Vietnamese Ambassador To Canada On Diplomacy During Covid-19

Cao phong

Pham Cao Phong, Vietnamese Ambassador to Canada.

Courtesy of the Embassy of Vietnam in Canada

Stephanie Ricci contributed to this story.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shed new light on the value of international collaboration and diplomatic relations. The global health crisis has provided an unprecedented opportunity to adjust to new environments, according to the Vietnamese Ambassador to Canada, Pham Cao Phong.

Ambassador Phong is the first ambassador to Canada to present his credentials virtually when he met with the former Canadian Governor-General Julie Payette over Zoom in 2020.

“Presenting the letter of credence is an honor for every ambassador, as it officially recognizes an ambassador as the unique representative of the sending state in the receiving state,” said Phong. “Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we couldn’t do it in person, but I remember it as a very sweet memory.”

Growing up in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, the Vietnamese ambassador didn’t always know he would one day become a diplomat, though his leadership started at a young age.

“In Vietnam, we have a youth group called “Doi Thieu nien Tien Phong Ho Chi Minh” (Ho Chi Minh Vanguard Youth) where I was involved from a very young age,” he said. “From time to time, I would lead the association, and this was throughout my years in school.”

After graduating from the College of Foreign Affairs in Vietnam, Phong worked as a lecturer and research fellow for 15 years at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, a prestigious institution that carries in-depth training and research on a wide range of issues to the country’s government. He then joined Vietnam’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MoFA) as the secretary to the minister before becoming chief of staff. His first diplomatic posting happened later when he left for Hong Kong and Macao of the P.R.C as the Consulate General of Vietnam.

Phong first came to Canada as a visiting research fellow at the Asia Pacific Research Center in affiliation with the University of Toronto University and York University.

“My task is to contribute to the development of the bilateral relationship and cooperation between the two countries and to manage our embassy here,” said Phong. “We also have to protect the safety of the Vietnamese studying or living in Canada.”

Both countries have cultivated growing diplomatic relations for nearly 50 years, and Vietnam has been Canada’s largest trading partner among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The diplomat declared during a seminar last week that the two-way trade turnover between Vietnam and Canada increased by 28.5 % in the first seven months of 2021, indicating a steady and complementary trading partnership. Both countries are also members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

“It is very interesting to see that’s the economies of our two countries are complementary, but not competitors,” he said. “We cannot compare the size of the economy of Vietnam with that of Canada. We are a small country, but you see that in the [context] of trade, the commodities and goods are different.”

The Southeast Asian nation has seen exponential development and economic growth since the 1990s, giving it the reputation of an economic miracle. This success is credited to a shift in mindset that steered the country towards a socialist-oriented market economy, explains Phong.

“We acknowledged that market economy is not the product of capitalism, but that is a product of mankind,” he said. “We see the market opportunities offered to us, and then we try to cooperate with others to produce what the world needs. That’s the way we can export our goods to other countries as we shifted from agricultural products to industrial products.”

Vietnam’s foreign policy is that we consistently implement the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, friendship, cooperation and development,” he adds. “We would like to ensure the highest interests of the state and nation on the basis of the Principles of the United Nations and International Law, and to guarantee the equality and cooperation for mutual benefits with all world countries.”

Ambassador Phong shares that Vietnam is now in the process of digitizing its economy with artificial intelligence “to catch up with the world” and optimizing their COVID-19 response.

When the pandemic first hit, Vietnam was highly successful in containing its spread of the virus. However, a surge in daily cases since May 2021 has put the country in a tough spot as it enters its fourth wave, partially due to vaccine shortages. Phong explains that the state is currently speeding up a vaccination rollout plan and is calling for international assistance.

When it comes to establishing diplomatic relations, the ambassador says he recognizes the diplomats he meets for the person they are beyond their position. He adds that, in his own experience, excellent leadership goes with strong determination, but “talk soft,” highlighting the value of respect, collective strength, and of cultivating relationships with colleagues to effectively work together.

“When we want to build up a friendship, I tell myself that I should come to the person with sincerity,” he said. As ambassadors, we must also preserve our destiny. Ambassadors are first and foremost cultural ambassadors before political ambassadors.”

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