Executives of top tech firms, including Google and Intel, have met with business leaders in Vietnam as part of United States President Joe Biden’s landmark visit to the Southeast Asian country.
Technical leaders, Biden, and US Secretary Antony Blinken attended a “innovation summit” on Monday, which was also attended by Vietnamese companies, such as electric car manufacturer VinFast and internet company VNG.
Washington and Hanoi are seeking to deepen their cooperation amid shared concerns about China’s rising power and influence.
The US sees Vietnam as an important part of their plans to decrease its dependence on China in terms of strategic resources such as semiconductors, rare earth minerals and other materials.
Vietnam has territorial disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea.
Biden on Monday emphasised the need to strengthen Vietnam’s semiconductor industry and his administration’s commitment to an open Pacific.
“My message today is quite simple. Biden said to the CEOs, “Let’s keep going.” “We need to develop and drive our collaboration. We need to forge new partnerships.”
Biden and Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party chief, Nguyen Phu Trong, on Sunday agreed to a “comprehensive strategic partnership”, which includes a US pledge to help Vietnam boost production of semiconductors.
Biden has denied his trip to Vietnam is a means to “contain” China. He said that the visit was part of enhancing global stability.
The White House announced earlier deals between US companies to expand their operations in Vietnam, such as Microsoft’s plans to create a “generative AI solution tailored for Vietnam”, and Nvidia’s partnership with Vietnam’s FPT Viettel, and Vingroup.
Vietnam Airlines also plans to buy 50 Boeing 737 MAX jets, while US conglomerate Honeywell will cooperate with a Vietnamese partner on a pilot project to develop Vietnam’s first battery energy storage system, the White House said.
The post Biden led US tech executives to Vietnam for talks with Vietnamese business leaders first appeared on Al Jazeera .
