Vietnam’s Party chief urges Qualcomm, US firms to back accelerated trade talks

He made the suggestion during a meeting in Hanoi on Tuesday with Alex Rogers, president of Qualcomm technology licensing and global affairs at Qualcomm Inc., as part of the latter's business trip to Vietnam, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

General Secretary Lam welcomed the visit, which coincided with the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the second year of the Vietnam-U.S. comprehensive strategic partnership.

He praised Qualcomm’s successful investment projects in Vietnam and encouraged the company to further expand into high-technology sectors including AI, semiconductors, and digital infrastructure—areas where Qualcomm excels and Vietnam has strategic needs—to help establish the Southeast Asian country as a regional and global hub for AI and semiconductor development.

The Party leader also asked Rogers and other U.S. enterprises operating in Vietnam to continue supporting the ongoing trade negotiations between Hanoi and Washington so that early results can deliver mutual benefits.

According to Lam, such timely outcomes would promote stable and sustainable cooperation in economy, trade, and investment, meeting the interests of people and businesses in both countries.

These negotiations began after the U.S. administration announced on April 3 a 46-percent reciprocal tariff on Vietnamese imports as part of its global tariff policy.

Although the tariff was initially scheduled to take effect on April 9, the U.S. delayed its implementation by 90 days to allow time for the negotiations.

Regarding this issue, Rogers welcomed and highly appreciated the recent positive exchanges between the two countries on trade.

He expressed hope that the bilateral negotiations would soon yield positive results.

Lam urged Qualcomm to deepen its cooperation with Vietnamese enterprises, including technology transfer and capacity-building initiatives, to help domestic firms integrate into global supply chains.

He reiterated that Vietnam remains committed to creating favorable conditions for foreign businesses, including U.S. firms, to invest and operate effectively in the country.

Rogers thanked General Secretary Lam for hosting his delegation and noted that his visit was timed to inaugurate Qualcomm’s AI R&D center in Hanoi on Tuesday—one of only three such facilities outside the U.S..

He also pledged to expand Qualcomm’s investment in Vietnam and help develop Vietnamese AI talent, contributing to the strengthening of the Vietnam-U.S. comprehensive strategic partnership.

He praised Vietnam’s socio-economic development strategy—especially its focus on science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, and the private sector—which he believed creates ideal conditions for U.S. enterprises to increase investment in Vietnam.