Washington D.C. (VNA) - Continuing his working visit to the US, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh on March 27 (local time) addressed the Vietnam–US Finance and Technology Dialogue, met with an Oregon delegation, held talks with California’s State Treasurer, and worked with companies exploring investment opportunities in Vietnam.
The dialogue, themed “Technology and the future of global finance,” drew more than 50 US firms spanning digital finance, blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), crypto assets, startups, biotechnology and data infrastructure.
In his remarks, Binh outlined Vietnam’s strategy to build a modern, transparent international financial centre integrated with global markets. The proposed “one centre – two destinations” model would position Ho Chi Minh City as a traditional capital market hub, while Da Nang focuses on fintech, digital assets and innovation. He reaffirmed Vietnam’s commitment to a pro-investment environment, with breakthrough policies and stronger protections for foreign investors.
Participants said Vietnam is entering a critical phase of converting potential into tangible growth, echoing earlier trajectories of economies such as China and the Republic of Korea. Ongoing reforms, institutional streamlining and innovation-led policies were seen as strong signals for global investors. Companies pointed to Vietnam’s skilled workforce, strong technical capabilities and entrepreneurial drive as key advantages.
Businesses also called for clearer and more forward-looking regulatory frameworks to accelerate fintech cooperation, including mechanisms to recognise AI-driven economic entities and pilot sandbox models for emerging technologies. Strengthening innovation ecosystems and attracting international talent were highlighted as priorities, alongside new concepts such as “pop-up cities” to rapidly channel capital and ideas.
In meetings with Oregon officials led by State Senator Mark Meek, the US side described Vietnam as a complementary partner across high-tech industries, clean energy, agriculture and logistics. Both sides noted longstanding ties and frequent exchanges, bolstered by the Vietnamese community in Oregon.
Oregon representatives signalled readiness to support Vietnam’s goal of training 50,000 engineers by 2030 and to link innovation ecosystems with the state’s “Silicon Forest.” Proposals also included boosting exports of key products such as blueberries and exploring direct multimodal transport links to the Port of Portland, alongside cooperation in clean energy transition.
Building on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace, Cooperation and Sustainable Development, Binh reiterated Vietnam’s openness to investors, financial institutions and banks from Oregon, particularly in the planned international financial centre.
In a separate engagement, California State Treasurer Fiona Ma described Vietnam as a key partner, highlighting the growing influence of the Vietnamese-American community. Businesses and universities in California expressed interest in expanding investment and trade ties.
Drawing on California’s experience managing large pension funds and issuing municipal bonds, Ma suggested ways Vietnam could diversify green capital mobilisation. Both sides discussed cooperation in trade, education, infrastructure, clean energy and people-to-people exchanges, alongside proposals such as agro-tourism development and applying AI to enhance governance and operational efficiency.
At a business roundtable, Hong Fang, President of OKX, described Vietnam as a high-potential market with a young, tech-savvy population and strong engineering talent. She welcomed the government’s openness to policy dialogue and international practices, and expressed interest in contributing to Vietnam’s fintech ecosystem. Fang proposed deeper policy exchanges and sharing global experience in building sandbox frameworks for digital assets, while committing to bring international compliance standards to support a transparent and secure investment environment.
Meanwhile, Beau Perry, founder and CEO of Blue Evolution, said the company is keen to partner with Vietnam in regenerative agriculture, aquaculture and sustainable development, particularly in developing seaweed value chains.
Binh welcomed the proposals, noting they align with Vietnam’s priority sectors and reaffirming the country’s readiness to attract high-quality foreign investment, including into the future international financial centre.
During his visit, the Deputy Prime Minister also met staff at the Vietnamese Consulate General in San Francisco. He wrapped up his US trip on March 28./.
