During talks with VietNamNet, Tien cited words by former Party Committee Secretary General Le Kha Phieu: “The finger which was used to pull the AK trigger in the past now can be used to press the computer key. The hand that held the grenade now can be used to regulate the computer mouse. The intelligence that was used to fight enemies in the past is now used to conquer the world."

Tien said: “My father said in 1968, in Khe Sanh Battlefield, dozens of B52 (flying fortresses’) flew over his head. In 2012, I was present in Seattle, in the US, where the factory that manufactured the B52s in the past is located. There I could see the Boeing 787 Dreamliners painted with the color of Vietnam Airlines’ flag. I touched the airplanes. I also went to the History Museum and touched the B52s there."

“Nowadays, people younger than me are building software apps that aircraft manufacturers such as Boeing have to use. Every generation makes its imprints and we believe that the next generations will outstrip us,” Tien said.

According to Tien, from the first days of its operation, FPT decided that it had to ‘Go Global’. Now FPT has nearly 30,000 engineers. When going abroad and witnessing the products of the world’s leading industrial corporations using their software, FPT set the goal that one day it can have ‘Make in Vietnam – Made by FPT’ products.

FPT now can make products that industrial corporations and leading technological companies use. Vietnamese engineers are capable of making such products. FPT is proud of the chips that are 100 percent designed by Vietnamese engineers.

However, Tien said, the achievements remain modest. The spirit and strength are not just ‘idle talk’. Vietnam needs to create products and services.

“We have pioneering teams, tens of thousands of workers who can do this. Ten years ago, the world began talking about Big Data, AI and Blockchain. Now we can talk about the things which are even newer,” he said.

In 2022, Vietnam plans to gain excellent achievements in exports with two-way turnover of $700 billion.

Tien said that Vietnam would not only export phones, computers and electronic parts at factories set up by foreign investors, or rice, shrimp and vegetables, but would export even more than that. 

Hoang Nam Tien is the youngest son of Major General - Hero of the People's Armed Forces Hoang Dan. For Tien, the most profound lesson from his father and from generals in the army was the lesson about faith in victory.

Duy Anh