Vietnam, one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, is one of New Zealand’s key relationships in Southeast Asia with key sectors of cooperation given to education, labor, and trade. 

Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Wellington on March 11. Photo: VGP

The statement was reaffirmed in a press release today [March 11] during the official visit to Wellington paid by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, the first trip by a Vietnamese government leader over the past seven years.

“We have built great momentum in our bilateral relationship since the upgrade of our relationship to a Strategic Partnership in 2020,” said the statement.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon reaffirmed the enduring friendship and Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and New Zealand, underpinned by strong people-to-people links and close cooperation in areas of diplomacy, economics, trade and investment, education, labor, science and technology.

The two governments discussed opportunities to significantly boost annual two-way trade to a new goal of US$3 billion in 2026 with a focus on tourism and education while removing non-tariff barriers, accelerating trade promotion activities, fully committing to existing FTAs, and studying measures to promote greater investment in both directions.

Currently, Vietnam is New Zealand’s 14th largest trading partner with two-way trade reaching $1.3 billion.

The Prime Ministers welcomed plans to progress cooperation in the education sector through the new Education Engagement Arrangement focusing on institution-to-institution partnerships in the tertiary sector, innovative education models via digital capability tools and alumni engagement.

Other agreements were inked during the visit, with one on economic and trade cooperation signed by Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade and New Zealander Minister of Trade Todd McClay. Meanwhile, a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation was signed by Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Finance Bui Van Khang and Chief Executive of the Treasury of New Zealand Caralee McLiesh.   

The visit paid by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is the first paid by a Vietnamese government leader to the country in the past seven years. Photo: New Zealand Embassy in Hanoi

Prime Minister Luxon announced a new NZD6.24 million (US$3.85 million) investment in Vietnam’s horticulture sector – the Vietnam Climate-Smart Fruit Value Chain (VietFruit) project, delivered through a partnership with the New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research to support climate and economic resilience in Vietnam’s passionfruit industry. It follows the highly successful New Zealand-funded dragon fruit project in the Southeast Asian country.

The two countries also announced plans for a bilateral Oceans Dialogue in 2024 on international law, maritime governance, and marine conservation. The government leaders reiterated the two countries’ determination to respect international law, including the United Nations Charter and UNCLOS. At the same time, they highlighted their commitment to working together and with other international partners to contribute to regional peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, including in the South China Sea (called the East Sea by Vietnam).

The Prime Ministers saw the upcoming 50th anniversary of their countries’ diplomatic ties (in 2025) as a great chance to deepen their partnership and explore new areas of shared interest, like agri-tech, green economy, and digital transformation in response to climate change.

Together, Vietnam and New Zealand have made great strides toward implementing our Action Plan for the years 2021–2024, yielding notable results in the areas of economic and trade initiatives, labor, education, security, and defense.

“Prime Minister Luxon and I have agreed to accelerate the exchange of high-level visits and contacts, and to actively implement cooperation mechanisms as we look forward to elevating our bilateral relations to a higher level in the near future,” said Prime Minister Chinh.

On this occasion, Luxon has accepted Chinh’s invitation to undertake an official visit to Vietnam at a mutually convenient time. 

The two prime ministers witness the signing of an agreement on financial cooperation. Photo: VGP

Education cooperation

Indeed, education becomes one of three fields getting a new boost in Vietnam-New Zealand relations visit an agreement on education cooperation for the 2023-2026 period signed by Vietnamese Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son and New Zealander Minister of Education Penny Simmonds.

“The New Zealand government is committed to boosting international education and diversifying our international education markets. Prime Minister Chinh and I discussed opportunities for more Vietnamese students to study at our world-class universities,” said Prime Minister Luxon.

With its top-notch educational system, New Zealand is a popular destination for international students from all over the world. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, around 5,000 Vietnamese students studied in New Zealand.

During the trip, Prime Minister Chinh met Professor Neil Quigley, Vice Chancellor of Waikato University and Chair of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand to expect the university’s extensive cooperation in developing human resources in Vietnam by opening more branches in the country.

In cooperation with National Economics University (NEU) – Hanoi, Waikato’s programs can be completed entirely in Vietnam but students have the opportunity to undertake study in New Zealand as part of their degree program if they wish.

Waikato University and several Vietnamese universities exchanged four cooperation agreements. To honor his contributions to the two countries’ education cooperation, Vietnamese Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son presented the “For the Cause of Vietnam’s Education” insignia to Prof Quigley.

In another move, Prime Minister Chinh had a working session with a group of Vietnamese professionals working in New Zealand (VietTech NZ) in Auckland. The group has conducted a number of specific projects and programs and cooperated with Vietnamese partners in sci-tech, education, health care, energy, trade, planning, and environment to support Vietnam.