Starting from the pillar of technology cooperation

With a series of meetings with businesses in the technology and semiconductor industries, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's trip to the US is part of efforts to materialize a new breakthrough in the recently upgraded relationship between the two countries.

Nvidia President Jensen Huang introduces the AI-based A100 chip to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh - Photo: DUONG GIANG

In the Joint Statement upgrading Vietnam-US relations to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership , Vietnam and the US "decided to promote cooperation in science, technology and innovation in the digital field, considering this a new breakthrough in the relationship".

During his two days in the US, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh demonstrated Vietnam's spirit of getting to work to materialize that breakthrough.

Business Priority

More than a year ago, in May 2022, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also visited the US to attend the US-ASEAN Summit and combine with a number of other activities. The head of the Vietnamese government at that time went to the east coast of the US first, where the political elite of the land of the stars and stripes are concentrated.

This time, during his working trip from September 17 to 23, the Prime Minister chose to visit San Francisco on the west coast, where America's elite in science, technology and innovation gather.

The joint statement by the two countries to upgrade their relationship shows the political will of both sides to push the relationship forward. And now, for that relationship to bear fruit, there needs to be active participation from businesses of both countries, especially American businesses.

Emphasizing that "strength comes from the people and businesses", the Prime Minister hopes that American businesses will continue to invest in Vietnam to win together and benefit together, in the spirit of "harmonious benefits and shared risks".

That message was clearly stated by the Prime Minister at the Vietnam-US Business Forum on Innovation and Technology on the morning of September 18 (US time, or September 19 Vietnam time). The fact that the auditorium was full at this event shows the expectations of business people when the Vietnam-US bilateral relationship has a new name.

Reiterating the US commitment to supporting a "strong, independent, self-reliant and prosperous" Vietnam, the Prime Minister suggested that businesses focus on the fields of trade, services, science and technology, innovation, especially digital technology and energy conversion, circular economy and sharing economy.

"Although the war has ended, there are still people who do not understand Vietnam and are still afraid and uncertain. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to ask the US authorities at all levels and the US-ASEAN Business Council to explain to them that the Vietnamese Government is ready to open its doors to all businesses to invest and do business legally, stably and effectively," the Prime Minister said.

At the end of the forum, businesses from the two countries exchanged four cooperation agreements in digital technology and biotechnology in the presence of the Prime Minister.

Data: NGUYEN HANH, Graphics: NGOC THANH

US businesses expect in Vietnam

Leaving the business forum, the Prime Minister visited Silicon Valley , home to many of the world's leading American technology corporations.

At Nvidia Corporation, the leading server supplier for Vietnam today, the Prime Minister had a long discussion with Mr. Jensen Huang (chairman and founder of the corporation) about the development trend of artificial intelligence (AI) globally.

The Prime Minister also asked Mr. Huang to give his comments on the national semiconductor strategy that Vietnam is building, to soon open a manufacturing plant in Vietnam and to use Vietnam as a base in Southeast Asia.

At the meeting, Nvidia's chairman introduced to the Prime Minister the A100 AI-based chip, which the group believes will be its new "trump card." In fact, the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology has begun research and development of a supercomputing system with Nvidia's A100 chip. The two sides are expected to complete all internal procedures and sign a cooperation agreement in the field of semiconductor technology by October.

Leaving Nvidia, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited global chip design company Synopsys and Meta - Facebook's parent company.

Synopsys leaders shared that the company's goal is not only to design chips but also to build a global semiconductor ecosystem. With that vision, the company sees many opportunities in Vietnam. The proof is that after only a short time of opening the office, Synopsys has 500 leading Vietnamese engineers.

In order to meet the goal of making Vietnam an important base, Synopsys has decided to support Vietnam. In the presence of the Prime Minister, the two sides exchanged a memorandum of understanding on developing talented IC design human resources in Vietnam, supporting the establishment of a chip design incubation center, and a memorandum of understanding on supporting the development of the Vietnamese semiconductor industry, aiming to establish a Semiconductor Research Institute in Vietnam.

Meta's leaders expressed their desire to expand investment in Vietnam, including continuing to produce devices for the "virtual universe" metaverse.

“Vietnam still has a long way to go to become an advanced chip manufacturing nation, but its policymakers are skillfully leveraging its independence, geopolitical autonomy and foreign investment to build the foundation for a technology-based economy.

It is worth watching how Vietnam in general and its semiconductor industry in particular will develop in the increasingly multipolar world to come," scholar Arrian Ebrahimi, who has spent many years advocating for the semiconductor industry in the US, commented in an article about Vietnam's semiconductor industry in The Diplomat magazine.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh arrives in the US capital

On the morning of September 19 (local time, the same evening Vietnam time), Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and the Vietnamese delegation arrived at Andrews airport, the second stop on a working trip to the US with a more packed schedule.

After a day of continuous work until late September 18 in San Francisco, the Prime Minister boarded a special plane to fly overnight from the west coast to the east coast. His second stop was the capital Washington DC.

Immediately after arriving, the Prime Minister went to Georgetown University to talk to students. He then had a working lunch with semiconductor executives organized by the US Semiconductor Industry Association.

In the afternoon, the Prime Minister will meet with leaders of the US administration and Congress before attending a ceremony to celebrate the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the 78th anniversary of Vietnam's National Day.

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