Over the past decades, Mr. Tran Ba Phuc, a member of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and Chairman of the Vietnam Business Association in Australia (VBAA), has steadfastly pursued efforts to strengthen connectivity for development, contributing to the promotion of Vietnamese goods, advancing economic cooperation, and fostering a shared commitment toward the nation’s seas and islands.
Dedication to promoting Vietnamese products
In 2010, Mr. Phuc founded the Vietnam Business Association in Australia (VBAA). From an initial membership of just a few dozen, the association has since grown to over 500 members, including approximately 120 Vietnamese enterprises investing in Australia. After 16 years of operation, VBAA has become an important bridge in promoting economic cooperation, trade promotion, and investment between Vietnam and Australia.
Guided by its core value of “Connecting for mutual development,” VBAA has worked in close coordination with the Embassy of Vietnam and the Vietnam Trade Office in Australia to organize a wide range of investment promotion activities, trade exhibitions, business forums, and initiatives introducing cooperation opportunities. The association has also actively advocated for support for trade negotiations aimed at expanding the presence of Vietnamese agricultural products in the Australian market.
In 2019, Mr. Phuc established the Vietnam Trade Promotion and Product Display Center in Australia (ITPC), which has introduced more than 200 Vietnamese products into supermarket systems across Australia, creating a trusted destination for Vietnamese goods.
“We not only bring Vietnamese products into Australian supermarket chains but also promote signature agricultural products such as cashew nuts, coffee, pepper, and seafood, helping Australian consumers better understand the quality and value of Vietnamese goods,” Mr. Phuc noted.
In coordination with the Vietnam Trade Counselor in Australia, ITPC has implemented a wide range of trade promotion programs, supporting domestic farmers in exporting specialty fruits—including lychee, longan, dragon fruit, and mango—to the Australian market. The center has also actively participated in the project on mobilizing overseas Vietnamese to promote and distribute Vietnamese products through international distribution channels.
Drawing on the significance of the campaign “Vietnamese people prioritize using Vietnamese goods,” Mr. Phuc has taken the lead in spreading this spirit to the Vietnamese community and consumers in Australia.
“From the outstanding quality of products such as lychee and mango—widely promoted in Australia—I have encouraged Australian enterprises to import these items, which have been well received by local consumers. We have organized Vietnam Lychee Day and Vietnam Dragon Fruit Day in Australia while also supporting many localities in expanding their export markets,” he said.
Mr. Phuc added that several Australian businesses, which previously sourced shrimp from China, have since shifted to importing shrimp from Ca Mau Province of Vietnam, with annual turnover reaching tens of millions of US dollars.
In an effort to establish an official channel for economic and political information, Mr. Phuc also founded the Vietnam–Australia Business Online Newspaper. By mid-2025, the publication had completed the restructuring of its sections in line with a new brand identity orientation.
After more than 20 years away from his homeland, Mr. Phuc was moved to tears on his first day back as he set foot at Tan Son Nhat International Airport. Before his eyes, Ho Chi Minh City had become far more vibrant and developed.
“I returned to Vietnam on the occasion of the inauguration of My Thuan Bridge. This project was funded by the Australian Government and received strong support from the Vietnamese community in Australia,” Mr. Phuc recalled.
One of the most profound memories before his return to Vietnam was Mr. Phuc’s meeting with the late Party General Secretary Do Muoi and a high-level delegation of the Party and State during their visit to Australia in 1992.
“I was deeply moved and overwhelmed when Mr. Do Muoi said that ‘Vietnamese people who left the country during difficult times are still part of the same national family," he recalled.
During his time in Australia, Mr. Phuc not only devoted himself to studying and working to affirm the Vietnamese spirit but also actively engaged in student movements and community activities. In 1989, he served as President of the Vietnamese community in the state of Victoria. “I hope the Vietnamese community will become an integral part of Australia’s multicultural society, thereby contributing to promoting the fine values of our nation,” he said.
Continuing the journey
For Mr. Phuc, the Vietnamese language represents a cultural root and a vital bond connecting the overseas Vietnamese community in Australia with their homeland. With nearly 400,000 people of Vietnamese origin and Vietnamese now ranking as the fifth most commonly spoken language in Australia, he has become increasingly aware of the responsibility to preserve and promote the mother tongue for future generations. He has actively engaged in efforts to safeguard and promote national identity, thereby contributing to strengthening the great national unity bloc within the overseas Vietnamese community.
From maintaining Vietnamese language classes and organizing traditional festivals to encouraging younger generations to explore Vietnam’s history and literature, Mr. Phuc has remained steadfast in nurturing a sense of cultural belonging.
When the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs presented a Vietnamese-language bookcase to the community in Australia (located at ITPC), he proactively mobilized resources and fostered connections to ensure its effective operation. The space has since become a meaningful cultural hub, providing rich materials and contributing to the cultivation of a love for the Vietnamese language and a strong sense of national pride among overseas Vietnamese.
For more than 46 years, Mr. Phuc has consistently organized a wide range of activities to strengthen community cohesion, initiating numerous programs to promote culture and traditional festivals while maintaining Vietnamese language teaching for younger generations. He has remained devoted to supporting international students and the younger generation, helping sustain and extend the flow of Vietnamese cultural identity in Australia.
He noted that VBAA has also coordinated with the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism to organize artistic programs such as Huong Sac Mua Xuan (Spring Colors) in Melbourne, offering a culturally rich artistic space that enables overseas Vietnamese to deepen their understanding of and attachment to Vietnamese culture.
“At the age of 72, I hope I still have the strength to contribute, even in a small way, to my homeland. I hope that the younger generation, wherever they may be, will never forget the Vietnamese language and their roots,” Mr. Phuc shared.
In recognition of his contributions, Mr. Tran Ba Phuc was awarded the Multicultural Excellence Award by the Governor of Victoria. He also received numerous certificates of merit and commemorative medals from the Prime Minister, leaders of ministries and central agencies, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, and various provinces and cities.
According to Ambassador of Vietnam to Australia Pham Hung Tam, VBAA has effectively fulfilled its role as a bridge connecting the Vietnamese community with the homeland, thereby contributing to elevating the Vietnam–Australia friendship and bilateral economic cooperation.
“I highly appreciate and commend Mr. Phuc’s persistent and dedicated contributions to the community and the homeland. He and the Vietnamese community in Australia are an inseparable part of the nation. His practical recommendations have helped remove procedural bottlenecks, improve the investment environment, and strengthen business connectivity between the two countries. The Embassy will continue to accompany, listen to, and create all favorable conditions for overseas Vietnamese to join hands in national development,” Ambassador Pham Hung Tam emphasized.
Ambassador Pham Hung Tam also noted that Mr. Phuc stands as a typical example of the resilient spirit of overseas Vietnamese. Beyond his active and practical contributions to the “For Beloved Hoang Sa – Truong Sa” Club, he has mobilized VBAA members to participate and maintain close engagement with the initiative, considering it an integral part of the journey toward the nation’s seas and islands, thereby affirming Vietnam’s sovereignty.
