Learning process can help hone skills

Le Van Doan, a Vietnamese national, is delighted to be working at China's Hua Yue construction company.

"I have learned a lot from Chinese technicians' guidance at work with advanced technology and construction methods," he said from Vietnam's northern Bac Giang province.

"Chinese companies set high requirements on construction quality and progress with a focus on details. Chinese workers are skilled and hard-working. They set good examples for us," he added.

Doan, a young man from Vietnam's central Thanh Hoa province, had traveled to work in various places. He even went to Malaysia and Laos to seek opportunities. But he failed to keep a steady job due to a lack of skills.

Doan returned to Vietnam in 2011, and with Chinese language skills learned from colleagues while working overseas, he joined Hua Yue, a private company based in Vietnam.

In 2013, Hua Yue set up Fu Hua limited liability company, which is the owner of Van Trung industrial park in Vietnam's northern Bac Giang province, about 50 kilometers north of Hanoi, and Binh Xuyen Two industrial parks in Vietnam's northern Vinh Phuc province, 40 km north of Hanoi.

"During the first days at Hua Yue, I was only in charge of simple jobs. Due to a lack of skills, my productivity remained very low at that time," Doan said, adding that later, the company supported him in training Vietnamese staff.

"I started as the only worker and now I am leading a group of more than 160 workers. I have participated in the construction of factories for Chinese and German companies."

He also joined in construction projects of Van Trung and Binh Xuyen Two industrial parks. "I was so proud that construction quality and progress has been recognized," he said.

"Since I have a stable job, many of my friends and villagers came to join me, working at Hua Yue. They are now able to support their families financially. They all feel grateful for the company's support," Doan added.

Cooperation in production capacity between China and Vietnam plays an important role in boosting people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

More than 6,700 Vietnamese are working at Van Trung industrial park, while more than 260 have been promoted to management positions, including Doan.

Like him, many Vietnamese people working at Chinese companies have also started learning Mandarin. This can be seen as a factor which contributes to promoting cultural exchanges between the two countries.

Visiting Yadea Science and Technology Company, a Chinese-invested firm in Vietnam's capital Hanoi, one will see Chinese and Vietnamese staff eating meals together in the same canteen.

"Localization is very important. We are living and working in a different country, therefore, it is necessary to understand and follow local practices," Lyv Gang, general manager at Yadea, said.

It is also easy to find the company motto, "all members progress into management positions to produce high-quality products" on the wall at Yadea's factory in Hanoi.

The definition of "all members", which means all Chinese and Vietnamese staff, reflects the cooperation between the two countries. This cooperation will help deepen the understanding of China's investors of Vietnamese local culture.