PM Wong makes introductory visit to Vietnam, S'pore helping Vietnam gain administrative capability

Singapore's Prime Minister, Lawrence Wong, met with his Vietnamese counterpart, Pham Minh Chinh, in Hanoi during his introductory visit to Vietnam.

Introductory visit

Wong is visiting Vietnam from Mar. 25 to Mar. 26, 2025 his first visit since becoming prime minister in 2024.

He met Chinh in Hanoi on Mar. 25, who hosted him for an official dinner.

During the dinner, Wong gave a toast, thanking Chinh for the warm hospitality.

Wong lauded bilateral ties, reiterating that Singapore - Vietnam ties had recently been upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) less than a fortnight earlier when the Secretary-General of the Communist Party of Vietnam, To Lam, had visited Singapore.

Wong said that economic cooperation was at an all-time high, and there were now more Vietnam-Singapore Industrial parks than ever, with 20 in 14 provinces of Vietnam.

The parks had attracted over US$23 billion (S$30.75 billion) in investment and supported more than 320,000 jobs in Vietnam.

The CSP would cover new areas of cooperation, such as renewable energy, carbon credits, and the digital economy while addressing emerging challenges such as scams and cybercrimes.

SCP

Wong also said that Singapore and Vietnam enjoyed strong people-to-people ties and a steady flow of people between the two countries, whether for tourism, work, or studies.

These ties are also shown in programmes such as the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP), through which Singapore helps other countries gain administrative capability.

Vietnam was the most active participant, and Wong said that over 22,000 officials had attended SCP courses, many of which took place at the Vietnam-Singapore Cooperation Centre in Hanoi.

Wong also hailed Chinh as a "friend and like-minded and forward-looking partner".

Power grid

On Mar. 26, PM Wong participated in talks with senior Vietnamese leaders and was accompanied by Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng, and Minister of State for Digital Development and Information and Health Rahayu Mahzam.

He also called on the VCP's Secretary-General To Lam and President Luong Cuong.

During the visit, Tan See Leng and Vietnam's Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien signed a Letter of Intent to enhance cross-border electricity trade for the Asean Power Grid.

This is the latest in Singapore's efforts to promote the Asean power grid and reaffirms both countries' desire to establish a "sustainable, inclusive and resilient Asean Power Grid".

Among the initiatives of the LOI, Singapore and Vietnam will explore increasing the targeted capacity of low-carbon electricity imports from Vietnam to Singapore to two gigawatts by 2035.

Tan said the LOI reflected Singapore and Vietnams' "enhanced level of ambition" to support bilateral cross-border electricity trading, "but the broader development of a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient Asean Power Grid".

Top image via Lawrence Wong/Facebook