Vietnamese Community in Macau: A Pillar of Solidarity and a Resource for Development

Resolution No. 23-NQ/TW (Resolution 23), building on the foundational principles of Resolution No. 36-NQ/TW, reaffirms that overseas Vietnamese are an inseparable part of the nation's great unity bloc and an important strategic resource in the country's integration and development.

From the experience in Macau, a Special Administrative Region of China, the story of the Association of Overseas Vietnamese in Macau offers a modest yet compelling example of this spirit in practice.

Having overcome initial difficulties, Vietnamese residents in Macau have worked together to build a united community, live and work in accordance with local laws, and gradually establish trust and a positive image among both local authorities and residents.

The community's efforts to establish its standing began in 2021, when the COVID-19 pandemic reached its peak. As Macau tightened controls, many Vietnamese workers found themselves unemployed.

Taking the initiative in difficult circumstances, Mr. Duong Trung Duc, the association's president, and its founding members worked closely with the Consulate General of Vietnam in Macau and Hong Kong (China) to organise 12 repatriation flights, safely bringing thousands of Vietnamese nationals facing particularly difficult circumstances home.

After the pandemic, the next major challenge was to raise legal awareness among the community's more than 9,000 workers. Acknowledging that the rate of legal violations stood at over 20% in 2024, the association launched a comprehensive transformation strategy under the guidance of Vietnam's diplomatic mission.

The association's organisational structure was consolidated, with an executive committee of 29 members operating through three core divisions: legal affairs, charity and cultural activities. The Legal Affairs Division has played a central role in translating police warnings into Vietnamese on issues including drug prevention, high-tech scams and the risks of unknowingly carrying items for others. It also helps mediate disputes at the grassroots level.

Results became evident in 2025, when Macau's Judiciary Police reported that the rate of legal violations among Vietnamese residents had fallen sharply from more than 20% to 2%, while cases of illegal residence had almost disappeared. The recent invitation extended to Mr. Duong Trung Duc by the local authorities to attend a celebration marking Macau Judiciary Police Day also represented a milestone: for the first time, a Vietnamese community organisation had been invited to an official security and judicial event.

Beyond its work in social welfare and legal advice, the Association of Overseas Vietnamese in Macau also serves as a common home that fosters solidarity and preserves national identity.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hue, head of the Hung Yen chapter and chief of the association's reception division, said that for people working far from home, work pressures and homesickness were difficult to avoid. The association therefore provided a sense of family warmth for community members.

Ms. Hue said Vietnamese residents actively participated each year in major national celebrations and festivals organised by the local authorities. One particularly important event was the Macau International Parade, held every March, which provides an opportunity to promote the culture and traditions of their homeland.

Notably, although Macau does not yet have formal Vietnamese-language classes, women working in childcare have taken the initiative to teach Vietnamese to young children to help preserve their mother tongue abroad.

Ms. Hue added that the spirit of mutual support was sustained through the association's charity fund, which provides timely legal and emotional assistance to women facing illness or accidents. Whenever appeals for support arrive from Vietnam, overseas Vietnamese in Macau also readily contribute money and effort to help their homeland in the aftermath of natural disasters.

Assessing the role of overseas Vietnamese, Ms. Le Duc Hanh, Consul General of Vietnam in Hong Kong and Macau, affirmed that the Party and State had consistently identified overseas Vietnamese as an important strategic resource and a bridge connecting Vietnam with the world. Resolution 23 reflects a shift in thinking, from mobilising and caring for overseas Vietnamese towards working alongside them and creating mechanisms for their broader participation in national development.

Regarding the community in Macau, Ms. Le Duc Hanh expressed her pleasure at its solidarity, dynamism and positive contributions both to Vietnam and to the prosperity of its host locality. She particularly highlighted the close ties between intellectuals, students and engineers and manual workers in building a mutually supportive community.

To ensure the community's sustainable development, representatives of the Association of Overseas Vietnamese in Macau and Vietnamese workers also expressed their hope for continued close cooperation with diplomatic missions and local authorities. Key priorities include support in preparing and standardising Vietnamese-language materials on labour laws and insurance, as well as establishing a direct legal advice channel to help resolve difficulties and intervene promptly when workers face risks or disputes.

The association also hopes to expand programmes that strengthen integration skills and help community members learn conversational Cantonese and Mandarin, enabling them to meet workplace requirements more effectively and protect their own rights. Greater coordination between the association, labour management agencies and Macau authorities would also help improve legal awareness, protect the local environment and strengthen preparedness for natural disasters.

Speaking about the association's future vision, Mr. Duong Trung Duc said its ultimate goal was to bring the rate of legal violations down to zero.

From supporting community members through the difficult years of the pandemic to achieving positive changes today, the association's journey demonstrates that dedicated leadership and solidarity among community members are the strongest foundations for progress. Together, they help strengthen connections among overseas Vietnamese in line with the direction set out in Resolution 23.

Source: Vietnam News Agency (VNA)