Hanoi, Vietnam
Transcript
TRẦN VƯƠNG HOÀNG PHƯƠNG, VTC: Hello, Administrator Samantha Power. And thank you very much for joining us today.
ADMINISTRATOR SAMANTHA POWER: I'm delighted to be here.
MS. PHƯƠN: What is the goal of your visit to Vietnam at a time when our two countries, Vietnam and the United States, celebrate the tenth anniversary of the creation of Comprehensive Partnership?
ADMINISTRATOR POWER: We have celebrated ten years of a Comprehensive Partnership, but also of course – normalization is now almost three decades old between our two countries. I have the privilege of running USAID, which is an agency that works all around the world, but I can think of no country where the work that we do has been more important or more foundational to the bilateral relationship than here in Vietnam.
And we started doing war legacy work, for example, helping identify the missing, including so many Vietnamese missing, working on prosthetics, and disabilities that grew out of the war, working on remediation, getting rid of the dioxin associated with Agent Orange – so important. That's where USAID started, but now the partnership has broadened. Now, we support Fulbright University and CTU in education. We support the State Department exchanges, we do so much work together on HIV/AIDS, but also most recently giving away 40 million vaccines for COVID-19 and helping this country withstand this brutal pandemic.
I was in the Mekong Delta, which was an area of great focus for me – wanting to come because I know that climate change and environmental degradation is taking hold there in a way that is hurting the livelihoods of people who live in that incredibly important area. So, I have come in order to look at these different sectors – education, health, energy, climate, economic growth, and female empowerment – you know, supporting women like you, who have so much to contribute to Vietnamese society. And to think about this, we look at the next 30 years of our bilateral relationship, or our next ten years of partnership – what I hope will be a strategic partnership. What more we can do to deepen what is already a relationship that is going places.
MS. PHƯƠN: I know that you have been in Vietnam just for four days. So, what is your feeling about Vietnam? And what impressed you the most?
ADMINISTRATOR POWER: Yeah, well, my four days feel like four months because I have crammed in so much activity. I started in Ho Chi Minh City, and then we made our way to the Mekong Delta, and I spent some time in Can Tho, and now to be here in Hanoi. It's just an incredibly rich country, so full of the dynamism of the Vietnamese people who have come so far in such a short period of time, you know, lifting so many people out of poverty. Seeing so many young people now not only getting educated but getting educated in science and technology, and who want to bring that knowledge to bear in tackling some of these really difficult problems.
I'd say a few things impressed me the most. I think I need some extra holes in my belt because I have been eating far too much Vietnamese food. I visited some street food stalls in Ho Chi Minh City and had more food than I can consume, so the food has been incredible. But the food in a way is almost a symbol of the warmth and the way that the Vietnamese just welcome Americans and visitors to this country with open arms. And then the idealism of the young people. Young people in general are more idealistic than older people. But I don't think I have met young people as idealistic as the ones I've met here at Fulbright University and at CTU. I mean, they are really determined to make their communities better and their country better.
MS. PHƯƠN: Yeah, I think if you have more time in Vietnam, you will discover a lot of beautiful sightseeings in Vietnam.
ADMINISTRATOR POWER: Yes, no, absolutely. I look forward, I have two kids – a 13 year old and a 10 year old – and I've been talking to them on FaceTime and Zooming with them since I've been here. And I really look forward to the day where I can bring them back as a family and talk about just how much progress we have made together, going from a very painful, very, very sad history, which you know, every American child also is familiar with. And to see the resilience of the Vietnamese people, and how they have opened up their hearts to us in a spirit of friendship after everything we went through together. It's a really inspiring story.
MS. PHƯƠN: USAID has played a great role in the strong development of the two countries. So, what are USAID’s activities to show that contribution?
ADMINISTRATOR POWER: Well, I think that on HIV/AIDS, we have made a major dent together in what was a very, very significant problem and remains a problem, of course, for those who are infected. But I think the work we have done through a program called PEPFAR is also very indicative of the journey our relationship is on because it used to be the USAID and others supported community-based organizations, and we provided the antiretrovirals and we provided the medical support. But now the government, the Ministry of Health, has taken over so many of those functions themselves.
And it's really, I think, true of what we are going to see in sector after sector, you know, as what, you know – when Vietnam was a low income country, before it became a low, lower-middle income country, and as we head, you know, together in support of Vietnam, its journey to becoming a middle income country – along every step of the way, you know, each government office has different capacity, different capability. And we take great pride in being able to extend the hand of support and partnership, when the resources are not there. But we know that Vietnam is going to be able to wean itself – or to not be a recipient of assistance very soon. There is so much entrepreneurship here, the private sector is so dynamic, the trading relationship between our two countries, really, in so many ways, is contributing to that economic development.
You know, alongside these, this assistance that we provide in certain sectors, I think one thing, one area that is a growth area for us, of course, is climate. And 25 percent of Vietnam's energy now comes from solar, I think. We are very proud of the partnership that we've had in contributing to that. But that's really the work of the Vietnamese is making that happen. We would love to see, according to Vietnam's own plan of getting to net zero, more and more renewables being part of electricity generation here. And we know that that's going to happen.
But sometimes the focus there can also detract from the other aspect of climate change, which is helping communities adapt to what is a very, very difficult set of elements. I met with rice farmers, who can no longer really predict when the rains are coming. And several of them said to me, “I can't do rice anymore, I'm going to shift to orange growing, because I think with the weather patterns that we have, that will be more accommodating of this new climate that we're all grappling with.” Well, all around the world, USAID works on helping farmers adapt, giving them access to technology – NASA and other space agencies providing data so that people can better predict those weather patterns, giving farmers access to drought resistant seeds, drip irrigation, other forms of using water, scarce water in a manner that can help farmers grow their yields. So we would like to bring that know-how here and we know we have a lot to learn as well, from the Vietnamese, in this two-way learning partnership.
But I think that that is one of the issues, given how much of Vietnam is on the coast or on the river, really thinking through – what are rising sea levels and greater salinization, for example, in the Mekong, what is that going to mean for livelihoods? And how can USAID, working with the government of Vietnam, working with community-based organizations, and working hand in hand with the citizens themselves, help families transition, maybe from one livelihood to the next, or get better at coping with these extreme weather patterns?
MS. PHƯƠN: Last November, USAID and Vietnam announced a new initiative to promote sustainable growth in economies led by the private sector. Can you tell us why the private sector plays such an important role in sustainable growth economies?
ADMINISTRATOR POWER: Well, you know, our budget here in Vietnam, as USAID, is very substantial. You know, it’s somewhere between $100 million and $200 million annually. That’s a very, very big program for us. But when you think about education, health, climate and clean energy, agriculture, you know, the full range of issues, even though that’s a lot of money, you know, given all of the opportunities and all of the challenges faced by citizens, it’s not a lot compared to that. And yet, when the private sector partners with us, when the private sector decides that it’s going to, you know, put in place solar panels, like one of the garment factories that we saw, and when those solar panels provide so much energy that the private sector is actually able to give energy back to the grid, back to the government, well, that's a win-win, right, for the citizens and for the environment.
And so, you know, my motto at USAID is that we have to pursue progress in partnership, that goes beyond our programs, beyond our own resources to think about how we can work, for example, with the government to create a more business-friendly investment climate, how we can attract U.S. companies to come to Vietnam. There are many companies that would like to come to Vietnam. And paving the way for that is something USAID can help do by working with the government to make sure that the regulations that are in place are business-friendly.
MS. PHƯƠN: The Government of Vietnam is currently focusing on developing a draft of the 10-year Socio-Economic Development Strategy for the 2021–2030 period towards developing an integrated, efficient and sustainable growth and the economy. In such circumstances, what plans does USAID have in connection with that development strategy of the Government of Vietnam, and which fields are specifically focused on?
ADMINISTRATOR POWER: Well, as you know, may know, the V-LEEP program that USAID and the U.S. government helped run over these last years, I think, has played a major role in the shift to solar energy generation here. And I think going forward, thinking through how much more solar wind and other renewable energy can be brought online – it is much cheaper now to use solar energy than it was when we first started this partnership together. And every program that USAID does, we talk through with local officials, with party officials, with national government officials. And so we really tried to align our prioritization with the government's prioritization. At the same time, we encourage all of the places, the countries where we work, the leaders in those countries to engage with community-based organizations and local organizations. Because sometimes they have ideas that may not be evident if you're in a big city, and it's a rural area that you want to work in, it's really important to be out in the rural area, you know, hearing from people who are very close to the issues. So there's really nothing that we do here that doesn't involve dialogue and partnership with government officials, with the ultimate goal, of course, of benefiting the citizens of the country.
MS. PHƯƠN: USAID and the Vietnamese government have extensive cooperation in many areas, especially in issues of climate change, poverty reduction. In your opinion, what are the areas to be commended, and what are the issues that Vietnam wants to improve to promote sustainable development?
ADMINISTRATOR POWER: Yes, well, you're right to mention economic growth. I think that some of our most exciting work is in that area in trying to support entrepreneurs. I met, when I was in Ho Chi Minh City, for example, with a woman who had created an app that for me is like the best of all worlds. Because it was an app that both, you know, was a female entrepreneur who had created and it's her own company, but it was an app to actually facilitate waste collection so as to make it easier for Vietnamese citizens to recycle, for example, their plastic.
Vietnam produces about two to three million metric tons of plastic waste every year. But this app, if more citizens have access to it, they can say “I've got my plastic here, can someone come and pick it up,” and someone will come and a waste collector will come pick it up, weigh it, pay the citizen. So the citizen gets money, the plastic goes to the waste collector, the waste collector takes it to a recycling facility. And so instead of that plastic going into the ocean, and harming wildlife and nature, and you know, the emissions associated with plastic pollution, the citizen makes money, the waste collector is employed, and the environment is made cleaner.
And so what USAID does is we try to, we say in English, have our cake and eat it too. We try to find, you know, small businesses and entrepreneurs who we can support, because we want to support their livelihoods. But the best is when we can find someone who's also doing something that advances our work in another sector, or Vietnam's work, in agriculture, in environmental protection, in health, etc. So, you know, I rode today here in Hanoi, on a motorbike. I took a little tour, my security was a little nervous, because, you know, they get a little, you know, it looks a little wild out there to a visitor. But actually, the motorbike that I rode on is part of an enterprise that we are supporting, which is an e-motorbike, you know, something that actually is using clean energy in order to power itself. And so we want to work with the Vietnamese people, with Vietnamese entrepreneurs and with the government to think through what would it take to shift what is such a vital part of how people get around here to renewable energy. And so that's an example again, of something that is both good for business, and good for the environment.
MS. PHƯƠN: So could you tell us more about your plans to expand and promote or improve the USAID’s operational efficiency in Vietnam in the future?
ADMINISTRATOR POWER: Well, I think that one of the things we do here that's really important at our Vietnam Mission is we invest in local organizations. In many other countries, we don't do it as much, we work through international organizations. But here, we take a lot of pride in helping strengthen the capacity of Vietnam's own organizations, because we know when USAID, you know, has gone – you know, someday in the future, that these local organizations are the ones who are the closest to the people. So I think the more we can invest in local organizations, the better that would be [and] one way of improving I think our operations. I think, also, you know, thinking through what are the regulations and the rules, that if, you know, there were small changes, and we could support the government in making small changes, that would bring in more investment from outside, I think that would be also very important.
And then, you know, we also look all around the world, including here in Vietnam, at bringing in more marginalized populations. You know, whether that's people with disabilities, or, you know, people who are from ethnic minorities, or others, just to make sure that people from all backgrounds are treated equitably. And so we want to work on that as well to make sure that we're not just concentrating with one community or in one area. And that's why our work in the Mekong, I think now is so important, because we've always worked there in health and education and other places. But I think now this big $50 million investment is going to mean reaching people that are highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. And so I think that for USAID it is an important signal of our desire to be in more parts of the country.
MS. PHƯƠN: In a video announcing your nomination, President Joe Biden said "this woman will ensure our development agenda and be a major pillar of foreign policy." Now, what achievements USAID have made through promoting the US soft power?
ADMINISTRATOR POWER: Well, I think even my visit here shows the way the United States does development. We, you know, we want to be out on the motorbikes. We want to be, you know, drinking egg coffee, which is what I got to do this morning. We want to be learning about the cultures and the people in the community in which we are working, and then making sure that we are tailoring our programming and our support – not for our ideas, not bringing these ideas from the United States to Vietnam – but to really listen to the communities and to the people. So I think we've made a major difference here on COVID-19, you know, helping provide 40 million vaccines. And now luckily, we're all here without masks and talking to one another, which is wonderful. The shops are open, people are back to work, kids are back in school.
I think the educational investments we have made have been absolutely pivotal at Fulbright University. We're a major donor there at CTU, where I was in the Mekong Delta, we see young people intent on using their science and technology backgrounds to try to address the environmental challenges. So you know, I think you see the impact.
I was in the largest hospital in Vietnam, here in Hanoi this morning. And, you know, we started doing work out of the war legacy agenda to help people who had incurred disabilities in the war, because we take very seriously our responsibility for these legacy issues from the war. And now the orthopedic ward, which we started, you know, out of again, this attention to war issues, now treats patients, you know, who have car accidents or falls, and now, you know, is reaching a much broader segment of the Vietnamese population. And I think that's reflective in many ways that are symbolic of the transition that USAID has made here in Vietnam from dealing with the war legacy issues to now operating to support the Vietnamese in so many sectors.
MS. PHƯƠN: And now, a personal question for you. Formerly, I know you are a reporter, and service member of the National Security Council at the White House, the U.S. Ambassador to the UN. How have those jobs complemented you in your current role at USAID?
ADMINISTRATOR POWER: Well, USAID, I learn so much every day. You know, I didn't know a lot about drought resistant seeds or e-motorbikes before I came into the job, you know, there are so many development challenges now that are facing all countries. And so for me, who's a lifelong student, and also a sometimes professor, I get to be a student every day in this job. I get to learn every day, look how much I'm learning about Vietnam and in, you know, this week. So that's incredible.
I think that all the other jobs in many ways set me up for this job, because I think that, you know, what we are learning is that the development issues that matter so much here in Vietnam, and in so many parts of the world, themselves also have a profound effect on stability and prosperity. And so, you know, we are all connected in this world. And I think, because I was once a storyteller, a journalist, a writer, I think a lot about, you know, how even when I'm here in Vietnam, how do I communicate back to the United States, and to the American people, how what happens here in Vietnam, matters to them? And when I'm back in the United States, how do I tell the story about the Vietnamese people that I've met and become friends with, in a way that will make Americans want to come to Vietnam as well, whether to invest or to go to school, or just to be tourists?
And so, you know, one of the things that we really have to do is we have to make the case. You know, in each of our countries, I think, for the importance of this partnership, it is a major priority for the American people. It's a major priority, Vietnam, for President Biden. And the best way to do that is to tell the stories of what the Vietnamese people have done over the last decades to build their own country. To pull, you know, tens of millions of people out of poverty, to start businesses, to be entrepreneurs, to empower women. And when people hear that story back in the United States, they're just amazed and I think it's just going to mean that more and more Americans are going to want to come and experience Vietnam for themselves.
MS. PHƯƠN: What you're sharing with us today helps us understand more about the role of USAID in promoting the relations between two countries, Vietnam and the United States. Thank you very much for joining us today. Thank you.