On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the US (12.7. 1995 - 12.7.2025), US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper shared with the press about the pillars in the increasingly expanded, profound and substantive bilateral relationship.
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.
Last May, 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. He said that 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 program (PEPFAR) and later expanded to preventing tuberculosis and the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ambassador emphasized that although the pandemic has since since largely gone, 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 on 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. He emphasized that in the context of a volatile world, the two countries have common interests and goals in solving global challenges. The Ambassador expressed his confidence that the Vietnam - US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will continue to develop strongly in the coming time.
