September 2 is the 59th anniversary of the Vietnamese National Day. Recently, Vietnamese ambassador to China Tran Van Luat had an interview with a People's Daily's reporter. He briefed the reporter on the latest situation of the economic and social development in Viet Nam since the ninth plenary meeting of the Communist Party of Viet Nam held in 2001.

Tran Van Luat said starting from 2000 Vietnamese economy has gradually gotten rid of the influence from the Asian financial crisis and its gross domestic product (GDP) has increased by higher than 7 per cent consecutively. Meanwhile, active changes have taken place in the national macro-economic structure. The main aspects show as follows: 1. The proportion between the big industries tends to be more reasonable. The production value ratio with the departments of agriculture, forestry and husbandry as the first industry dropped to 21.7 per cent in 2003 from 24.5 per cent in 2000; 2. The shifting from agriculture to other domains has been quickened. The agricultural population reduced to 59 per cent from 61.5 per cent of the total population in Viet Nam; 3. The economic development of different areas has been kept in balance. Obvious changes have taken place in the imbalanced levels of the economies in the north, central and south parts of Viet Nam caused by history; 4. The process for diverse economic sectors has been quickened. The multilateral economic sectors including state-run, collective, private and foreign-owned enterprises observe the spirit of fair play in a healthy development. By the end of September 2003, more than 72,000 new private enterprises were operating in the country with a production value increase of 400 per cent over 2000. The private enterprises have offered 6 million job opportunities for the society; 5. The market economic system has been gradually perfected. The various new markets of labor exchange, financing, service and real estate have started from scratch, beginning to play an increasingly important role in the economic life of Viet Nam. According to Tran Van Luat the situation shows the independent development route, and the economic and social development policy to promote national "industrialization and modernization" -- worked out by the ninth plenary meeting of the Communist Party of Viet Nam -- have been implemented.

While developing market economy in a big way, outstanding achievements have been made in attracting foreign investment by improving investment environment. In 2003 Viet Nam attracted US$ 4 billion of direct foreign investment with more than 1,132 contractual projects signed. The foreign investment ratio surpassed 8 per cent of the GDP. Nevertheless, Ambassador Tran did not completely agree to the world comment that Viet Nam would become a new economic growth source in Asia. He believes the entire situation of the present Vietnamese economy is not in good foundation with low starting point. If compared with many Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries (ASEAN) the total scale of the Vietnamese economy is not large and operational quality in economy needs improving. Not only that, Viet Nam is facing some difficulties and problems in her economic construction. It is necessary for Viet Nam to deal with seriously

Tran Van Luat was a high official in charge of the publicity work for the Community Party of Viet Nam. He knows very well the dialectic relations between maintaining nation's economic development and stability in the reforms and opening process. He said it is a severe test for the Vietnamese Communist Party and government to carry out the reforms and opening policy. The Vietnamese Communist Party has always kept a sober head on this issue. It deals with anti-corruption work to keep a clean government, which is the prime task concerning the life-and-death of the Party and nation.

Young people are the main force for the economic and social development in Viet Nam and have a bearing on the future of the country. Tran said, "The goal of the Vietnamese reforms and opening is to realize the coordinated development of socialist political, materialist and spiritual civilization. For this, the Vietnamese Party and government pay great attention to the ideological education of the young and make various ways to carry out ideological and moral education with emphasis on inheriting excellent national culture. He said Vietnamese TV stations often broadcast films and TV programs taken from China. Both works of historical and modern subjects are well received by the young people.

He said the new central collective leadership has devoted itself to a "diverse" goal and actively promoted equal exchanges and cooperation with countries in Asia and in the world. Through the exchanges and cooperation, Viet Nam will absorb experiences useful to its development and construction and seek common development and progress together with all Asian countries. All these endeavors embody in joining the ASEAN, striving to be a member of the World Trade Organization and sponsoring the fifth Asian-European conference in October. In all these, Viet Nam has given priority to the development of friendship and cooperative relations with China.

He added new development has been seen in the relations between the two parties and countries of Viet Nam and China in recent years. Leaders of the two countries have met often and reached common understanding on many important issues. Both sides have settled the demarcation problem of the Beibu Gulf through friendly negotiations and have unanimously agree to deal with the problems left over by history on the principle of "future orientation". Because of this, both countries will implement the treaty signed by the prime ministers of the two countries.

When talking the trade relations between the two countries, Tran said the economic and trade value between the two countries reached US$5 billion in 2003, an increase of 2.5 times if compared with that of 2000. In May when Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai visited China, the prime ministers of the two countries suggested the two countries double their trade value in 2010. At present two sides are discussing a plan for setting up two economic corridors (one is from Nanning in China to Quang Ninh in Viet Nam and another is from Kunming in China to Quang Ninh in Viet Nam) and an economic circle (Beibu Gulf Economic Circle). The plan will provide a guarantee for achieving the goal to double their trade value. At the same time, the economic and trade relations between the two countries will be further strengthened.

By People's Daily Online