Google Seeks Deeper AI Cooperation in Talks With Deputy PM Ho Quoc Dung
Google wants a bigger role in Vietnam’s artificial intelligence plans. On the afternoon of October 5, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung received Cris Turner, Google’s global vice president for government affairs and public policy, at the Government headquarters in Hanoi, Saigon Economy reported, citing the government news portal VGP.
Turner said Google hopes to keep strengthening its partnership with Vietnam and to find effective forms of cooperation that bring practical benefits to Vietnamese people, particularly in support of the country’s AI goals for the coming period. He also discussed Vietnam’s prospects in AI, shared Google’s view of the global landscape and proposed areas of cooperation to help push economic, trade and investment ties between Vietnam and the United States.
The Deputy Prime Minister set out what Hanoi wants in return. He said the government sees science, technology, innovation and digital transformation as the main drivers of growth, and that Vietnam’s market size, population structure and increasingly dynamic tech businesses give it a good chance of becoming a regional centre for developing and applying technology. Vietnam is looking for partnerships that link investment with research and development, technology transfer and training for highly skilled workers, he said, with the goal of lifting the capabilities of domestic companies. He asked Google to keep helping Make in Vietnam products and solutions reach regional and global markets, and said Vietnam welcomes American investors, especially in science, technology and digital transformation.
What it means in practice
Google is not starting from zero. It has had an office in Ho Chi Minh City since 2023, and since July 2024 has worked with the National Innovation Center (NIC) on an initiative to build Vietnam’s AI future, announcing 40,000 scholarships for digital skills, including AI courses, alongside programmes for startups. In June 2025 the two sides widened that work with new support for AI startups and broader AI literacy.
Those startups are drawing money: AI startup funding in Vietnam jumped thirteenfold to $130 million, and state support is growing through NATIF grants of up to VND 3 billion per innovation task. Skills remain the bottleneck, as the Pearson and AWS report on graduates found. Boston Consulting Group estimates, as cited by Saigon Economy, that AI could add $120 billion to $130 billion to Vietnam’s economy by 2040.
What to watch: whether the meeting leads to a new agreement with the NIC or a ministry, any commitment to local research or infrastructure investment, and how Google’s plans fit Vietnam’s demand for technology transfer rather than market access alone.