Vietnamese top leaders have heaped praises on President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for his good economic performance, Malacañang said Wednesday.

In a statement, Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil said Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong, Vietnamese President Pham Minh Chinh, and Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue believe the Philippines is in good hands under Marcos’ watch.

“President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is all praises from Vietnamese leaders for his remarkable leadership with the Philippines posting high economic growth rates despite the global challenges in the world market,” Garafil said.

During his meeting with Marcos in Vietnam on Tuesday, Thuong lauded Marcos’ notable achievements in terms of improving the Philippine economy, protecting the country’s interests, and bringing peace and development.

Thuong also acknowledged “a lot of breakthroughs” for economic development since Marcos assumed the presidency in June 2022.

“I would like to congratulate the Philippines on remarkable socio-economic, foreign policies, security and defense achievement under your able leadership,” he told Marcos during their meeting.

Chinh said Vietnam wants to learn from Marcos’ economic strategy and his leadership style, saying these should be emulated by the Vietnamese leaders.

He also expressed admiration for Marcos’ strong commitment to propel economic growth in the country, saying Vietnam is ready to foster deeper connectivity with the Philippines.

“I truly appreciate the role of Mr. President in promoting and creating traditions for businesses from the Philippines to grow and making contributions to the socio-economic development of the Philippines,” Chinh said.

Hue also echoed Thuong and Chinh’s remarks, as he noted the significant changes in the Philippine economy under the leadership of Marcos.

The Philippine economy grew by 5.6 percent year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Among the major emerging economies in Asia that have already released their economic growth performance in the fourth quarter of 2023, the Philippines recorded the second fastest, following Vietnam (6.7 percent) but ahead of China (5.2 percent) and Malaysia (3.4 percent).

The country’s economic growth is also higher than the forecast growth rates for Indonesia (5 percent) and Thailand (3.5 percent). (PNA)