Vietnam Business Association in China Strengthens Trade and Investment

Tra My, head of the Vietnam Business Association in China, shared with the Vietnam Times about the association's activities in strengthening trade and investment, introducing agricultural products and Made in Vietnam products to the market.

Rosie Nguyen

ngtrang12.ftu@gmail.com March 28, 2022 | 17:45

Vietnam Business Association in China Strengthens Trade and Investment

Tra My, head of the Vietnam Business Association in China.

Overseas Vietnamese always look to their homeland

Having studied and worked in China for many years, what makes you always think about your homeland?

I have been studying, living and working in North China for more than 13 years now. This place is closer to Korea, near Japan, closer to Russia and Mongolia in terms of geographical location. There are few Vietnamese here, so I miss home, my hometown, my family and friends. I also miss the meals at my hometown.

In a foreign country, each overseas Vietnamese will represent the image of the country and people of Vietnam. As a PhD, I value that even more. Therefore, when I set up a career in a foreign country, I chose a career related to natural rubber - considered the "white gold" of Vietnam.

Can you tell us about the Vietnam Business Association in China, about the members of the Association?

After many years of working in China, I have been in contact with and familiar with many Chinese enterprises. I attend many trade-investment events, fairs, exhibitions, international conferences in the host country.

I found that 19 developed countries all have official business associations in China. They operate strongly and become an indispensable economic, trade and investment bridge between the two countries.

Therefore, the Vietnam Business Association in China will be an organization to promptly share economic, trade information and opportunities.

With that idea in mind, after returning home to attend the Homeland Spring, meeting Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, I asked to establish the Association. I was supported, guided, and directed by the Business Association of Overseas Vietnamese (BAOOV) - Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Members of the Vietnam Business Association in China.

Currently, our Association is a provisional organization. We are carrying out a strict and methodical order according to the requirements of the Chinese government.

We have now successfully connected 38 Vietnamese entrepreneurs and individuals who have lived and worked in China for many years. People come to China to study and research. They know the market here, then decide to stay and establish a business here.

Among the current business team, 80% have a university degree or higher, of which 58% have a master's and doctoral degree. They are all overseas Vietnamese, intellectuals who always look to the homeland and country.

This is a favorable factor because we represent the strength of intellect, creativity, enthusiasm and dynamism, which determines the success and sustainability of the Association's activities.

However, we also encountered many difficulties. The order of incorporation in China is strict with foreign associations. Therefore, I am trying to find all 50 members and strictly follow the steps according to the regulations of the host country.

Tra My introduces Vietnam's investment attraction policy at the China International Trade and Investment Forum.

We are also fortunate to have always been supported by the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, the Association of Vietnamese Entrepreneurs Abroad and the Vietnamese Embassy in China.

Tra My supports LIC Group to come to Vietnam to open a wool weaving factory in 2022.

Enterprises should register intellectual property, logo in China

As a bridge between Vietnam-China businesses, between localities of the two countries, what are the advantages and disadvantages and what suggestions does the association have to strengthen bilateral cooperation between Vietnam and China?

Regarding the proposal to strengthen bilateral cooperation between Vietnam and China, our strength is that we quickly grasp and have early information about the needs of this huge market. However, we are missing a Vietnamese information channel. For example, with the goods that Chinese businesses need, who should we send them to? To which organization or business in Vietnam?

We also hope to have direct connections with organizations and associations in Vietnam so that we can receive early demand from Chinese businesses. We are also ready to support if Vietnamese businesses want to introduce Vietnamese brands to the Chinese market.

Businesses should register their intellectual property and trademark logos in China first, if they intend to bring products to China. If you need help, we're always here.

13 years of missing Vietnamese New Year

“For many years now, because I am not familiar with the food here, I often crave a home-cooked meal, the salty smell of fish sauce, the sour taste of eggplant or braised fish. Many times in my dreams, I often find myself forgetting to buy doughnut to take away, before each flight to leave the country," Tra My said.

She said that if there was no pandemic, she would return to Vietnam 5-6 times a year. Currently, when she craves home food, she has to fly down to Guangxi, the Chinese land bordering Vietnam, or go to Shanghai, just to eat a bowl of pho or a meal like at home.

Chinese Foreign Minister Arrives in India For Talks

There was no official confirmation of Wang Yi's visit by Indian authorities, which comes after New Delhi rebuked the Chinese minister for remarks made in ...