Australian PM Albanese opens to Vietnamese immigration
In his visit to Vietnam’s capital, Albanese called for a "top-tier” partnership between the two countries in the new Great Game in the South China Sea. “We know in areas like aged care, for example, there is an opportunity for greater exchange and greater support,” he said. For its part, the Vietnamese government granted clemency to two Australians sentenced to death.
Hanoi (AsiaNews/Agencies) – In the new Great Game underway in the Pacific Ocean, Australia is betting on greater cooperation with Vietnam.
In a visit to Hanoi on Sunday to mark 50 years of diplomatic relations between Australia and Vietnam, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged to make Vietnam a “top-tier” partner of Australia.
Together with his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh, Albanese signed an agreement to boost maritime cooperation amid rising tensions between China and the West in the South China Sea.
The two leaders reiterated their commitment to developing a peacekeeping partnership, work closely together against cyber and transnational crime, and build stronger links in education.
The Australian leader also promised AU$ 105 million (US$ 70 million) to help Vietnam develop clean energy, among other things.
He also offered to open Australia’s doors to Vietnamese immigration. “We know in areas like aged care, for example, there is an opportunity for greater exchange and greater support,” Albanese explained.
To this end, “We want to make sure that when we look at our immigration, that we get the right people in the right places with the right skills, so that focus is on the need of Australia,” he added. "We know that in some of the areas where there are skill shortages, then Vietnam can be of great assistance."
For its part, Vietnam granted clemency to two Australians sentenced to death. “I made representations to the [Vietnamese] prime minister yesterday morning and by yesterday afternoon, the president had signed the clemency orders,” Albanese told a TV channel. “Australia very much welcomed this.” The names of the people involved were not revealed because they requested privacy.
Closer Vietnam-Australia cooperation also sends a signal to China. Hanoi has been embroiled with Beijing in a territorial dispute over a potentially energy-rich stretch of the South China Sea, a strategic waterway through which more than US$ 3 trillion in trade passes annually.
Photo: Anthony Albanese’s twitter account
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