He made the call at a meeting with the Vietnamese community in the US on September 21 (local time), as part of his working trip there for the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly and his engagements in the US (UNGA 81).

The event drew more than 2,000 delegates, including nearly 1,300 overseas Vietnamese, making it the largest-ever gathering between Vietnamese Party and State leaders and the Vietnamese community abroad.

In a warm and cordial atmosphere, General Secretary and President To Lam expressed his emotion at meeting Vietnamese people in the US and his pleasure at seeing the community grow in size, stay dynamic and integrate well into American society. He also highlighted its positive contributions to local governments and society, as well as its role in promoting friendly and cooperative relations between Vietnam and the US.

Recognising the community’s contributions, he briefed participants on Vietnam’s development achievements in recent times, stressing the country’s important and comprehensive progress across various fields. Vietnam is also witnessing strong developments in science and technology, innovation and digital transformation, which are key drivers of growth.

The country is focusing on strategic areas such as digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, biotechnology, green technology and the digital economy, while developing new mechanisms to unleash the creativity of people, businesses and intellectuals. These are also areas in which the Vietnamese community in the US has strengths and can make contributions.

With regard to Vietnam-US relations, from trade, investment and education to science and technology, innovation, defence and security, and war legacy remediation, the two countries are seeing growing shared interests and room for cooperation. Looking back at the more than three decades since the two countries normalised relations, the top leader stressed that both sides could take pride in the considerable progress they have made.

From the differences and painful experiences of the past, the two countries have gradually built trust, expanded cooperation, developed together and shared strategic interests. This demonstrates how cooperation can replace confrontation, trust can be built from differences, and the desire to look towards the future can bring the two peoples closer together.

One Vietnam, one Vietnamese nation

In this context, General Secretary and President To Lam expressed his pride in a hardworking, dynamic and resilient Vietnamese community that is present in almost every area of American life. Through their work and contributions, Vietnamese people in the US have helped advance American society, with their positive contributions recognised and appreciated by local authorities and people.

Wherever they live, Vietnamese people abroad continue to look towards their homeland and roots, he told the participants.

Addressing younger generations of Vietnamese people in the US, the top leader stressed that they may hold another nationality but still carry the bloodline and cultural identity of the Vietnamese people. They are the future of the community and also part of the future of the Vietnamese nation.

The Vietnamese community in the US is the largest Vietnamese community overseas in the world and has a history shaped by profound upheavals in Vietnam during the 20th century. It comprises generations with different backgrounds and perspectives on history. Yet, Vietnam is one, the Vietnamese nation is one, and this truth will never change, he emphasised.

After wars, division and profound suffering and loss, the leader said people have come to appreciate the value of peace more deeply. Everyone wants future generations to grow up in peace, with the freedom to work, study and create, and with compassion, tolerance, trust and solidarity, while working together to build an increasingly prosperous, civilised and happy Vietnam.

Given the context, he called on the Vietnamese community in the US to close the past and join hands in shaping the nation’s future, for the sake of future generations as well, noting that this is not merely a wish but also a responsibility to future generations.

Connecting resources to shape the future together

To realise the aspiration of building a powerful and prosperous Vietnam, General Secretary and President To Lam called on Vietnamese people in the US to contribute through concrete actions.

These include expanding networks of Vietnamese intellectuals around the world; connecting Vietnamese businesses with Vietnamese-owned businesses in the US; creating more exchange programmes for students, professors and experts; enabling younger generations of Vietnamese people in the US to return to Vietnam for internships, research and start-ups; and developing joint projects in science, technology, education, healthcare, culture and innovation. Such efforts can create new bridges to strengthen Vietnam-US relations.

He held that every Vietnamese person who succeeds in the US can help raise awareness of Vietnam. Every businessperson can open another door for cooperation. Every scientist can build another bridge of knowledge. Every student can create another connection between the two countries.

According to the top leader, Vietnam always welcomes and appreciates all contributions from Vietnamese people abroad, whether made directly or from afar. Joining hands and contributing to the development of the homeland embodies the spirit of national solidarity and shared kinship.

This spirit is also reflected in the new policy on overseas Vietnamese affairs. On August 2, 2026, the Politburo issued Resolution No. 23-NQ/TW on overseas Vietnamese affairs, concretising major orientations of the 14th National Party Congress and marking a new stage in policy thinking. The resolution identifies Vietnamese people abroad not only as an inseparable part of the Vietnamese nation, but also as an important strategic resource contributing to the country’s overall national strength.

In the coming period, he said, the Party and State will continue improving institutions, mechanisms and policies in a coordinated, open and breakthrough manner to connect, attract and effectively mobilise the resources of Vietnamese people abroad, particularly intellectuals, experts, businesspeople, scientists and younger generations.

In the cause of national development in the new era, Vietnam needs to continue harnessing the strength of national great solidarity together with the strength of the times. Domestic and international resources must be connected, material resources must go hand in hand with intellectual resources, and the strength of more than 100 million Vietnamese people at home must be linked with that of the 6.5 million Vietnamese living, studying and working around the world. The figure of more than 6.5 million overseas Vietnamese is also reflected in Resolution 23-NQ/TW.

Alongside contributing resources to national development, General Secretary and President To Lam called on Vietnamese people in the US to preserve the Vietnamese language and pass on the nation’s cultural values, customs and traditions to younger generations, as these are lasting bonds connecting every Vietnamese person with the homeland and their roots.

Vietnamese people in the US should also promote their role as “cultural ambassadors”, bringing Vietnamese identity closer to Americans and international friends, he reminded.

On the occasion, the top leader and representatives of the Vietnamese community in the US enjoyed a special art programme, portraying Vietnam’s journey from the struggle for national independence and reunification to reform, international integration and development.