Tran Ba Phuc: "Digital Front" Is Needed to Better Connect Overseas Vietnamese Communities

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- Could you share some of the outstanding contributions made by the Vietnamese community in Australia in implementing the action program of the Central Committee of the VFF during the past term?

During the past term, in my capacity as a member of the Central Committee of the VFF and President of the Vietnamese Business Association in Australia, I, together with the overseas Vietnamese community, closely coordinated with Vietnam’s representative agencies in Australia to carry out numerous activities that contributed to strengthening the Vietnam-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, particularly through the effective implementation of Action Program No. 5 on people-to-people diplomacy, international integration, and overseas Vietnamese affairs launched by the Standing Board of the Central Committee of the VFF.

One of the most notable highlights was the active role played by the Vietnamese Business Association in Australia in promoting trade connectivity, science and technology cooperation, and external relations between the two countries. During high-level visits by leaders of the Party and State, the Association coordinated the organization of various community engagement activities, helping deepen bilateral cooperation.

Tran Ba Phuc (far right) introduces ST25 - Vietnam’s world’s best rice - to Australian businesspeople and overseas Vietnamese. (Photo: Courtesy of the interviewee)

In the field of science and technology, the Vietnamese intellectual community in Australia has implemented numerous research and technology transfer projects, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI) and green technology. Many young entrepreneurs and overseas Vietnamese intellectuals have played an active role in connecting experts and scientists from both countries.

In terms of trade, the Association has organized numerous investment promotion seminars, introduced business cooperation opportunities, promoted Vietnamese products in Australia, and brought overseas Vietnamese business delegations back to Vietnam to explore investment opportunities. As a result, two-way trade turnover between Vietnam and Australia exceeded USD 14 billion in 2025, while total registered FDI from Australia surpassed USD 3 billion. These achievements were made possible in part thanks to the important contributions of the Vietnamese business community in Australia, which has served as a bridge between the two economies.

Many overseas Vietnamese entrepreneurs have also directly invested in Vietnam, creating jobs and promoting technology transfer, thereby demonstrating the spirit of “Vietnamese people using Vietnamese products, Vietnamese people investing in Vietnam.”

In addition, the Vietnamese community in Australia has consistently taken an active part in social welfare activities and supported the homeland whenever the country faced difficulties. When Super Typhoon Yagi in 2024 caused severe damage in northern provinces, and when Typhoon Bualoi in 2025 affected the north-central region, overseas Vietnamese in Australia quickly launched multiple fundraising campaigns to support people in recovering from the consequences of natural disasters.

Another highly meaningful contribution has been the preservation and promotion of Vietnamese cultural identity within the Vietnamese community in Australia. Numerous associations have continued organizing Lunar New Year celebrations, Mid-Autumn Festival events, and major national commemorations, while also offering Vietnamese language, culture, and traditional arts classes for younger generations. These activities not only strengthen the bond between overseas Vietnamese generations and their roots, but also help promote Vietnamese culture to international friends.

Tran Ba Phuc, President of the Vietnamese Business Association in Australia, attends the 11th National Congress of the Vietnam Fatherland Front. (Photo: Courtesy of the interviewee)

- What solutions would you propose to further enhance the role of the VFF in the new context?

Drawing from the practical experiences of the Vietnamese community in Australia, I would like to propose several solutions.

First, it is necessary to continue renewing and improving the effectiveness of outreach work toward overseas Vietnamese. The VFF should more effectively implement Conclusion No. 12-KL/TW on overseas Vietnamese affairs in the new context, while also innovating its approaches, particularly by paying greater attention to younger overseas Vietnamese generations - a force that is increasingly asserting its position in host societies and possesses significant potential to contribute to the homeland in both intellectual and material resources.

Second, mechanisms for receiving, responding to, and utilizing overseas Vietnamese initiatives and recommendations should be improved. At present, there are many overseas Vietnamese experts, intellectuals, and entrepreneurs with high levels of expertise, strong understanding of international practices, and a readiness to contribute to the country’s development programs. Therefore, transparent and timely response mechanisms should be established for overseas Vietnamese proposals, while networks of overseas Vietnamese experts and intellectuals in specific fields should also be developed with more practical and effective consultation mechanisms.

Third, it is necessary to promote the application of digital technology and artificial intelligence in Front work, with the goal of building a new-generation “Digital Front.”

In the digital era, geographical distance is no longer a barrier to connecting overseas Vietnamese with their homeland. In particular, the rapid development of AI is transforming the operational methods of organizations worldwide. Therefore, the VFF should proactively apply AI in mass mobilization and community connectivity efforts.

I propose that the VFF develop modern digital platforms integrated with AI so that Vietnamese people around the world can easily access information, interact, and regularly and conveniently contribute opinions to the VFF. This is not only a trend but also an inevitable requirement to improve the effectiveness of the VFF’s activities in the new period.

- What are your expectations for the Vietnamese community in Australia to contribute more effectively to the homeland in the coming time?

Currently, around 375,000 Vietnamese people are living, studying, and working in Australia. Although geographically far from the homeland, the Vietnamese community in Australia has always turned toward the motherland with both affection and concrete actions.

We are proud to be an inseparable part of the Vietnamese nation, always standing alongside the Party, the State, and the VFF in the cause of building a country that is “prosperous, strong, democratic, equitable, and civilized.”

We hope that the VFF will continue to pay attention to and create favorable conditions for overseas Vietnamese communities in general, and the Vietnamese community in Australia in particular, to have more opportunities to make practical and effective contributions to the homeland and the country.

In particular, we hope there will be more substantive mechanisms to ensure that the voices, initiatives, and dedication of overseas Vietnamese are truly heard, responded to, and promoted, so that every Vietnamese living far from home will always feel like an inseparable part of the Vietnamese nation.

- Thank you very much!

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