairman borrows Liverpool anthem to describe Vietnam-UK ties

The British Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City hosted a celebration of King Charles III's 78th birthday at the Reunification Palace in Ben Thanh Ward on Friday evening.

The event also marked the first anniversary of the Vietnam-UK comprehensive strategic partnership.

'We will never walk alone'

In his opening remarks, Vu recalled the milestone of Vietnam and the United Kingdom upgrading their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership one year ago.

He said 2026 had seen numerous substantive meetings and exchanges between Ho Chi Minh City and British partners, including UK Trade Envoy Matt Western, Lady Mayor of the City of London Dame Susan Langley and Baroness Winterton, the UK's Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Indo-Pacific.

Vu particularly praised British Ambassador Iain Frew, whom he described as an ambassador for the Vietnam International Financial Center in Ho Chi Minh City. He noted that Frew promoted the financial center wherever he went.

Vu quoted the ambassador as saying: "The International Financial Center is a strategic point in the relationship between Vietnam and the UK. And for Ho Chi Minh City, the International Financial Center is a strategic product in this strategic relationship."

He said ties between Vietnam and the UK were not limited to the national level but were also reflected in local partnerships, including the friendship between Ho Chi Minh City and the Liverpool City Region.

Beyond trade and finance, the closeness between the city and the UK was also reflected in cultural exchanges, including those associated with The Beatles, the legendary band closely linked to Liverpool.

Cultural exchange activities between Ho Chi Minh City and Liverpool are among several practical initiatives to implement a memorandum of understanding signed between the city and the Liverpool City Region.

"If you are a Liverpool football fan, at Anfield, we often sing the song 'You'll Never Walk Alone'. Ho Chi Minh City and our British partners will certainly never walk alone," Vu said.

"We will move forward together in areas ranging from green growth to sustainable development, from more efficient metro services to the international financial center, as well as turning the commitments of the Vietnam-UK comprehensive strategic partnership into concrete outcomes."

Concluding his speech, Vu invited guests to raise a toast to King Charles III's birthday, wished the United Kingdom prosperity and expressed hope that cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and its British partners would continue to grow stronger and bear fruit.

Turning commitments on paper into reality

At the event, British Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Alexandra Smith also reflected on a year of significant progress in Vietnam-UK relations.

She said it was the people who had built ties with the city who had turned the comprehensive strategic partnership from words on paper into reality in Ho Chi Minh City.

Their joint efforts over the past year had strengthened bilateral relations, which were underpinned by bilateral trade worth £10.5 billion (US$13.9 billion), she said.

British Ambassador to Vietnam Iain Frew also described the past year as a dynamic period for bilateral relations, noting that trade had doubled compared with six years earlier and that the partnership's potential was gradually being realized across various fields.

Education remained a key pillar, from Chevening scholars to the October visit by Baroness Smith, aimed at promoting partnerships between schools and universities, English-language teaching and vocational skills.

In finance, this was the third consecutive year that the Lady Mayor of the City of London had visited Vietnam to help realize the potential of the Vietnam International Financial Center.

Across these areas, the UK was bringing its leading expertise to support Vietnam's vision of double-digit economic growth and its goal of becoming a high-income country by 2045, Frew said.

Against an unpredictable international backdrop, the two countries were increasingly aligned in their emphasis on international law, shared multilateral institutions, and regional peace and security.

The Royal Navy vessel HMS Spey called at Ho Chi Minh City three weeks ago, which Frew described as a symbol of maritime cooperation and the two countries' commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The two countries also held their ministerial-level strategic dialogue in London last week, reviewing progress since their relationship was upgraded one year ago.

Frew added jokingly: "The first anniversary is traditionally symbolized by paper, and as diplomats, we love paperwork. So, as we celebrate this relationship, we recommit ourselves to turning all the ambitions of the comprehensive strategic partnership signed on paper into reality."