Australia

and Vietnam Enhancing

the Comprehensive Partnership
Emeritus Professor Carl Thayer
Presenta;on to Interna;onal Conference on
Australia-Asia Rela;ons under Prime Minister Tony AbboA
Na;onal Cheng Chi University
Taipei, Taiwan
March 31-April 1, 2015

Outline
1. Overview of bilateral rela;ons, 1973-2008
2. Australia-Vietnam Comprehensive
Partnership, 2009-2013
3. Australia-Vietnam Rela;ons Under the
AbboA Government (Sept 2013-Mar 2015)
4. Enhancing the Comprehensive Partnership

1. Overview of
Bilateral Rela;ons, 1973-2008
Vietnam War (August 1962-May 1975)
Diploma;c recogni;on Democra;c Republic of
Vietnam, February 1973

Cambodian conict 1979-91 aid cancelled

Resump;on of normal rela;ons
Hawke/Kea;ng Labor Government (1983-96)
Five major agreements (economic and trade,
investment, taxa;on, air services, consular)

Bilateral Rela;ons
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Poli;cal Rela;ons
Development Assistance
Educa;on and Training
Trade and Investment
Defence and Security

Poli;cal Rela;ons:
High Level Visits, 1993-2008

Prime Ministers Nguyn Tn Dng and Kevin Rudd 2008

(4 PMs, 2 Party Sec Gens, 1 President and 2 Aus PMs)

Development Assistance
M Thun Bridge, Mekong Delta

The bridge was the largest overseas assistance project undertaken by

the Australian government cos;ng A$91 million, completed 2000.

Australias Development Assistance

ODA million AUD
$102.00
$100.00
$98.00
$96.00
Million $

$94.00
$92.00
$90.00
$88.00
2006-07

2007-08

2008-09

Educa;on and Training

13,000 Vietnamese studying in Australia (700 scholarship holders) and 10,000

studying at Australian ins;tu;ons in Vietnam by 2008

Trade and Investment

174 projects valued at US$1 billion in 2008; Australia ranked 20th on FDI ladder

Defence and Security

1998 Regional Security Dialogue

1999 Australian Defence AAach in Hanoi
Exchange of Defence Ministers 2004-05
Exchange of Service Chiefs
Annual naval goodwill port visits
Defence Coopera;on Programme
Train the trainer, scholarships, short-courses
More than 1,200 Vietnamese trained by 2014

Law Enforcement Liaison

Australian Federal
Police
Ministry of Public
Security
Liaison Oces
Transna;onal crime
(human tracking, drug
smuggling)

2. Australia-Vietnam Comprehensive
Partnership, 2009-2013

September 7, 2009 Canberra

Three Pillars
1. Poli;cal and Security Coopera;on
2. Economic Coopera;on
3. People-to-People - key bridge of
educa;on

Plan of Ac;on 2011-13

October 2010
1. Poli;cal and public policy exchanges
2. Economic growth and trade development
3. Development assistance and technical
coopera;on
4. Defence and security
5. People-to-people links
6. Global and Regional Agenda

Poli;cal Coopera;on

President Nguyn Minh Trit and

Governor-General Quen;n Bryce, Hanoi 2011

Defence Coopera;on Agreement

October 2010

Economic Coopera;on
Joint Trade and Economic Coopera;on
CommiAee
Trade
Vietnam is Australias fastest growing trade
partner In ASEAN
2-way trade $2b 2010n to $6b 2014

ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade

Agreement

Economic Coopera;on
Investment
224 projects worth $224m in 2010 to
$1.7b in 2014
Australia 17th largest foreign investor in
2014
Oil and gas, mining, coal

Development Assistance
(Australia 6th largest donor)
Australian ODA
160.00
140.00
120.00
100.00
80.00

Million $

60.00
40.00
20.00
0.00
2009-10

2010-11

2011-12

Cao Lnh Bridge Impression

Construc;on began October 2013 and is expected to be

completed in 2017. Cost: A$160 million

Opera;on Wandering Souls

3. Australia-Vietnam Rela;ons Under Prime

Minister Tony AbboA (2013-)

Prime Minster Nguyn Tn Dng visits Australia, March 16-18, 2015

Enhancing the
Comprehensive Partnership
Bilateral
Regional and
Interna;onal
Coopera;on
Economic growth,
trade and industry
Development
assistance
Defence, Law
Enforcement &
Security Ties

Defence Coopera;on

Bilateral dialogues, 120 defence scholarships, Special Forces,

mari;me security, CT, peacekeeping, submarine rescue, war legacy

4. Enhancing the
Comprehensive Partnership
Con;nuity under AbboA Government
Hiatus in 2013 Plan of Ac;on
Cut in development assistance

Renewed impetus in bilateral rela;ons

Plan of Ac;on 2015-17 will set agenda
More interac;on in mul;lateral ins;tu;ons

Renewal in 2017 or take rela;ons to the next

level strategic partnership?

Australia and Vietnam Enhancing

the Comprehensive Partnership
Emeritus Professor Carl Thayer
Presenta;on to Interna;onal Conference on
Australia-Asia Rela;ons under Prime Minister Tony AbboA
Na;onal Cheng Chi University
Taipei, Taiwan
March 31-April 1, 2015