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| General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President of Vietnam To Lam delivers the keynote address at the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 29. (Photo: VNA) |
Hanoi (VNA) – International media outlets have continued to spotlight the keynote address delivered by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President of Vietnam To Lam at the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, underscoring his message that the Asia-Pacific should not only be a region where global challenges converge, but must also become where solutions emerge for peace, stability and sustainable development.
Singapore’s daily The Straits Times reported on May 30 that the Vietnamese leader identified three interconnected crises in the current global instability: a crisis of the international order, a crisis of development models, and a crisis of strategic trust. He stressed that these challenges are particularly evident in the Asia-Pacific, a region that has benefited greatly from globalisation but is increasingly exposed to supply-chain fragmentation, climate change, technological transformation and intensifying geo-economic competition.
The newspaper quoted the leader as saying that “precisely because it is where these challenges converge, the Asia-Pacific must also become where solutions emerge.” It also noted that a significant portion of his address focused on the crisis of the international order, highlighting the need to strengthen respect for international law and exercise restraint. In the paper’s view, these messages reflect Vietnam’s approach to emerging security and development challenges in the region.
Sharing a similar assessment of the regional and global landscape, Türkiye’s state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) emphasised that the central theme of General Secretary and President Lam’s speech was a call for greater dialogue, cooperation and self-restraint in addressing growing uncertainties in international affairs.
The agency highlighted his appeal for countries to promote a spirit of “responsible coexistence”, deepen dialogue, enhance transparency and establish more substantive mechanisms for cooperation rather than allowing divisions and mistrust to prevail.
Anadolu also drew attention to Vietnam’s vision for the region, reflected in the top leader’s statement that “dialogue must help identify risks early, facilitate information-sharing, preserve communication channels during moments of tension, and prevent disagreement from escalating into crisis,” so as to jointly shape an Asia-Pacific that is peaceful, stable, resilient and capable of mitigating risks early and from afar.
AA further noted his observation that recent tensions along strategic maritime routes in the Middle East demonstrate how conflicts in one hotspot can rapidly affect trade, energy supplies, logistics networks and socio-economic conditions across the globe.
Meanwhile, The New York Times highlighted General Secretary and President Lam’s emphasis on the intrinsic link between peace, stability and sustainable development. According to the newspaper, the Vietnamese leader argued that today’s instability stems not only from military conflicts but also from disruptions to development itself. While strengthening national defence is legitimate, sustainable security cannot rely solely on military power, nor can it be achieved through arms races. Instead, countries need development foundations that are resilient to external shocks.
Quoting international analysts, it noted that the Vietnamese leader’s keynote address at one of Asia’s leading security forums reflects the country’s aspiration to play a more proactive role in promoting dialogue, advancing cooperation and addressing shared regional and global challenges./.
