Foreign relations exist between Australia and Vietnam. Australia has an embassy in Hanoi and a consulate in Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam has an embassy in Canberra.
While their first contact dated at 19th century as the British Empire was paying attention on colonizing countries in Asia, subsequent French colonization of Vietnam denied formal contact between Vietnam and Australia. Until the end of World War II, relations between Australia and Vietnam were almost non-existent.[1]
See also: Military history of Australia during the Vietnam War. Australia participated in the Vietnam War as part of a United States led-intervention to Vietnam to assist South Vietnam against North Vietnam. Australia committed 50,000 troops in the country, in which 520 were killed. The war had a deep effect on Australian society.[2]
At the end of Cold War and Vietnam's normalisation of foreign relations, Australia soon deepened it's relationship with Vietnam. Vietnam is now one of the world's fastest growing economies, and Australia's strategic partner, both being members of CPTPP and a popular destination for Australians, many of whom are former soldiers at the Vietnam War.[3]
The 2001 to 2011 General Secretary, Nông Đức Mạnh, visited Australia in 2009, upgrading their relationship to “comprehensive partnership”. In 2018, to mark the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations, this was upgraded further to a “strategic partnership”.[4]