Vietnam’s top leader To Lam to meet Google, Meta in US next week, sources say

HANOI - Vietnam's president and ruling Communist Party chief To Lam is set to meet representatives from several US corporations, including Google and Meta, during a visit to the United States next week, two people briefed about the plans told Reuters.

Meta’s Facebook has in the 100-million-people country one of its largest user bases worldwide, and Google makes its smartphones there through suppliers and plans a large data centre, according to a Reuters report in August.

In his first trip to the United States since he was

named in early August as head of the party

, the country’s most powerful job, Mr Lam is scheduled to meet representatives of Google and Meta, the two people said, with one noting each of the companies would have a separate meeting with him.

Neither said what will be discussed.

Another two people familiar with the plans said Mr Lam will also attend on Sept 23 a business forum with other US business representatives.

All the four sources declined to be identified because the information was not public.

The US-Asean Business Council (USABC), which is one of the organisers of the Sept 23 event, declined to share a list of participants.

Google and Facebook did not reply to requests for comment.

In two large US business missions the USABC lobbying group organised in Vietnam over the last 18 months, it brought in dozens of top US corporations including defence firms, energy and tech companies.

Among firms who attended both recent missions to Vietnam, are power company AES, aviation giant Boeing, payment company Mastercard and Amazon, including its cloud computing subsidiary Amazon Web Services, according to lists of participants seen by Reuters.

US companies see Vietnam as a manufacturing hub and a market for their products. Apple’s suppliers complete many of the company’s products there, Intel has a large chip assembling factory, and defence firms have been long in talks to sell security equipment to Hanoi.

Biden meeting?

Mr Lam’s trip to the United States has not been formally announced, but officials said he would travel there on Sept 21 to speak at the United Nations General Assembly, where global leaders meet for their annual get-together on Sept 22 to Sept 23.

He will fly to Cuba later in the week in the final leg of his trip.

Columbia University has announced an event with Mr Lam on Sept 23 in New York.

The US and Vietnam boosted their diplomatic ties

in 2023 as Washington sees the South-east Asian nation as a strategic partner to reduce reliance on Chinese manufacturing.

The US is also seeking closer ties with Hanoi on sensitive industries, including undersea cables.

However, it is not clear whether Mr Lam will meet US President Joe Biden.

A spokesperson for the White House declined to comment about Mr Lam, but said Mr Biden planned to meet several foreign leaders at the United Nations.

Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry and the President’s Office were not immediately available for comments.

Mr Lam met Chinese President Xi Jinping

in August in his first trip abroad after his appointment as party chief.

He also plans a state visit to France in early October, an official told Reuters. REUTERS