Promotes Vietnam and the Asean Economic Community (AEC) to the US

Vietnam Group Promotes Vietnam and the Asean Economic Community (AEC) to the US Midwest and Oregon

Picture left: Binh Duong's new city, Vietnam. Becamex and Binh Duong province officials concerned with economic development visited the U.S. to update partners and prospective investors on developments in Vietnam, Binh Duong and at Becamex. Picture right: one of the activities with the ChicagoLand Chamber of Commerce during the visit.

The delegation from Binh Duong Province comprised of the head of the Department of Planning and Investment, the Deputy Chief of Binh Duong Industrial Parks Authority and officials from Becamex started their trip in Portland, Oregon, before heading to the Midwest. Pricture shows the delegation met with the Vietnam-Oregon Initiative (VOI) which is headquartered at Portland State University (PSU) in Portland to discuss possible collaboration in 2015.

Pictures above: In Chicago, besides meeting with private companies, the delegation co-organized two seminars. One with the US-Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and the law firm Katten, Muchin Rosenman LLP. More information on Vietnam from the seminar please click here.

Pictures below: Seminar with the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce at the Gleacher Center, at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Christopher Runckel talked about the importance and potentials of the Asean Economic Community (AEC) - a single regional common market of ASEAN countries but with no monetary union (no single currency).

Pictures above: In Michigan, the group visted some property sites to learn more and for potential projects in the future

Finally the group ended their US trip with a stop in Indianapolis where they met with both Fortune 500 companies and major US export companies and also with officials of Indiana University-Purdue University Indiana (IUPUI) in a program arranged by Dr. Gil Latz, Associate Vice Chancellor for International Affairs, IUPUI, Professor of Geography and Philanthropic Studies, IUPUI, Associate Vice President for International Affairs, Indiana University and head of the Office of International Affairs, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Dr. Latz introduced the delegation to the great resource that this University is both for Indiana, the nation and for many developing countries such as Vietnam. On the final day, the group met with City, State and Federal officials and briefed them on developments in Vietnam and in Binh Duong and learned more about Indianapolis which has joined the Global Cities Initiative and is building increasing links internationally.

The delegation found the level of interest in Vietnam and in Binh Duong is definitely on the increase as Asean approaches the start date of the Asean Economic Community(AEC), prices for labor and inputs continues to rise in China and as Vietnam continues to improve its economic management and opening to the world. Repeat visits are definitely planned for 2015.

Pictures left: Dr. Latz, on left head table, introduced the delegation to the City, State and Federal officials in Indiana. The group briefed them on developments in Vietnam and in Binh Duong and learned more about Indianapolis.

Becamex and Binh Duong province officials concerned with economic development visited the U.S. and other important markets at least 1-2 times each year to update partners and prospective investors on developments in Vietnam, Binh Duong and at Becamex. In September-October 2014 a delegation including the head of the Department of Planning and Investment, the Deputy Chief of Binh Duong Industrial Parks Authority and officials from Becamex visited Oregon, Chicago, Illinois, Michigan and Indianapolis, Indiana to help carry out this work.

In Oregon, the delegation met with the Vietnam-Oregon Initiative (VOI) which is headquartered at Portland State University (PSU) in Portland to discuss possible collaboration in 2015. The VOI group explained their genesis and mandate to build increased ties between Oregon and Vietnam. They reported to the delegation on recent visits to Oregon by Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Cuong of the Embassy of Vietnam in Washington, DC, of the Vietnamese Consulate in San Francisco and of a military delegation from Vietnam working with the Oregon National Guard of Emergency Management and Response.

The delegation from Vietnam’s National Committee for Search and Rescue (VINASARCOM) was led by Vice Admiral Pham Ngoc Minh, Deputy Chief of General Staff of Vietnam People’s Army and Vice Standing Chairman of VINASARCOM,and included other VINASARCOM experts in search and rescue, explosion and building collapse, finance planning and investment, fire fighting and foreign relations. Officials from the United States Embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam also accompanied the delegation from Vietnam and included Cmdr. Brent Freeman, U.S. Naval Attaché to Vietnam, and the Oregon National Guard’s Maj. Kyle Akers, Bilateral Affairs Officer to Vietnam.

The week-long visit included workshops related to emergency management and emergency response, as well as tours of emergency management and Oregon National Guard facilities. The partnership between the Oregon National Guard and Vietnam was made official in November 2012 as part of the National Guard Bureau-sanctioned program, which pairs emerging democracies with National Guard states. Oregon currently has both Vietnam and Bangladesh as its state partners.

In Chicago, the Binh Duong and Becamex delegation had individual meetings with numerous US companies interested in Vietnam. These included Fortune 500 firms and also small and medium sized businesses. The group carried out two seminars on Vietnam. One was with the US-Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and the law firm Katten, Muchin Rosenman LLP. The other was with the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce at the Gleacher Center, at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Both of these events were well attended and attendees were pleased to interact with the group and learn more about Binh Duong and Vietnam.

After four business days in Chicago the group travelled to Michigan to have further meetings with leading Fortune 500 companies and to talk with developers about potential projects with Becamex in Binh Duong and other locations in Vietnam. The trip to Michigan was particularly important for the opportunity it gave the group to see a number of lakeside communities and to discuss development and economic attraction with local government and other groups.

About the Author:

Christopher W. Runckel, a former senior US diplomat who served in many counties in Asia, is a graduate of the University of Oregon and Lewis and Clark Law School. He served as Deputy General Counsel of President Gerald Ford’s Presidential Clemency Board. Mr. Runckel is the principal and founder of Runckel & Associates, a Portland, Oregon based consulting company that assists businesses expand business opportunities in Asia. (www.business-in-asia.com)

Until April of 1999, Mr. Runckel was Minister-Counselor of the US Embassy in Beijing, China. Mr. Runckel lived and worked in Thailand for over six years. He was the first permanently assigned U.S. diplomat to return to Vietnam after the Vietnam War. In 1997, he was awarded the U.S. Department of States highest award for service, the Distinguished Honor Award, for his contribution to improving U.S.-Vietnam relations.

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