An Emotional WTO Admission of Vietnam

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) officially admitted its 150th member, Vietnam, in early November. To transmit the delight as well the concern of Vietnam after the WTO entry, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) has cooperated with the Vietnam Television to organise a live broadcast of the "Integration Night" on November 8, 2006.

An 11-year effort is very long for a person's life but short for a nation's history, former Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan said.

"In my heart now, there are three different currents of passion: relief, pride and concern. The relief is because Vietnam has finished its "mountain climbing" itinerary with its admission to AFTA, ASEM, APEC and now WTO as a peak. After years of renovation, Vietnam has obtained proud achievements. We are much prouder because the WTO entry falls in the year Vietnam hosts the APEC 2006 and Asia nominates Vietnam to be non-permanent member of the National Assembly in the 2008-2009 term. However, I still have preoccupation because we will have to deal with the much more difficult jobs than we had done for the WTO entry. Vietnam will have to face numerous challenges of the post-WTO period," former Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan spoke of his passion after Vietnam finished all negotiations.

With a strong belief, VCCI Chairman  and Presdient Vu Tien Loc said the reality showed that once Vietnam widened its opening door; its economy has grown very strongly. In spite of a mixture of advantages and challenges, the industry will have more gains than pains, Deputy Minister of Industry Do Huu Hao said. He added the industry has integrated for a long time ago. In the past years, industrial export revenues always accounted for above 72 per cent of Vietnam's total export earnings. The exportability of Vietnamese goods means that Vietnamese goods have high competitiveness on the world market. Certainly, the WTO will bring more business partners for the industry.

With the same belief, Mr Tran Bao Minh, Deputy Director General of Vinamilk, said, the WTO entrance will bring in more rivals for Vinamilk. This is a challenge but the Vietnamese trademark and Vietnamese value will still have a firm standing. He analysed that Vinamilk is a Vietnamese company and understands the Vietnamese more than any other companies. Hence, it is not a hard job to bring in a good product for Vietnamese consumers but it is a time-consuming effort for multinational companies. This makes Vinamilk confident during the integration process.

Professor Tran Van Khe, who studies the Vietnamese traditional music culture, shared his preoccupation about the status of Vietnamese traditional music culture. He said after the integration, gastronomy, fashion and painting cultures will have chances to exchange with the rest of the world. In his opinion, Vietnam has many reasons to welcome the world gastronomy and fashion but it is really a worry for the Vietnamese traditional music, which it seems is being gradually replaced by modern music. He desired devoted and responsible people to create a stronger standing for the Vietnamese traditional music culture.

Preoccupation is proven inevitable but the delight of the Vietnamese people toward the WTO entry is very clear. "I now feel my happiness is the same as the day I and other people cheered when the country was reunified. It is a miracle of Vietnam - going then coming, competing then winning".

• Nguyen Thoa