Speeches
Thursday, 22 May 2025
South Australian Reception, Hanoi
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
It is a great honour to join you here in Hanoi, in the heart of a country with which South Australia shares a deep and enduring friendship.
Tonight is a celebration—not only of our shared achievements—but of the future we are shaping together through trust, partnership and vision.
Vietnam and South Australia are complementary in so many ways, and the strength of our relationship lies in how we harness these shared strengths for mutual benefit.
We share more than geography in the Indo-Pacific—we share a deep commitment to education, innovation, sustainable growth, peace and stability, and the exchange of culture and knowledge.
We have complementary economies, and there is huge potential for both countries to further develop our trade and investment relationship, including under the rubric of the Enhanced Economic Engagement Strategy agreed by our national governments in 2021.
The presence of so many leaders here tonight across diverse fields reflects the strength of this enduring partnership and the many pathways through which it continues to evolve.
In Australia, there are Vietnamese communities in every capital city in Australia – with more than 330, 000 people claiming Vietnamese ancestry in Australia.
In my home state in South Australia, there are around 40,000 thousand people of Vietnamese origin.
We face the urgent challenges of climate change, and the need for rapid and sustained international action to reduce emissions and adapt to rising temperatures.
We are seeing an unprecedented economic and technological transition, as new technologies and industries replace outdated ones.
This offers new opportunities for those able to innovate and take advantage of emerging technologies – something that we are proud of doing in South Australia, where over 75 per cent of our power is now produced from renewable energy.
So, too, is Vietnam pursuing ambitious renewable targets. Vietnam is positioning itself as a renewable energy leader within Southeast Asia, aiming to phase out coal entirely by 2050 towards sustainable power sources.
However, it cannot be denied that while this transition creates opportunities, it is undoubtedly creating economic and social disruption in many countries.
Here, in the Indo-Pacific, the region is being re-shaped as near powers grow and seek to assert themselves on the regional and international system.
What this means is that our cooperation has never been more important.
Vietnam is one of South Australia’s most important partners in two-way trade. From the vineyards of the Barossa to the rice fields of the Mekong, our agricultural traditions are rich, diverse, and deeply rooted. South Australian wine is increasingly finding a welcome place at Vietnamese tables, and we are proud to share a product that represents our clean environment, skilled producers, and love for craftsmanship.
Education has long been a cornerstone of our relationship. Thousands of Vietnamese students have chosen South Australia as their academic home, and in doing so, have enriched our classrooms, communities and future global connections.
Our universities and vocational providers are proud to partner with Vietnamese institutions, delivering world-class knowledge, research and real-world skills that empower the next generation.
We are proud that so many Vietnamese students choose our state to pursue their dreams. They enrich our communities, diversify our campuses, and go on to become global ambassadors for knowledge, collaboration and goodwill.
And beyond trade and education, we treasure the cultural bonds that unite us. Whether through art, language, food or shared celebrations, our people-to-people connections form the enduring foundation of everything we do. These ties foster understanding, build respect, and remind us that diplomacy is as much about heart as it is about strategy.
In agribusiness, we share a deep agricultural heritage. From high-quality grains and meat to sustainable farming and water management practices, shared innovation in supply chains, South Australia offers capability and expertise that aligns closely with Vietnam’s priorities for food security and innovation.
Whether it’s through university partnerships, food and wine missions, or collaborative ventures in ag-tech and sustainability, South Australia is committed to a future where our mutual prosperity is built on shared values and mutual respect.
South Australia brings to the world strengths in innovation, clean energy, AgriTech, defence, health and beyond. But above all, we bring a spirit of partnership. We do not seek to impose, but to collaborate—to listen, learn, and grow together.
Friends, let us continue to foster the ties that bind us and ensure that the seeds we plant today will grow into enduring legacies of opportunity and friendship.
Your Excellency, we thank you for hosting us tonight. We deeply value your continued engagement and look forward to expanding our cooperation in new and meaningful ways.
And to our Vietnamese colleagues and friends: we value this partnership deeply and look forward to continuing this journey—rooted in respect, guided by opportunity, and inspired by our shared future.