Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has declared that he wants to expand economic ties with Vietnam as he prepared to meet the country's top leaders in talks aimed at deepening Australia's relationship with the South-East Asian nation.
Mr Albanese arrived in Hanoi on Saturday, where he was swamped by both locals and media while sampling local delicacies at a beer and banh mi restaurant.
The prime minister – as well as Vietnamese officials and locals — repeatedly exchanged toasts and drained their beer glasses at the boisterous event.
Officials wanted to use the visit to highlight Australia's growing trade ties with Vietnam: the beer was made with Australian barley, while Australian wheat was used to bake the baguettes.
Australian exports to Vietnam have jumped recently, but trade between the two countries is still quite narrowly based and the federal government is keen to court emerging economies like Vietnam as it tries to reduce its economic reliance on China.
Mr Albanese struck a bullish tone at a business reception on Saturday night, calling Vietnam an "economic powerhouse" and saying he wanted to double two-way investment between the countries.
"Our two-way trade reached more than $22 billion last financial year — up 40 per cent from the year before," he said.
"But I know there's room to do more. We see trade diversification as a mutually important – and beneficial – priority."
Political and strategic issues
The prime minister will meet all of Vietnam's senior political leaders on Sunday, including Communist Party general secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
He will also visit the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam's communist revolutionary leader.
Mr Albanese confirmed on Saturday that he would also press Vietnam over jailed Sydney man Chau Van Kham during the meetings.
"Australia always raises issues of human rights for Australian citizens, and we raise them appropriately and diplomatically in order to try to secure a positive result," he said.
The 73-year-old retired baker was detained in Ho Chi Minh City in 2019 and was sentenced to 12 years in prison because of his involvement with Viet Tan – a pro-democracy group that Vietnam has labelled a terrorist group.
The government has repeatedly raised his case with Vietnam's government, while human rights groups say the charges are baseless and politically motivated.
The prime minister is also expected to discuss a host of strategic issues, including China's militarisation of the South China Sea and the growing tensions between Beijing and Washington.
Vietnam is one of several South-East Asian states that have territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea, and there have been a host of tense confrontations between vessels from both countries in recent months.
While Hanoi maintains close political links with China and the Chinese Communist Party, it remains wary of its giant northern neighbour.
"Vietnam of course shares a border with China to its north," Mr Albanese told journalists in Hanoi.
"Discussions will no doubt touch on that relationship but will touch as well on how we and Vietnam share a view on the South China Sea and that the Convention on the Law of the Sea needs to be upheld and maintained.
"We need to respect nations' sovereignty in the region and indeed throughout the world. We share that view."
The prime minister also visited RMIT's Hanoi campus where the Australian announced a $250 million fund to expand its campuses in both Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.
Mr Albanese called it a "vote of confidence" in Vietnam and said education would continue to strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries.
