Secretary-General and President To Lam’s opening speech at the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue conveyed a strong message about combining a proactive foreign policy with a comprehensive vision of national development.
This is the assessment of Enzo Sim Hong Jun, a researcher in the history and defense of Southeast Asia in Malaysia, in an interview given to a correspondent of the Vietnamese News Agency (VNA) in Malaysia.
According to Mr. Enzo, the main themes of the speech skillfully balanced regional security concerns with Vietnam’s ambitious economic agenda, built on three fundamental pillars: strategic autonomy, national aspirations for self-improvement, and economic and technological diplomacy.
Foreign policy continues to be affirmed as a commitment to an independent foreign policy, avoiding taking sides in superpower competition, while emphasizing the supremacy of international law and the central role of ASEAN.
In particular, researcher Enzo argues that the vision presented by Secretary-General To Lam at the global forum closely links the stability of the Asia-Pacific region to the goal of making Vietnam a high-income country by 2045 through a strong economic growth.
Beyond traditional defense frameworks, the speech also delved in-depth into supply chain resilience, digital transformation and green technologies, which came to fruition through technology and supply chain agreements signed with Singapore.
Secretary-General and President To Lam’s participation in this leading regional and global security forum also confirms to international partners and investors that Vietnam remains politically stable, has a clear orientation towards reforms and is still open for business activities.
The Vietnamese leader’s opening speech significantly strengthened the country’s geopolitical position, confirming Vietnam’s status as an active middle power capable of navigating complex geopolitical paths and participating in policymaking in the Indo-Pacific region.
Furthermore, the strategy of integrating economic diplomacy into defense forums has strengthened Vietnam’s position as a leading and politically stable choice for Western and regional technology companies seeking to diversify their production and supply chains.
By maintaining balanced relations with major powers while preserving ASEAN’s central role, Vietnam maximizes benefits from multiple angles, ranging from security cooperation to technology transfer and sustainable trade.
Researcher Enzo says Secretary-General and President To Lam’s speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue 2026 not only demonstrates an era of confident diplomacy, but also highlights global engagement as a key tool to ensure Vietnam’s future development.
Source : https://www.vietnamplus.vn/thong-diep-manh-me-ve-doi-ngoai-chu-dong-and-tam-nhin-phat-trien-toan-dien-cua-viet-nam-post1113717.vnp
