At the invitation of Australian Governor - General Sam Mostyn, Party General Secretary and State President To Lam and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation departed for a State visit to Australia from August 9 to 14, 2026.

The visit is of particular significance as it marks the first time Party General Secretary and State President To Lam has travelled to Australia in his new capacity. It is also the first visit by a key Vietnamese leader since Viet Nam and Australia upgraded their relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in March 2024.

The visit underscores the strong political trust between the two countries and is expected to open up new opportunities for cooperation, helping bring the Viet Nam - Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to a deeper, more substantive and effective level.

Solid foundation for bilateral relations

More than two years after the elevation of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Viet Nam - Australia relations have continued to be strengthened across most areas, reflecting growing political trust as well as the determination of both sides to translate high-level commitments into concrete outcomes.

Political trust has been maintained through regular high-level visits and contacts, dialogue mechanisms, and close coordination at regional and international forums. The two countries have actively implemented the major orientations set out in the Joint Statement on the elevation of bilateral relations and the Action Plan for the 2024 - 2027 period.

To date, around 96% of the action lines have either been completed or are being implemented on schedule, demonstrating the strong political determination of both sides as well as close coordination among ministries, sectors and localities of the two countries. Economic, trade and investment cooperation continues to be one of the major pillars of the bilateral relationship. Australia is currently one of Viet Nam’s leading economic partners, while Viet Nam is increasingly affirming its position as a dynamic trading partner of Australia in Southeast Asia.

In the first six months of 2026, bilateral trade reached USD 8.1 billion, an increase of nearly 22% year on year. Viet Nam’s exports to Australia amounted to USD 3.8 billion, up more than 25%, a growth rate higher than the country’s average export growth. Australia is currently among Viet Nam’s 10 largest partners in trade, tourism and official development assistance, or ODA. 

Defense and security cooperation has also continued to expand on the basis of mutual trust and respect. A notable milestone was the first Viet Nam - Australia Ministerial Security Dialogue, held in Canberra in October 2024. In defense cooperation, alongside traditional areas such as United Nations peacekeeping and training, a Vietnamese naval vessel participated for the first time in Exercise Kakadu, hosted by Australia in Darwin, Western Australia. The participation marked a new development and opened up opportunities for more substantive cooperation between the two countries in this field.

Science, technology and innovation are also emerging as new drivers of bilateral relations. Viet Nam and Australia are implementing Phase 2 of the Aus4Innovation program and a memorandum of understanding on innovation, with cooperation covering a range of areas including agriculture, healthcare, biosecurity and the environment.

Of particular note, the Australia - Viet Nam Strategic Technologies Centre was established in Hanoi in June 2025, focusing on strategic technology fields such as 5G, 6G, artificial intelligence and semiconductors.

Alongside this, the Australia - Viet Nam Innovation, Science and Technology Partnership Initiative has been implemented since July 2026, providing an additional platform to promote joint research and strengthen connections among universities, research institutes and businesses of the two countries.

Education and training remains another area in which bilateral cooperation has achieved positive results. Each year, Australia provides around 70 undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships to Viet Nam. Viet Nam currently ranks fourth among countries with the largest numbers of students studying in Australia, with around 20,000 Vietnamese students enrolled at Australian educational institutions or participating in Australian education programs delivered in Viet Nam.

People-to-people exchanges and cultural cooperation have also continued to expand. Earlier this year, for the first time, the Hue Royal Court Music ensemble conducted an extended tour across three Australian states and territories, helping introduce Vietnamese culture to Australian audiences while strengthening mutual understanding and ties between the peoples of the two countries.

Expanding space for economic cooperation

In an interview with the Newspaper of Industry and Trade, Tran Thi Thanh My, Deputy Consul General of Viet Nam in Sydney and Head of the Viet Nam Trade Office in Australia, said considerable room remained for the two countries to further expand economic relations, particularly in areas associated with the green transition, innovation and higher value-added supply chains.

According to Tran Thi Thanh My, deeply processed agricultural products, construction materials, furniture, energy and critical minerals are among the sectors with significant potential for stronger cooperation in the coming period. For deeply processed agricultural products and high-quality food, Australia is a market with stringent requirements for food safety and traceability.

In addition to products that have already established a foothold, including seafood, cashew nuts and coffee, deeply processed products, Halal food and organic products are gaining further opportunities to enter the Australian market. Increasing the proportion of deeply processed products would help raise the value of Vietnamese goods while also enabling Vietnamese businesses to respond more proactively to Australia’s quarantine requirements and technical standards.

In the construction materials and furniture sectors, demand in Australia is being driven by large-scale infrastructure and housing development programs, including a plan to build an additional 1.2 million homes by 2029. This presents an opportunity for Vietnamese businesses to step up exports of iron and steel, timber and wood products, and furniture, particularly environmentally friendly products and materials.

In the energy and critical minerals sectors, the two countries also have substantial potential to strengthen connectivity across supply chains for input materials, mineral extraction and processing, renewable energy, hydrogen, and other areas serving the energy transition and emissions reduction.

According to Tran Thi Thanh My, these areas are consistent with the development orientations of both Viet Nam and Australia and could contribute to improving both the value and sustainability of bilateral economic relations.

As a bridge between the business communities of the two countries, the Viet Nam Trade Office in Australia will continue to carry out trade promotion in a proactive and focused manner, concentrating on sectors in which Viet Nam has strengths and which are aligned with demand in the Australian market.

Alongside direct trade promotion activities, the Trade Office will continue coordinating with industry associations, importers and major distribution systems in Australia to support Vietnamese businesses in meeting technical requirements and gradually bringing Vietnamese goods into major retail chains such as Coles and Woolworths.

With a solid foundation of political trust, the highly complementary nature of the two economies and the determination of the two countries’ leaders to advance cooperation, the Viet Nam - Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is expected to continue developing in a deeper, more substantive and effective manner, becoming a model of equal and mutually beneficial cooperation and making positive contributions to peace, stability and sustainable development in the region and the world.

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