Opinion: Viet Nam and New Zealand at 50—A view from Viet Nam

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon greets Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh

Living in Viet Nam sometimes feels like you’re in a video clip playing at double speed: the pace of change is that fast. 

The world is coming to Viet Nam – not for the past, but for the future. 

In 2024 alone, Viet Nam welcomed a vast number of foreign leaders, including the US, Chinese and Russian presidents. It also played host to the CEOs of leading global companies, such as Apple and Nvidia.  

In the same year, Viet Nam’s economy grew by seven percent, making it the fastest growing economy in Asia; its population surpassed 100 million; and it exported a record US$675 billion worth of goods around the globe.   

This year New Zealand and Viet Nam will celebrate 50 years of formal diplomatic ties.  New Zealand’s future challenge is to figure out which of the many opportunities to pursue here, and how to hold Viet Nam’s attention as the country evolves and grows. 

I have called Viet Nam home for more than 12 years. As the then-New Zealand Ambassador to Viet Nam, I also oversaw the 40th anniversary celebrations between the two countries in 2015. How much the country has changed in little more than a decade! 

When I arrived in Hanoi in late 2012, Hanoi’s international airport was little more than a very large iron shed nestled in a sea of rice paddies.  The road from the airport to the city was bumpy and narrow, with buffalo grazing in the fields either side of it.  The city itself was low rise, with none of the glitz and modernity you would have found in Bangkok, Jakarta or Singapore.  It felt like a quaint, almost forgotten, corner of Asia.   

Hanoi's modern international airport serves as the first hint to many visitors that their preconceived notions of Vietnam may need refreshing

Fast forward to 2025 and Hanoi has changed out of sight. Tourists and businesspeople are received by a gleaming international terminal. A looming skyline now greets you as you drive on the six-lane highway towards the city. Hanoi now has a metro system, still modest, but with big ambitions.    

The same is true of Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam’s booming commercial capital, where I have lived since 2017, along with 10 million other inhabitants.  These days, when you go for excellent street food such as banh mi or pho, many vendors only accept cashless payments via a QR code.  And while the armada of motorbikes still dominates city traffic, EVs and luxury cars are increasingly part of the mix.  

But the pace of change is perhaps most evident in the people themselves, and especially in the younger generations.  And as a Gen Xer, I am constantly reminded what a youthful country this is.  

Viet Nam’s Gen Z and Gen Alphas – particularly in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi – are growing up in a world completely foreign to their parents and grandparents.  They have money. They are exposed to global trends and information. They see opportunity not just in Viet Nam, but in the region and beyond, and want an international experience.  They are increasingly fluent in English.  They are confident. They want to see global challenges such as climate change and air pollution addressed. 

Ho Chi Minh city the "booming commercial capital" of Vietnam

This next generation will shape Viet Nam’s engagement with the world in ways we have not witnessed before.  

We often hear it said that this is the Asian century; it is also Viet Nam’s time to shine and to redefine how the world sees it.    

By some estimates, Viet Nam will register the highest income growth globally over the next 10 years and is set to become one of the world’s 20 largest economies in the coming two decades. 

New Zealand is fortunate to have a largely stress free, ‘upside’ relationship with Viet Nam.  As we celebrate our 50-year anniversary, the trick for New Zealand is to figure out how – as Viet Nam grows and becomes a more important regional player – we remain relevant and how we can fully capture the benefits of a healthy relationship. 

On a practical level there are many ways we can benefit.  Viet Nam’s increasingly wealthy consumers buy our high quality, safe food, and this has underpinned significant growth in our exports to Viet Nam over the past 10 years. Education, tourism and intermediate goods for processing such as logs and food ingredients are other areas where there is growing demand, and a willingness to pay.    

But to realise these opportunities, New Zealand needs to update its understanding of modern Viet Nam and bring ambition to its engagement. Rather than just selling things to each other, we should be working together on a global scale: collaborating to build global solutions (particularly in technology and digital services) and addressing shared challenges (for example, sustainable oceans and fisheries).  

A delegation of the Foundation's Leadership Network members visiting FPT Corporation—Vietnam’s biggest IT company

For Kiwi Gen Z and Gen Alphas, Ho Chi Minh City is one of the most fascinating, energetic places to be in the world right now, and an amazing place to experience the Asian century first-hand.   

Viet Nam is often called a ‘tiger economy’ or a ‘rising dragon’.  Whichever metaphor you prefer, Vietnam’s impact on New Zealand, and the region, will only become more visible to us in the coming years.   

My recommendation? Come visit, witness the pace of change, and see the future.   

Download the Vietnam and New Zealand at 50 report

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About the author 

Haike Manning is the former New Zealand Ambassador to Viet Nam (2012 to 2016). His 20-year career as a New Zealand diplomat spanned key global economies (India, Brazil, China, as well as Viet Nam), with a strong focus on supporting trade, business and education outcomes for New Zealand.

Since 2017, Haike has been based in Ho Chi Minh City, where he founded LightPath Consulting Group, a consulting business supporting international education providers to engage effectively in Viet Nam. In 2021, LightPath was acquired by Acumen, another international education consulting business. Haike subsequently joined Acumen to spearhead their expansion throughout Southeast Asia. 

Haike is the author of Viet Nam & New Zealand: The next chapter, published by the Asia New Zealand Foundation in February 2025. 

The Foundation's Asia in Focus initiative publishes expert insights and analysis on issues across Asia, as well as New Zealand’s evolving relationship with the region.