VIETNAM SEEKS HIGHER-QUALITY FOREIGN INVESTMENT

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Van Thang speaks at the forum - PHOTO: VGP

HCMC – Vietnam will shift from mass foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction to a more selective approach focused on high technology, innovation and stronger links with domestic firms, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Van Thang said.

Speaking at the Vietnam Connect Forum 2026 on May 13, the deputy prime minister emphasized that new-generation FDI should go beyond manufacturing and market expansion to help Vietnam create greater value, build new capabilities and strengthen its position in global supply chains.

Government leaders noted that competition for international investment attraction is changing rapidly. While low-cost labor and investment incentives were once the key advantages, investors are now paying greater attention to institutional quality, policy stability, strategic infrastructure, green energy, data infrastructure, and a highly skilled workforce.

This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for Vietnam to reposition its role in global value chains while renewing growth drivers based on science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, and green transition, Thang said.

Vietnam currently has more than 46,500 valid FDI projects with total registered capital exceeding US$543 billion, while cumulative disbursed capital has reached around US$357.6 billion. The FDI sector contributes more than 20% of GDP, accounts for around 70% of export turnover, and creates jobs for millions of workers.

Amid declining global FDI flows in many regions, Vietnam has maintained its position among ASEAN’s leading FDI destinations. Many international corporations have expanded investments in electronics, semiconductors, high technology, logistics, energy, and innovation in Vietnam.

However, linkages between the FDI sector and domestic enterprises have yet to meet expectations. Localization rates in many industries remain low, while most Vietnamese enterprises are still participating mainly in low value-added segments of supply chains.

To attract new-generation FDI, the Government will focus on five major directions: improving institutions and the investment environment, selectively attracting FDI, developing domestic enterprises and supporting industries, investing in strategic infrastructure and high-quality human resources, and enhancing state management efficiency over the FDI sector.

Vietnam will prioritize attracting projects in semiconductors, artificial intelligence, data, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, clean energy, new materials, modern logistics, and financial services.

“We are not only concerned about how much capital investors bring into Vietnam, but also what technologies they bring, how much added value they create, and how many Vietnamese enterprises they can connect to global supply chains,” the deputy prime minister said.

Source: The Saigon Times

Related News

INFRASTRUCTURE / CONSTRUCTION / LOGISTIC / PORT

VIỆT NAM-CAMBODIA TRADE GATHERS PACE TOWARDS $20 BILLION TARGET

Trade between Việt Nam and Cambodia continues to grow, remaining a bright spot and a key pillar of bilateral cooperation as the two countries aim to raise two-way trade to US$20 billion in the coming years. After setting a record of more than $11.3 billion last year, bilateral trade reached about $8.7 billion in the first eight months of this year, up 8.3 per cent year on year.

Oct 14, 2026

TECHNOLOGY

AI BEGINNING TO RESHAPE RECRUITMENT CRITERIA

Digital literacy is the only capability area in which fresh graduates meet employers’ expectations, according to a new report. Yet, it is also the standard rising fastest, as businesses increasingly expect new hires to use AI effectively in the workplace. Some 83 per cent of employers say AI has changed, or is beginning to change, their hiring criteria, while 94 per cent report higher expectations for digital and AI capabilities than they had two to three years ago.

Oct 14, 2026

INFRASTRUCTURE / CONSTRUCTION / LOGISTIC / PORT

ĐÀ NẴNG GREEN-LIGHTS US$105 MILLION THAI DEVELOPMENT DEAL

The central city has approved an investment proposal by Thailand’s WHA Group to develop infrastructure for the 400ha WHA Đà Nẵng Industrial Park project on two communes of Thăng Bình and Đồng Dương, with an investment of more than VNĐ2.7 trillion (US$105 million). The city said it approved WHA Industrial Development International's status as an investor in the project, which is expected to take place between 2027 and 2034.

Oct 14, 2026

VIETNAM ECONOMY INVESTMENT

MOBILE PHONE EXPORTS RISE 20% TO $51.8 BILLION IN FIRST NINE MONTHS

Exports of mobile phones and components rose 20 per cent year-on-year to nearly US$51.8 billion in the first nine months of 2026, with China, the US and Republic of Korea accounting for more than half of the total. Shipments to the three markets reached a combined $26.18 billion, or 50.6 per cent of total exports of the product group during the period, according to data from the Vietnam Department of Customs under the Ministry of Finance.

Oct 14, 2026

VIETNAM ECONOMY INVESTMENT

FRUIT AND VEGETABLE EXPORTS POISED TO HIT $10 BILLION IN 2026

Fruit and vegetable exports are on track to reach nearly US$10 billion in 2026, after rising 19.9 per cent year on year to nearly US$7.4 billion in the first nine months, driven by strong seasonal demand and abundant tropical fruit supplies. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment said the growth reflected stronger international demand for fresh produce and processed agricultural products.

Oct 14, 2026

GARMENT / TEXTILE

TEXTILE EXPORTS FACE DUAL CHALLENGES OF SUSTAINING ORDERS AND BOOSTING EFFICIENCY AMID GROWING COMPETITION

Data shows that the textile and garment sector maintained its growth momentum in the first nine months of this year. The industry's total export turnover reached an estimated US$35.721 billion in the first nine months of this year, up 3.3 per cent year-on-year. Despite posting encouraging export figures, Vietnamese textile and garment enterprises continue to navigate unpredictable market variables.

Oct 14, 2026