Vietnam Weekly: Vietnam sets 2026–30 agenda, drives digital push as FDI pivots to high-tech

October 10, 2025 to October 16, 2025

This week's top 10 stories from Vietnam, selected from our daily intelligence briefs.

1. Party releases draft Congress XIV documents for public comment, sets 2026–2030 targets and three strategic breakthroughs

The Communist Party’s Central Office on Oct. 15 published full draft documents for the 14th National Congress and opened a nationwide public consultation running through Nov. 15, inviting comment on the Political Report, an action program, a 40‑year renovation review and a 15‑year Party Charter review. The drafts consolidate political, socio‑economic and Party‑building agendas and set explicit 2026–2030 targets — notably raising GDP per capita to about $8,500 by 2030, expanding the digital economy to roughly 30% of GDP and increasing industrial processing to 28% — while reaffirming three strategic “breakthroughs” in institutions, human capital and infrastructure (high‑speed rail, major airports/ports, data centers and potential small modular nuclear plants).

The documents signal policy shifts that elevate the private sector as “a most important growth driver,” expand VNeID‑based public feedback mechanisms, and propose Party Charter updates; officials urged constructive, evidence‑based input to refine reforms. Analysts should note the emphasis on deep institutional reform required to hit the $8,500 per‑capita target (Prof. Ta Ngoc Tan) and the leadership’s framing of large infrastructure and digital investments as central levers for productivity and integration into global value chains.

Local Coverage: tuoitre.vn, vietnamplus.vn, thanhnien.vn, vietnamplus.vn, thanhnien.vn, vietnamplus.vn, vnexpress.net, vietnamplus.vn, baotintuc.vn, vietnamplus.vn, vneconomy.vn, com.vn, com.vn, tuoitre.vn, vietnamplus.vn, vietnamplus.vn, baotintuc.vn, baotintuc.vn, vietnamplus.vn, vietnamplus.vn, baotintuc.vn, vneconomy.vn, vneconomy.vn, vneconomy.vn

From daily brief: 2025-10-16

2. Party Chief Demands Institutional Breakthroughs and Data-Driven Execution to Accelerate Science, Technology and Digital Transformation

Vietnam’s Party Chief Tô Lâm chaired a high-level review of nine months’ implementation of Politburo Resolution 57 on science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation, framing the agenda as central to Vietnam’s new growth model. He ordered a new operating principle—“discipline first, resources aligned, results measured”—and directed concrete actions: clear regulatory bottlenecks, commercialize research, protect officials who take risks, and reorient the state from operator to enabler that mobilizes private capital and places enterprises at the center of innovation ecosystems.

Tô Lâm also pressed for full digitization of public services on interoperable data platforms and set a deadline of March 31, 2026 to eliminate backlogs of guiding decrees and circulars. His remarks—“Science and technology are a matter of survival” and “those who won’t change must be replaced”—signal an assertive push for faster institutional reforms, data-driven execution, and measurable results that could accelerate private-sector-led innovation and reshape regulatory and governance arrangements in Vietnam.

Local Coverage: tuoitre.vn, thanhnien.vn, baotintuc.vn, tuoitre.vn, baotintuc.vn, vietnamplus.vn, com.vn, vnexpress.net, vneconomy.vn

From daily brief: 2025-10-16

3. FDI Shifts Toward High-Tech as Inflows Hit Five-Year Highs

Foreign direct investment into Vietnam surged to $28.54 billion in registered commitments and $18.8 billion in realized capital by September 30, up 15.2% and 8.5% year‑on‑year respectively—the highest nine‑month totals in five years—signaling renewed international confidence. Officials and investors say inflows are shifting from assembly and low‑cost manufacturing toward high‑tech sectors such as electronics, semiconductors and AI, with major Korea‑ and U.S.‑linked firms expanding advanced operations.

The government credits macroeconomic stability, streamlined procedures, infrastructure investment and broad FTAs for the momentum and has introduced new semiconductor policies aiming for a full domestic ecosystem and $100 billion in revenue by 2050, plus direct R&D support. Analysts caution that beyond tax breaks Vietnam should prioritize targeted land, infrastructure and logistics support and special regimes for chips and AI to cement its bid to become a regional high‑tech hub.

Local Coverage: thanhnien.vn

From daily brief: 2025-10-12

4. Breakthrough Resolution 193 Fast-Tracks 5G Rollout, Opens LEO Satellite Trials and Eases Subsea Cable Approvals

Vietnam’s National Assembly approved Resolution 193/2025/QH15 and accompanying Decree 88/2025 to fast‑track telecom modernization, offering up to 15% state co‑funding for operators that deploy at least 20,000 5G base stations in 2025 (with audit and clawback safeguards). Operators currently report more than 11,000 5G sites covering roughly 26% of the population and are targeting 68,000 sites and 90% population coverage by year‑end 2025; the measures are explicitly designed to accelerate rollout and boost national competitiveness.

The package also opens controlled low‑Earth orbit (LEO) satellite trials for up to five years with no foreign‑ownership cap, and the Prime Minister has authorized SpaceX to pilot Starlink tied to a potential US$1.4 billion equipment investment. International subsea cable development is being expedited through streamlined domestic investment procedures and selective bidding through 2030, with new VT5S and recently activated SJC2 and ADC routes enhancing capacity and resilience. Together, these steps signal a coordinated push to improve connectivity in hard‑to‑reach areas and strengthen Vietnam’s digital infrastructure for investors and operators.

Local Coverage: vietnamplus.vn

From daily brief: 2025-10-10

5. Draft AI Law Seeks Risk-Based Rules, Sandboxes and Lighter Compliance to Spur Innovation

Vietnam is moving quickly toward a dedicated Artificial Intelligence Law, with a draft slated for first debate at the National Assembly’s 10th session in October 2025 and a proposed effective date of January 1, 2026. The Justice Ministry’s appraisal outlines a risk-based framework with four tiers that would ban systems that manipulate cognition, enable illegal acts, or threaten national security; high-risk systems would face conformity assessments, logging, audits and clear liability rules. The draft also proposes a Prime Minister‑chaired National AI Committee, a one‑stop portal, a national AI data repository and a non‑budget National AI Development Fund, alongside controlled sandboxes and transparency/explainability requirements.

Industry and officials at a 15 October workshop and the AI360 2025 forum pressed for lighter pre‑market procedures for SMEs and startups, flexible/updateable rules, external conformity assessments and practical guidance for basic deployments (e.g., chatbots). Business groups and ministers warned against “legal rigidity” stifling innovation and called for stronger investment in data, compute and talent—Vietnamese AI investment reportedly rose from $10m in 2023 to $80m in 2024. The Ministry of Science and Technology is updating the national AI strategy to 2030 and planning a National AI Supercomputing Center and open datasets, signaling a policy shift from pilots to scaled deployment with targeted public procurement to boost domestic adoption.

Local Coverage: vneconomy.vn, com.vn, tuoitre.vn, thanhnien.vn, baotintuc.vn, vietnamplus.vn, vnexpress.net

From daily briefs: 2025-10-10, 2025-10-16, 2025-10-17

6. UAE’s G42 Plans $2B AI Hyperscale Data Center in Ho Chi Minh City as City Targets Global Innovation Hub by 2030

Ho Chi Minh City is advancing an ambitious tech push aimed at becoming a global innovation hub by 2030, unveiling partnerships and projects that target a digital economy share of 30–40% of GRDP and at least five internationally rated research centers. Key moves include collaboration with UAE-based G42 on a nearly $2 billion AI hyperscale data center (task force formed; project reported to central authorities) and CMC’s proposal for a $250 million hyperscale data center in the city’s High-Tech Park plus an open AI platform (C-OpenAI) and national cloud plans.

Officials cite momentum—digital economy at 22% of GRDP in 2024 with a 2025 target of 25%, and US$1.6 billion in science-and-technology FDI in H1 2025 (≈40% of total FDI)—and expect policy measures such as special-policy testbeds, PPP models, new venture funds, and data-driven governance to accelerate investment in AI, cloud, semiconductors, robotics, blockchain and biomedicine. For international investors and partners, the initiatives signal large-scale infrastructure opportunities and a government-led push to streamline procedures and catalyze talent and research capacity ahead of the 2030 goal.

Local Coverage: vnexpress.net, tuoitre.vn, thanhnien.vn, com.vn, vietnamplus.vn, baotintuc.vn

From daily brief: 2025-10-16

7. Apple Picks Vietnam to Launch New AI-Integrated Home Devices and Robotics Production

Apple will launch a new product category manufactured primarily in Vietnam, marking its first major product debut outside China. Bloomberg-cited reports say Apple plans a 7-inch AI-enabled Home Hub control display with an upgraded Siri for more natural voice commands and an in‑home security camera in spring 2026, followed by a desktop/tabletop robot—9‑inch screen on a movable arm with on‑device AI and a mobile base—targeted for 2027. Assembly, testing and final packaging will be handled by China’s BYD in Vietnam, which may also see expanded iPad production; the robot’s mechanical and AI integration challenges are driving the later launch and a projected mid‑hundreds‑dollar price.

The move elevates Vietnam from a satellite assembly role to deeper engineering validation and product ramp responsibilities within Apple’s supply chain, despite a reported ~20% U.S. import tariff on Vietnamese goods. It aligns with broader high‑tech investment trends by Google, Dell, NVIDIA, Foxconn and others expanding AI, chip projects, R&D and workforce development in Vietnam, positioning the country for higher‑value roles in the global tech ecosystem.

Local Coverage: vietnamplus.vn, vneconomy.vn, vnexpress.net

From daily briefs: 2025-10-16, 2025-10-17

8. EU Unveils €430 Million Package for Vietnam’s Just Energy Transition, Backing Bac Ai Pumped-Storage Project

The European Union unveiled a €430 million support package for Vietnam’s Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), focused on the Bac Ai pumped‑storage hydropower project in Ninh Thuan/Khanh Hoa — Vietnam’s first pumped‑storage plant. Led by state utility EVN and backed by Team Europe partners (AFD, EIB, KfW, Italy’s CDP and PROPARCO), Bac Ai will deliver 1,200 MW of flexible capacity to stabilize the grid, enable large‑scale renewable integration and bolster energy security; construction began in February 2025 with staged commissioning planned from December 2029 to December 2030.

The commitment, announced at the Global Gateway Forum in Brussels (10 October 2025), complements the EU’s broader 2021–2027 pledge of at least €293 million to Vietnam and forms part of more than €2.8 billion mobilized by European partners for JETP. EU officials position Bac Ai as a catalyst to attract private capital, accelerate emissions reductions and strengthen regional connectivity through initiatives such as the ASEAN Power Grid.

Local Coverage: vneconomy.vn, vietnamplus.vn, baotintuc.vn

From daily briefs: 2025-10-11, 2025-10-13

9. Ho Chi Minh City’s First Metro Reshapes Transit and Spurs TOD Strategy

Ho Chi Minh City’s first metro, Line 1 (Ben Thanh–Suoi Tien), began commercial service on 22 December 2024 and has quickly shifted travel patterns: the system now runs more than 200 daily trips and carried over 10.4 million passengers by August (about 52,000/day). City data show an 80% reduction in congestion on Hanoi Highway and a 40% cut in emissions as electric and CNG buses expand to 45% of the bus fleet; integrated apps, QR payments and improved on-time performance have also raised rider satisfaction.

Officials are leveraging this momentum to pursue transit-oriented development (TOD) and rapid network expansion: HCMC aims for 355 km of operational metro by 2035, with TOD zones along future corridors and plans to make most residents within an 800 m–1 km walk of a station. Major firms are proposing new lines and extensions to link regional hubs and national rail, positioning the metro rollout as a backbone for a more connected, low-emission megacity.

Local Coverage: thanhnien.vn

From daily brief: 2025-10-13

10. Pyongyang Hosts To Lam for First Vietnamese Party Chief State Visit in 18 Years, Signaling Push to Revitalize Ties

Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary To Lam made a state visit to Pyongyang from October 9–11, receiving a 21‑gun salute and a mass ceremony led by North Korean leader Kim Jong‑un. The trip—the first state visit by a Vietnamese party chief in 18 years—coincided with the 80th anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea and the 75th anniversary of bilateral ties; both leaders agreed to deepen cooperation through expanded party‑to‑party exchanges, parliamentary and local links, and practical collaboration in culture, sports, education, health, tourism and information.

The visit signals Hanoi’s intent to revitalize traditional ties and project influence as regional leaders gather for WPK festivities. Kim framed the trip as creating “strong momentum” to elevate bilateral trust, while To Lam offered to share Vietnam’s experience in economic renovation, trade management and socio‑economic development. Hanoi reiterated support for peaceful dialogue on the Korean Peninsula and called for respect for international law, including UNCLOS—underscoring a calibrated approach that balances historic partnership with adherence to multilateral norms.

Local Coverage: vietnamplus.vn, vietnamplus.vn, vietnamplus.vn, baotintuc.vn, baotintuc.vn, baotintuc.vn, vnexpress.net, tuoitre.vn, thanhnien.vn, thanhnien.vn, vneconomy.vn, vietnamplus.vn, baotintuc.vn, tuoitre.vn, vnexpress.net, com.vn, com.vn, thanhnien.vn, vietnamplus.vn, baotintuc.vn, vnexpress.net, vietnamplus.vn, baotintuc.vn, baotintuc.vn, tuoitre.vn, thanhnien.vn, vneconomy.vn, vnexpress.net, vneconomy.vn, vnexpress.net, com.vn, vietnamplus.vn

From daily brief: 2025-10-10

About This Weekly Digest

The stories above represent the most significant developments from Vietnam this week, selected through our AI-powered analysis of hundreds of local news articles.

Stories are drawn from our daily intelligence briefs, which synthesize reporting from Vietnam's leading news sources to provide comprehensive situational awareness for international decision-makers.