Vietnam’s National Power

1. Economics

 The Vietnamese economy grew 2.9% last year from a year ago,
according to government estimates released in late December. That’s
better than China’s forecast-beating 2.3% growth during the same
period.

 “With this performance, Vietnam has delivered one of the highest

growth (rates) in a year where the rest of the world were in deep
recessions,” economists from Bank of America Global Research said in
a report this month.

 Yen Nee Lee (2021),”This is Asia’s top-performing economy in the Covid pandemic — it’s not China”, CNBC,
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/28/vietnam-is-asias-top-performing-economy-in-2020-amid-covid-pandemic.html.
2. Military
 Vietnam has 25 attack helicopters, placing it 23rd in this category, while
its combat tanks strength of 2,615 is ranked 10th.
 Its naval strength, with 65 ships, places it in 35th position.
HELEN HUYNH (2020), “Vietnam jumped one spot in the 2020 Military Strength Ranking”,
https://vietnaminsider.vn/vietnam-jumped-one-spot-in-the-2020-military-strength-ranking/

 Vietnam has jumped one spot to 22nd out of 138 countries and
territories in the 2020 Military Strength Ranking released by the US-
based Global Firepower.
 With the index of 0.3559 (0.0000 considered “perfect”), Vietnam
remains the second strongest military power in Southeast Asia, behind
Indonesia.

 Linh Pham (2020),”Vietnam moves up in 2020 global military strength”, HANOITIMES,

http://hanoitimes.vn/vietnam-moves-up-in-2020-global-military-strength-301019.html.

3. Human Capital
  Human Capital Index. A child born in Vietnam today will be 69 percent
as productive when she grows up as she could be if she enjoyed
complete education and full health. This is higher than the average for
East Asia & Pacific region and Lower middle income countries. Between
2010 and 2020, the HCI value for Vietnam increased from 0.66 to 0.69.

 World Bank (2021), “Human Capital Project”,

https://databank.worldbank.org/data/download/hci/HCI_2pager_VNM.pdf?cid=GGH_e_hcpexternal_en_ext .

4. Geopolitics

 Vietnam’s geopolitical resources consist of numerous ingredients, whose

values and significance are subject to change.  The international
political-economic constellation in which Vietnam finds itself will
determine which elements in the country’s geographical endowment are
more valuable and more strategic.

 Today Vietnam is located in a strategic playing field in which the major

players are — according to their ambitions and capabilities — China, the
United States, Japan, and India.

Alexander Vuving (2020), “Vietnam's Geopolitical Resources”, https://www.belfercenter.org/publication/vietnams-geopolitical-resources.

5. Ideology and culture

a) Ideology

 President Ho Chi Minh’s legislative ideology has shed light on the

building and development of Vietnam’s legal system in the period of
“doi moi” (renewal), accelerated national industrialization and
modernization as well as extensive and intensive international
integration for building a society in which the people are prosperous
and the country is strong, democratic, equitable and civilized.
 “Legislative ideology of Ho Chi Minh”, https://vietnamlawmagazine.vn/legislative-ideology-of-ho-chi-minh-4473.html.

 President Hồ Chí Minh’s Testament includes his important ideas and

methodology, which were “firm in objectives, and flexible in
strategies and tactics”. When our Party has thoroughly grasped that
methodological thought, with the right and rational approach, it is
clear that we can build and develop the Party successfully.

“President Hồ Chí Minh’s ideology sets direction of the Party”, https://vietnamnews.vn/opinion/591742/president-ho-chi-minhs-ideology-sets-

direction-of-the-party.html.

b) Culture

 The Socialist Republic of Vietnam, known as Vietnam, is a country

in Southeast Asia region. The country has a population of 97.8
million people, and two-thirds of the population has been living in
rural areas. A large number of Vietnamese people ranges from 15 to
64 years of age (approximately 70%). The country has 58 provinces
and 5 megacities such as Ho Chi Minh and Can Tho in the South, Da
Nang in the Central, and Hanoi (the capital) and Hai Phong in the
North. Vietnamese is the primary language, while English has been
“the second language” since the economic reform in 1986. The
Vietnamese government is regarded as a communist state (Central
Intelligence Agency 2012).
Quan H. N. Tran (2019), “The Organisational Culture of Vietnamese and Chinese Corporations: Do Age and Gender Make a
Difference?”, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11115-019-00458-0.

6. Technology

 Vietnam hopes to develop 100,000 digital technology companies with a

workforce of 1.5 million by 2030.

 This is one of the targets set in a draft national strategy for developing
Vietnamese digital technology companies recently devised by the Ministry of
Information and Communications.
 According to the draft strategy, in the next 10 years, digital companies would
contribute 20% of GDP and Vietnam would be one of the top two countries in
ASEAN and the top 50 in the world in technology and innovation ranking.

“Vietnam strives to have 100,000 digital technology companies by 2030”,https://en.nhandan.org.vn/scitech/item/9010102-

vietnam-strives-to-have-100-000-digital-technology-companies-by-2030.html.