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The Vietnamese General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm, together with a high-ranking delegation, visited the China–ASEAN AI Innovation Center in Nanning (Guangxi) as part of a state visit to China from April 14 to 17, 2026. The visit focused on expanding AI and digital-economy cooperation between Vietnam and Guangxi, alongside broader connectivity and trade facilitation.
The China–ASEAN AI Innovation Center is designed to promote comprehensive, mutually beneficial AI development globally and is described as a flagship project for the “Digital Silk Road” in Guangxi. The center’s facilities cover about 7.78 square kilometers, with the center itself covering about 19,000 square meters.
Its stated goal is to strengthen the AI capabilities of Chinese firms and deepen cooperation with ASEAN in areas including agriculture, healthcare, tourism, education, finance, and logistics, aligned with each partner’s needs. By the end of 2025, 51 projects in China and 16 projects in ASEAN had been signed under this framework.
Separately, on November 26, 2025, Hanoi and Guangxi signed a Memorandum of Understanding to study establishing a Vietnam–China AI Cooperation Center. The center is also expected to set up branches in other Chinese cities and in ASEAN countries.
During the visit, Vietnamese leaders urged Guangxi to support Vietnamese localities in implementing digital transformation, AI, and smart infrastructure, with the aim of helping border residents access modern utilities. They also called for promoting cultural exchanges and advancing cooperation in culture and tourism.
In addition, the leaders emphasized strengthening multi-sector links—particularly trade and logistics—and accelerating rail and other transportation connectivity. They also requested closer cooperation on AI deployment in agriculture, green energy, and high-tech manufacturing, alongside improved border management and people-to-people exchanges to support the Vietnam–China Year of Tourism 2026–2027.
On the Guangxi side, Party Secretary Trần Cương pledged to implement concrete action plans to advance high-level understandings and promote substantive cooperation, with a particular focus on transportation infrastructure such as rail. He also said Guangxi would broaden imports of Vietnamese agricultural products.
The two sides discussed accelerating the pilot deployment of smart border crossings and facilitating cross-border trade.
Other remarks highlighted the importance of deepening AI cooperation and data collaboration, with a view to expanding cooperative projects, information sharing, and workforce development in the AI domain across both countries.
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