According to the Ambassador, economic relations are one of the top important pillars. Vietnam is currently the 8th largest trading partner of the US, while the US is Vietnam's largest export market. The two countries have many large investment projects, and at the same time, more and more Vietnamese investors are looking for opportunities in the US. In May 2025, more than 100 Vietnamese representatives attended the Select USA Investment Summit, the largest delegation ever, showing Vietnam's importance to investment in the US.
The pillar of education also plays an essential role. Vietnam is currently the 6th largest country with the largest number of international students in the US, with about 30,000 people. If including short-term programs and exchanges, the number of Vietnamese people connected to the US education system is about 300,000 people. The Ambassador hopes that more young people, scholars and students from the US will come to Vietnam. Last April, a delegation of representatives from 21 American universities visited Vietnam to promote cooperation, of which 20 schools are actively working with Vietnamese educational institutions.
In the health sector, cooperation between Vietnam and the US began in 2005 with the HIV/AIDS prevention and control program (PEPFAR) and then expanded to prevent and control tuberculosis and the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ambassador emphasized that during the difficult period, the two sides have supported each other: Vietnam provided masks and protective equipment to the US, while the US supported 44 million doses of Pfizer vaccine to Vietnam, helping to vaccinate about 22 million people, equivalent to 1/5 of the population. Although the pandemic has since largely shifted, the two countries are still maintaining medical cooperation to prepare for future challenges.
Regarding defense, the Ambassador stated that defense cooperation is another important pillar, reflecting the growing strategic trust between the two countries.
The Ambassador specifically mentioned high-tech cooperation. The upgrading of bilateral relations between Vietnam and the US to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2023 is a historic achievement, in which the semiconductor and high-tech sectors are the highlight. Vietnam is assessed to have the capacity and willingness to participate more deeply in the global value chain in this field.
The US and Vietnam are cooperating at the government and private levels to enhance education and training of high-tech human resources. Many American universities such as Purdue University and Portland State University are collaborating with businesses such as Intel to build training and research capacity in Vietnam. The Ambassador said that leading US technology companies such as Nvidia, Qualcomm, Marvel, Synopsys are present and play an important role in Vietnam's high-tech ecosystem. He emphasized that the US wants to accompany Vietnam in the journey of high-tech development for the common interests of the two countries.
In addition, the US also supports Vietnam's efforts to improve English proficiency. The Ambassador welcomed the Vietnamese Government's goal of making English the second official language in education. The US is supporting through English centers, exchange programs such as YSEALI and Global UGRAD, to open up learning opportunities and high-tech access for Vietnamese youth.
Looking back at 30 years of Vietnam-US relations, Ambassador Marc Knapper said that the two countries have made great strides, with increasingly deep trust and understanding of each other. The Ambassador expressed his confidence that the Vietnam - US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will continue to develop strongly in the coming time.
