Vietnam advances AI agenda while widening diplomatic and defence ties

Vietnam is being urged to harness its global network of Vietnamese scientists and engineers to accelerate AI development. Associate Professor Nguyen Thanh Phuong proposes a “borderless national intellectual network” that would let expatriate experts serve as visiting professors, advisers or laboratory co‑directors, and recommends a multi‑layered data‑sovereignty model to keep control over sensitive information. He advises the country to focus on niche AI applications—such as education, healthcare, agriculture and digital identity—rather than competing directly in large‑scale foundation‑model projects.

At the same time, Vietnam is expanding its international partnerships. Recent meetings in Hanoi and abroad involved officials from Palestine, Australia, India, Canada, Cuba and the United States, covering cooperation in strategic sectors such as defence, maritime security, UN peacekeeping training, APEC coordination and broader political, economic and social collaboration. The outreach underscores Vietnam’s intent to deepen bilateral ties across a wide range of fields.