Vietnam Economic Times October 19 2026

Dear readers,

Oceans have traditionally been viewed as natural resources, transportation spaces, and geographically-strategic locations. Such perceptions, however, are undergoing significant change, since various activities, such as transportation and logistics; fishing and aquaculture; oil and gas exploration, exploitation, and transportation; renewable energy development; tourism services; marine industry; telecommunications infrastructure; scientific and biotechnology research; biodiversity conservation; and national defense and security strategy formulations; among others, are now taking place simultaneously in the same ocean location. Moreover, an increasing number of services are being provided based on marine data.

This perspective highlights the importance of the oceans in socio-economic development and ensuring national defense and security, both globally and within each coastal nation.

With a sea area of over 1 million sq km and a coastline stretching more than 3,260 km, along with thousands of islands, Vietnam holds a particularly important geo-strategic position in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region as a whole. The country’s seas serve as both a space for survival and development, as well as a “fence” for national defense and security and a gateway for international exchange. The seas are therefore considered an important component of the national comprehensive strength.

Furthermore, as land development space approaches its limits, maritime development is an inexorable trend and an objective requirement to expand development space and assert national sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction on the sea.

Resolution No. 20-NQ/TW from the third plenum of the 14th Party Central Committee on building and developing Vietnam into a strong maritime nation, dated July 28, 2026, has set the overall goal by 2030 as “Building a solid foundation for Vietnam to become a strong maritime nation. Forming a modern, unified, and synchronized national marine governance system based on science, technology, and digital data; managing, exploiting, and using marine resources and space effectively and sustainably; gradually mastering distant seas, deep seas, and new development spaces at sea; protecting the marine environment; conserving and restoring marine ecosystems; developing a modern marine economy, with high competitiveness; improving the living standards of people in coastal and island areas; preserving and promoting marine resources; maintaining national defense, security, sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction on the sea; and further enhancing Vietnam’s international position, prestige, and role.”

It is clear that the ocean in general and the marine economy in particular play an increasingly important role in Vietnam’s multi-layered development space.

However, it is agreed that the realization of the goal of making Vietnam a strong maritime nation still faces many difficulties and challenges. First of all, marine governance has not kept pace with development demands. Marine institutions and policies lack synchronization. The effectiveness and efficiency of State management over marine affairs remain limited. Functions and tasks overlap. The marine economy has not developed commensurate with its potential and advantages. Science, technology, innovation, basic research, and the development of marine human resources have not met requirements. Sea environment protection, and marine ecosystem conservation and biodiversity, still face many challenges.

The core requirement set forth by Resolution No. 20 is to transform Vietnam from a coastal nation into a strong maritime nation, with a modern marine economy that has high competitiveness, while maintaining national defense and security, sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction on the sea.

To provide readers with the latest information on Vietnam’s seas in general and its marine economy in particular, our Cover Story in this edition focuses on the advantages and potential of the country’s sea areas, while analyzing the roadmap for the exploitation of its marine space and the development of its marine economy, as outlined in Resolution No. 20.

Warmest regards

Dr. CHU VAN LAM
CHAIRMAN OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD