Mr. Johnathan Hanh Nguyen returned to Vietnam in 1984 after receiving an invitation from trực tuyến bóng đá representative of Vietnam at trực tuyến bóng đá UN (United Nations). trực tuyến bóng đá Vietnamese government prepared a private jet to take him from Tan Son Nhat airport to Hanoi, where he would meet Prime Minister Pham Van Dong. At trực tuyến bóng đá Government Office, trực tuyến bóng đá Prime Minister said: "You should try to help Vietnam open a flight route to trực tuyến bóng đá Philippines." During trực tuyến bóng đá years of siege and embargo, it was trực tuyến bóng đá first official international air route to capitalist countries, as well as Vietnam's first commercial operation with countries outside trực tuyến bóng đá socialist system.

Billionaire Johnathan Hanh Nguyen had a 90-minute conversation with Dan Tri, revealing things he had never told as trực tuyến bóng đá first overseas Vietnamese to return to trực tuyến bóng đá country to do business. He also helped Vietnam, having one of trực tuyến bóng đá first international trade cooperation activities after 1975 with countries outside trực tuyến bóng đá socialist bloc. He expressed his joy and pride at being able to contribute to Vietnam's opening-up process.

 

01. trực tuyến bóng đá Unexpected Phone Call, and trực tuyến bóng đá Private Jet Carried One Special Passenger

To Lan Huong:To be honest, I was taken aback by your profile: You were trực tuyến bóng đá first overseas Vietnamese to return home to invest and do business in Vietnam, even before trực tuyến bóng đá country was fully opened up and recognized trực tuyến bóng đá potential of a multi-sector market economy in 1985. Is there a special reason for that return?

Johnathan Hanh Nguyen: My return journey may have started in 1984, when I was working as a financial inspector for Boeing Subcontractors and received a phone call from trực tuyến bóng đá UN Representative Office in Vietnam. It was just a casual chatting conversation. They mainly questioned whether I wanted to go back to Vietnam to see my family and did not give me any further reason. I had been away from Vietnam for more than ten years at trực tuyến bóng đá time, and after graduating from my MBA, I continued to work in trực tuyến bóng đá US after trực tuyến bóng đá liberation of trực tuyến bóng đá South. Although I could not really guess what trực tuyến bóng đá reason behind trực tuyến bóng đá invitation was, I chose to visit my hometown.

During trực tuyến bóng đá Tet holiday in 1984, I brought my family to Nha Trang for trực tuyến bóng đá first time, followed by a visit to Hanoi at trực tuyến bóng đá invitation of trực tuyến bóng đá Government Office. Pham Van Dong, Prime Minister of Vietnam, greeted me at trực tuyến bóng đá Government Office. After enquiring about my family and present employment, trực tuyến bóng đá Prime Minister requested me to assist Vietnam in opening a flight route with trực tuyến bóng đá Philippines. At that time, I realized that I was on a unique and crucial mission to assist Vietnam in beginning to open its doors to trực tuyến bóng đá rest of trực tuyến bóng đá world.

 

To Lan Huong:Why are you, an overseas Vietnamese, trực tuyến bóng đá "chosen one" for this important task?

Johnathan Hanh Nguyen: During that meeting, I also asked Prime Minister Pham Van Dong that question. I am not sure why trực tuyến bóng đá Vietnamese government chose me; I am merely a financial inspector for an aircraft manufacturer; thus I have no experience with route opening.

Later, I was told that trực tuyến bóng đá Ministry of Foreign Affairs had reviewed trực tuyến bóng đá list of overseas Vietnamese, and that only I worked in an aviation-related profession at trực tuyến bóng đá time, with a fairly high position. They were also aware that I was trực tuyến bóng đá nephew-in-law of President Marcos. And before that, all previous diplomatic attempts to contact President Marcos had failed.

After a long conversation, Prime Minister Pham Van Dong encouraged me to undertake this task, promising to create all conditions since this is what Vietnam is required to do in order to progressively remove trực tuyến bóng đá siege and economic embargo. I recall a T134 jet picking me up in Hanoi, and I was trực tuyến bóng đá only passenger on that plane when I returned to Ho Chi Minh City. All of this thorough information has made me realize how important this is to trực tuyến bóng đá Vietnamese government and trực tuyến bóng đá country's economy.

And I accepted!

 

 

 

02. Strange "Luck" In trực tuyến bóng đá Philippine Presidential Palace And Tears Of trực tuyến bóng đá "Pioneers"

To Lan Huong:If all past diplomatic efforts have failed, how can you successfully carry out such a potentially impossible mission?

Johnathan Hanh Nguyen: Due to trực tuyến bóng đá US embargo, Vietnam had just two air gateways in trực tuyến bóng đá early 1980s: Vietnam - Moscow and Vietnam - Bangkok (in trực tuyến bóng đá form of charter flights). Hence, opening more new routes is seen as an urgent task. But Vietnam was embargoed at trực tuyến bóng đá time, and our people faced numerous problems; enemy forces struck from all sides; how could trực tuyến bóng đá air path be opened? I knew it would not be a simple undertaking as soon as I agreed with Prime Minister Pham Van Dong. Mr. Tran Tien Vinh (Vietnam's Chargé d'Affaires in trực tuyến bóng đá Philippines) informed me that Vietnam attempted to communicate with Manila via diplomatic channels six times but received no answer. It is understandable, because at that time trực tuyến bóng đá Philippines was a close ally of trực tuyến bóng đá US.

First, I established PHL Impex International (trực tuyến bóng đá forerunner of Imex Pan Pacific Group) to partner with Vietnam Airlines. Through trực tuyến bóng đá introduction of my relatives in trực tuyến bóng đá Philippines, I contacted trực tuyến bóng đá General Director of Philippine Airlines and made an offer from Vietnam: Hope trực tuyến bóng đá Philippines would agree to allow Vietnam Airlines to open a route to Manila. However, trực tuyến bóng đá outcome remained essentially trực tuyến bóng đá same, since President Marcos' government disagreed. President Marcos even issued an order prohibiting any requests for authorization to start new aviation routes from Vietnam.

But at a time when nearly all of my efforts had come to a standstill, with all of my relationships with trực tuyến bóng đá Presidential Palace and with many initiatives, and even if my life was at times like a thousand pounds on a hair, I still risked meeting and reporting directly to President Marcos. I told Mrs. Leita, President Marcos's assistant and also trực tuyến bóng đá President's sister-in-law: "Please help me. Let me know if you see President Marcos happy, and I'll come in and ask for it myself "...

On trực tuyến bóng đá evening of September 4, 1985, Mrs. Leita notified me: "trực tuyến bóng đá President is really happy today; you should get here quickly." Mr. Tran Tien Vinh picked me up and transported me to trực tuyến bóng đá Presidential Palace. I entered trực tuyến bóng đá President's office with suspense and tension. Before going here to visit trực tuyến bóng đá President, I told my family, "If I am arrested, please ask trực tuyến bóng đá US Embassy to send a note for consideration." However, what happened was trực tuyến bóng đá complete opposite of what I anticipated. President Marcos took trực tuyến bóng đá report from trực tuyến bóng đá Philippine Foreign Affairs Department from my hand, hardly read it, hastily signed it, and did not ask any questions. I left trực tuyến bóng đá Presidential Palace shortly after getting trực tuyến bóng đá President's signature, fearful that he may call back for more information or change his mind, leading to a bad situation.

 

When Mr. Tran Tien Vinh heard that I had secured President Marcos' signature, he greeted me and hugged me, crying, "Hanh, today you are trực tuyến bóng đá hero of trực tuyến bóng đá country." He immediately sent a telegram back to Hanoi to report such good news to everyone. Later, Mr. Muoi Huong (Head of trực tuyến bóng đá Central Committee for Internal Affairs) told me that many leaders in Hanoi were waiting for "great news" from Manila that evening, and that they all exhaled a sigh of relief when trực tuyến bóng đá assigned mission was eventually completed.

Then, 5 days later, on September 9, 1985, trực tuyến bóng đá flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Manila and back to Ho Chi Minh City was launched, marking trực tuyến bóng đá first flight between two destinations. On trực tuyến bóng đá entire journey, there were 31 Vietnamese aviation officials and press reporters. trực tuyến bóng đá return trip carried 30 tons of goods as gifts from American expatriates sent to their relatives in Vietnam. This was Vietnam Airlines' first international flight to a non-socialist country. Prior to then, Vietnam had flights to Thailand on occasion, but each trip required authorization. Since opening a flight route to trực tuyến bóng đá Philippines means opening up business opportunities with capitalist countries, as well as a way for overseas Vietnamese to transport goods, gifts, and foreign currencies to their relatives in Vietnam, this event is critical to Vietnam's future opening and integration.

I still believe that my accomplishment that day was due to "natural time, ideal terrain, and human harmony." That was also trực tuyến bóng đá start of my 36-year journey back home to do business, which led to trực tuyến bóng đá formation.

 

 

03. Became trực tuyến bóng đá First Overseas Vietnamese Entrepreneur to Return to Vietnam in Grief With trực tuyến bóng đá Image of trực tuyến bóng đá Homeland

To Lan Huong:I assume you were having a good career abroad at trực tuyến bóng đá time, and Vietnam was not yet open, trực tuyến bóng đá economy was challenging, per capita income was low, and inflation was rising. Not only that, but there is still considerable skepticism over Viet Kieu's return to trực tuyến bóng đá nation. No matter what we believed, it was not trực tuyến bóng đá proper moment for you to return ....

Johnathan Hanh Nguyen: When I returned to Vietnam with my family for a visit in 1984, my two kids had dengue fever, but even though we had money, we could not buy medicine for them during that period. We had to go out and get towels and lemons to wipe down trực tuyến bóng đá kids throughout trực tuyến bóng đá day and night in trực tuyến bóng đá hopes that they would be antipyretic. We couldn't do anything better at trực tuyến bóng đá time, so we left it to fate. Fortunately, two of my children were able to overcome it. Many children in Vietnam, however, were still dying due to a pharmaceutical scarcity at trực tuyến bóng đá time.

On trực tuyến bóng đá flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, trực tuyến bóng đá impression of Vietnam that I saw was trực tuyến bóng đá old, shabby and poor corrugated iron-roofed houses…

If you ask what is trực tuyến bóng đá motivation, trực tuyến bóng đá reason for me to return, then perhaps that is trực tuyến bóng đá reason. I want to do something worthwhile to assist trực tuyến bóng đá country in overcoming this difficult period, such as assisting in trực tuyến bóng đá procurement of additional medical...

 

After trực tuyến bóng đá route was successfully opened, I completed three tasks that I regard to be my top priorities.

I began by visiting a Vietnamese refugee camp in Palawan, Philippines. "I hope you and your uncles, brothers, and sisters will send messages home advising family and loved ones to stop all intentions to cross trực tuyến bóng đá border illegally," I told them. I also promised to work with trực tuyến bóng đá governments of trực tuyến bóng đá United States, Vietnam, and trực tuyến bóng đá Philippines to reconnect their loved ones with their families through trực tuyến bóng đá Orderly Departure Program (ODP). Later on, trực tuyến bóng đá United States, trực tuyến bóng đá Philippines, and Vietnam all agreed, so some of our flights carry individuals to trực tuyến bóng đá Philippines before going to trực tuyến bóng đá US to reunite with their families.

Second, I asked for assistance from American lawyers to assist me in finding a legal way to bring medication into Vietnam. Finally, boxes of medications of all types were transported to Vietnam from trực tuyến bóng đá United States, sent by overseas Vietnamese to their relatives, and all of them were brought home by flights from trực tuyến bóng đá Philippines, resolving trực tuyến bóng đá problem of severe medicine scarcity in Vietnam at trực tuyến bóng đá time.

Third, we searched for ways to send remittances back to Vietnam by implementing an "on-trực tuyến bóng đá-spot export" policy, so that trực tuyến bóng đá Vietnamese government has foreign currency to use and citizens with relatives overseas have money to spend on household items and other necessities.

 

04. trực tuyến bóng đá First Lesson From Deputy Prime Minister Tran Quynh About Perseverance and Patience

To Lan Huong:When you returned to Vietnam to do business, did you encounter any challenges that made you discouraged and wanted to give up?

Johnathan Hanh Nguyen: Following trực tuyến bóng đá successful opening of a new flight route, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Quynh met me and grabbed my hand in his, saying, "When doing business in Vietnam, remember two crucial lessons: first, be patient and persistent, and second, comply with trực tuyến bóng đá provisions of trực tuyến bóng đá law, and trực tuyến bóng đá Party, Government, and People will protect you." What Uncle Tran Quynh stated makes sense to me. He was afraid I'd lose money and have to go back to America.

In trực tuyến bóng đá first three years, from 1985 to 1988, when Vietnam had an aviation agreement with trực tuyến bóng đá Philippines, I lost 5 million USD out of my total capital of 20 million USD. Back then, this was a large amount of money. I lost money since trực tuyến bóng đá cost for each charter flight at trực tuyến bóng đá time was more than 40,000 USD, and I had dozens of flights per month, but each flight just had products in and out, was empty, and had no passengers, thus trực tuyến bóng đá number of losses kept increasing exponentially.

In addition, I opened a garment factory, made rattan for export, and built Vietnam's first three-star hotel in Nha Trang. I also did many different things to create more jobs for people. True, however, it was difficult to gain anything at trực tuyến bóng đá time, and very easy to lose.

But I always remember Uncle Tran Quynh's advice about perseverance, and I believe in my vision: trực tuyến bóng đá future of this nation will be bright, and prosperous. To be honest, I've made 10-, 20-, and 30-year plans for my business since then, and I think that as Vietnam's economy opens up and integrates, my potential opportunities will come, and trực tuyến bóng đá future will be brighter. With a loss of $5 million USD in trực tuyến bóng đá first three years, I consider it trực tuyến bóng đá money I invested to build a business foundation in Vietnam.

To Lan Huong:When did your business in Vietnam start to flourish?

Johnathan Hanh Nguyen: In 1988, when Vietnam and Philippines signed trực tuyến bóng đá Aviation Agreement and also trực tuyến bóng đá time when Vietnam had a Law on Foreign Investment, I no longer had a loss. After 10 years, I got my full investment and lost money in trực tuyến bóng đá early years back and started to make a profit.

There are some people who return home to do business with trực tuyến bóng đá mindset of doing short-term business, making millions of dollars, and then leaving. I, on trực tuyến bóng đá other hand, choose to take trực tuyến bóng đá long road, no matter how tough it may be; I choose to lose at times in order to build a sustainable foundation, allowing me to both further grow my profession and contribute to trực tuyến bóng đá country's development process. It will remain trực tuyến bóng đá same, whether it is now or 36 years ago.

In terms of production and business operations, I always follow trực tuyến bóng đá motto of equality with partners, have a long-term plan, develop trực tuyến bóng đá business in trực tuyến bóng đá direction of supporting one another, and notably have to take care of and care for individuals who are dedicated to trực tuyến bóng đá company. I frequently remind my employees that we must always comply with trực tuyến bóng đá law. In every business situation, we must first and foremost respect trực tuyến bóng đá law, as well as be transparent and fulfill our obligations to governmental authorities. trực tuyến bóng đá success of trực tuyến bóng đá group is measured not by its investment portfolio, but by trực tuyến bóng đá contribution of each business line to trực tuyến bóng đá country's economic progress and prosperity.

 

05. My "Support" is Comprised of trực tuyến bóng đá Party, trực tuyến bóng đá Government, trực tuyến bóng đá People, and trực tuyến bóng đá Respect for trực tuyến bóng đá Law

To Lan Huong:Many people believe that if you want to do business in Vietnam at trực tuyến bóng đá time, you need "support." What or who do you consider to be your "support"?

Johnathan Hanh Nguyen: I rely on trực tuyến bóng đá Party, trực tuyến bóng đá Government, and trực tuyến bóng đá People, as well as trực tuyến bóng đá fact that I have consistently upheld trực tuyến bóng đá principle of trực tuyến bóng đá rule of law over trực tuyến bóng đá past 36 years. There were also many who claimed at trực tuyến bóng đá time that I took a risk by bringing a large amount of money back to my country to do business. But in those years, legal procedures in Vietnam for those in trực tuyến bóng đá economic sector, such as myself, were essentially non-existent. When it comes to business licenses for companies, or, in my case, my factory, only a few documents are required. But I am confident that I have been doing beneficial things for trực tuyến bóng đá country, therefore I am not concerned about anyone causing me problems or difficulties.

I can gladly say that for trực tuyến bóng đá last 36 years, from those early days to now - when my family business (IPPG) contributed 2000 billion in taxes to trực tuyến bóng đá state budget for trực tuyến bóng đá five years preceding trực tuyến bóng đá epidemic - I have never done anything that is not permitted by law.

I believe that if I do something illegal, no one can save me, even if I maintain good relationships with trực tuyến bóng đá leaders of Vietnam. I consider this a principle of survival in business even though trực tuyến bóng đá profit may be less. I may have been trực tuyến bóng đá first person in Vietnam to start a business during trực tuyến bóng đá age of innovation, but I was not trực tuyến bóng đá richest person as a result of this decision. But, in exchange, I sleep peacefully every night and am secure in my reputation in trực tuyến bóng đá market as well as with ministries, agencies, and trực tuyến bóng đá Vietnamese government.

To Lan Huong:After doing business in Vietnam for 36 years, people know you as trực tuyến bóng đá "King of Luxury Goods," although it can be argued that aviation is your family's major source of profit. Numerous people believe your family has a monopoly on many "fortunate" services businesses in this industry. What are your thoughts on this?

 

Johnathan Hanh Nguyen: Hitherto trực tuyến bóng đá aviation sector has been IPPG's primary business focus. It is, however, not a surprise gift from nowhere for me, but rather a reflection of my efforts and contributions in this field.

In 1985, when trực tuyến bóng đá Ho Chi Minh City - Manila route was opened, Prime Minister Pham Van Dong summoned me back to Hanoi and thanked me on behalf of trực tuyến bóng đá Government.

There, Uncle Pham Van Dong asked me:

• Do you have any personal suggestions?

I replied:

• I have two requests that I'm hoping you'll be able to accommodate. One is for my family members in Vietnam to have passports and visas so that they can easily enter and leave trực tuyến bóng đá country. Second, I'd like to open duty-free airport shops.

After hearing my suggestions, Uncle Pham Van Dong immediately agrees with both of them. trực tuyến bóng đá very next week my family got a Vietnamese passport. As for trực tuyến bóng đá business of duty-free airport shops, I started doing it in 1992. To be honest, there were countless losses in trực tuyến bóng đá early stages because there were relatively few people at trực tuyến bóng đá airport in Vietnam at trực tuyến bóng đá time. My business was trực tuyến bóng đá first to invest money in duty-free shops and airport services at trực tuyến bóng đá time. Although there were continuous losses in trực tuyến bóng đá initial periods, we persisted and opted not to give up. As a person living abroad, I realize that, after opening, trực tuyến bóng đá number of visitors to Vietnam will increase, Vietnamese airlines and accompanying airline services will develop together.

Nowadays, IPPG duty-free and service shops can be found at all airports across trực tuyến bóng đá country, and many individuals have told me that we have a monopoly in this sector. However, looking back, a lack of competition in this market is due to our persistence in following trực tuyến bóng đá history of Vietnam's aviation industry as well as trực tuyến bóng đá country's economic growth path through such a long and tough journey. With that perseverance of mine, I have built a reputation in trực tuyến bóng đá international market. We have been assigned by large international corporations owning high-class brands to be trực tuyến bóng đá exclusive distribution agent in Vietnam for more than 108 brands, and trực tuyến bóng đá airport requires international brands to increase trực tuyến bóng đá level to that of major airports across trực tuyến bóng đá world. Therefore, it makes perfect sense for us to be trực tuyến bóng đá industry leader in airport retail. But, without a doubt, trực tuyến bóng đá airport's business is in order; no single corporation has a monopoly here.

 

 

06. trực tuyến bóng đá Pioneer's Fourth Ten-Year Plan And Happiness Because "From Drops Of Water To Waves"

To Lan Huong:You recently said that you have created a long-term development plan for your company's 10-year, 20-year, and 30-year journey. How specific is that plan?

Johnathan Hanh Nguyen: I was well aware that I would lose my money in trực tuyến bóng đá first ten years. Apart from businesses and investors, there would be no large influx of visitors entering Vietnam at that time. During my second 10-year term, I focused on optimizing airport services. I began working on well-known global brands in trực tuyến bóng đá third 10-year period when I became a global partner with 108 brands, since I feel that now is trực tuyến bóng đá time for Vietnam to generate a new generation of wealthy people. Furthermore, partnering with major global brands strengthens our position in duty-free airport shops, as well as in trực tuyến bóng đá development of projects for high-class commercial centers (Trang Tien Plaza and REX Arcade, etc.), non-tariff zones, factory outlets (such as in Phu Quoc), and various business projects that we are working on.

To Lan Huong:Your future plans for trực tuyến bóng đá fourth 10-year period, which is also trực tuyến bóng đá current moment, will be...

Johnathan Hanh Nguyen: Vietnam's ambition is to reduce trực tuyến bóng đá development gap between trực tuyến bóng đá region and trực tuyến bóng đá rest of trực tuyến bóng đá world, with trực tuyến bóng đá goal of becoming a developed country by 2045. To achieve trực tuyến bóng đá aforementioned aim, trực tuyến bóng đá demand for resources for socio-economic growth over trực tuyến bóng đá next 25 years is enormous; while domestic resources cannot be guaranteed, trực tuyến bóng đá resources of foreign strategic investors are critical. trực tuyến bóng đá financial system of trực tuyến bóng đá country must function as an efficient capital conduit. I've spoken with a number of American billionaires about this topic, and we all agree that Vietnam can even fulfill its aim of becoming a developed country five years sooner. In trực tuyến bóng đá fourth 10-year period since returning to Vietnam, I have high expectations to take my business to trực tuyến bóng đá next level.

Among trực tuyến bóng đá 45 projects that I recently reported to trực tuyến bóng đá Prime Minister about investment plans, key projects of IPPG such as: Building an international financial center in Ho Chi Minh City and a regional financial center in Da Nang; Investing in non-tariff zones and smart airport cities; Establishing an IPP Air Cargo and a chain of Logistic Distribution Centers (Logistic Hubs); Building an amusement park having international brand names (Disneyland, Universal Studios, Sea World) to attract hundreds of millions of tourists… However, I cannot accomplish it alone and need to collaborate with multiple partners from trực tuyến bóng đá world's leading major corporations in different sectors.

trực tuyến bóng đá project of building a financial center is being discussed continuously by consultants with years of experience in developing international financial centers at home and abroad, and reached trực tuyến bóng đá consensus of investors. trực tuyến bóng đá project has been preliminary completed and is in trực tuyến bóng đá process of consulting ministries and agencies. If approved by trực tuyến bóng đá authorities, not just tens of billions of dollars, but hundreds of billions of dollars, will be invested in Vietnam. trực tuyến bóng đá only sadness is that trực tuyến bóng đá epidemic has delayed such plans, but despite slowing down, everything is still continuing to be supported by trực tuyến bóng đá authorities.

If 36 years ago, I confidently put all my efforts into participating in trực tuyến bóng đá process of opening up Vietnam, then this period, I confidently give all my capital and mind to developing a new path for trực tuyến bóng đá IPPG in particular and trực tuyến bóng đá prosperity of trực tuyến bóng đá country in general.

To Lan Huong:After 36 years, what do you think about trực tuyến bóng đá direction you chose when you returned to Vietnam?

Johnathan Hanh Nguyen: What I always keep in mind is: "Don't ask what trực tuyến bóng đá Fatherland has done for us, but ask what we have done for trực tuyến bóng đá Fatherland?".

I am overjoyed because, unlike other Vietnamese entrepreneurs, I have been participating in trực tuyến bóng đá country's renewal process from an early age. I started out as a "bead of water," but I am delighted to say that I've now evolved into a "wave" on my adventure.

 

Thank you for this nostalgic and emotional conversation!

Source: Dân Trí