Vietnamese expatriates in Australia raised opinions and expressed their aspirations while meeting with officials of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee in Sydney on December 7.

Tran Ba Phuc, Chairman of the Vietnam Business Association of Australia (VBAA), said the Vietnamese community here number more than 320,000, along with nearly 30,000 students.

Since this year marks the 45th anniversary of the countries’ diplomatic ties and witnesses the upgrade of bilateral ties to a strategic partnership, a number of high-level mutual visits have been organised, including a trip to Australia by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc last March. The VBAA has also worked with Vietnam’ representative agencies to organise many practical events popularising the country’s images in Australia and promoting bilateral trade and investment, he noted.

Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Business Association of Australia Peter Hong (standing) speaks at the meeting with VFF officials in Sydney on December 7 (Photo: VNA)

At the meeting, the expatriates pointed out obstacles to applying to keep Vietnamese nationality. They also asked for books teaching Vietnamese to be posted on the Internet so that their children can have easier access since similar books in Australia have become outdated.

They raised questions about procedures for investing in Vietnam, noting that they want to contribute to the homeland’s development.

Some representatives of the community also called for policies to be reformed so that they can help apply Australia’s advanced technologies and experience in Vietnam, especially in the fields of Australia’s strength like education and hi-tech agriculture.

Welcoming the opinions, Hau A Lenh, member of the Party Central Committee and Vice President and Secretary General of the VFF Central Committee, noted this visit is a chance to listen to opinions of the overseas community, including entrepreneurs.

He said he is proud that regardless of what their jobs are or what positions they hold, the expatriates still have confidence in Vietnam’s development and want to contribute to the homeland.

The official underlined the issue of how to capitalise on the human resources of nearly 30,000 Vietnamese students in Australia amid extensive international integration.

That the Vietnamese community is highly regarded and the Vietnamese language was recognised is a good chance to promote the language among young expatriates. However, more support in terms of textbooks from the country is still needed, Lenh admitted./.

VNF/VNA