Can Tho seeks deeper investment links with Chinese businesses

Agricultural and seafood products, logistics, deep processing and green technology are emerging as key areas of interest for Vietnamese and Chinese businesses exploring cooperation opportunities in the Mekong Delta.

These areas took centre stage at the Vietnam-China Trade, Investment and Tourism Promotion Forum 2026, held in Can Tho on September 18-19, with more than 300 businesses from the two countries taking part.

Rather than focusing solely on trade in goods, the forum sought to connect businesses, investors and support organisations to develop deeper cooperation in investment, technology transfer, supply-chain development, the green economy and the circular economy.

From trade in goods to value-chain connections
Hua Truong Son, deputy director of the Can Tho Department of Industry and Trade, noted that as global supply chains are being restructured, expanding markets, diversifying partners and improving competitiveness have become important requirements for businesses.

He said the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership between Vietnam and China is creating further opportunities for businesses from the two countries to expand cooperation in trade, investment and tourism.

As a regional hub for the Mekong Delta, Can Tho has strengths in agriculture, processing, trade, services and logistics. These are also areas where the city seeks to strengthen connections with Chinese businesses.

Specifically, Can Tho wants to connect local businesses with Chinese importers and distributors in product groups including agricultural products, fruit, rice and rice-based products, seafood and processed food.

At the same time, the city is seeking Chinese investors interested in logistics, distribution centres, commercial infrastructure, deep processing of agricultural and seafood products, e-commerce, digital transformation, green technology and sustainable development.

A key message from the forum was that cooperation should concentrate more closely on the specific needs of businesses, ranging from supply capacity, product standards and business models to market and logistics challenges.

According to Son, direct and substantive exchanges will give management agencies, business associations and trade promotion organisations a stronger basis for providing further support and connections to businesses from both sides.

Bringing technology and logistics deeper into supply chains

Ho Quang Minh, chairman of the Net Zero Vietnam-Asia HCM-SME Association (VANZA) highlights Can Tho's role in the Mekong Delta's production ecosystem

Taking the floor, Ho Quang Minh, chairman of the Net Zero Vietnam-Asia HCM-SME Association (VANZA) highlighted that Can Tho plays an important role in the Mekong Delta's production ecosystem, with large raw-material areas and strengths in rice, fruit, seafood, processing industries and renewable energy potential.

However, increasingly demanding markets require more than products alone. They also require quality, traceability, technology, logistics, environmental and emissions standards, and sustainable development practices.

In this context, cooperation with Chinese businesses could create more opportunities for companies in the region to access technology, equipment, processing capabilities and markets, and strengthen their participation in value chains.

According to the VANZA leader, the strengths of the two sides are complementary. Vietnamese businesses have products, raw-material areas and local advantages, while Chinese businesses have strengths in technology, equipment, processing, logistics and markets.

“If these strengths are brought together within the same value chain, managed transparently and geared towards green growth, I believe we can create much greater value than through individual transactions,” he said.

More than 300 businesses from Vietnam and China attend the forum

This was also a key focus of discussions at the panel “Connecting Value Chains – Expanding Markets – Welcoming a New Wave of Vietnam-China Investment in the Mekong Delta.” Participants discussed bottlenecks ranging from raw-material areas, processing and storage to logistics and markets, while exploring ways to attract quality investment and strengthen the application of technology.

From Can Tho's perspective, the goal is not only to open up more export markets for Mekong Delta agricultural products but also to gradually build longer-term links between production, processing, logistics, trade and technology.

If these links can be connected, Vietnam-China cooperation in the Mekong Delta will have greater scope to move from individual trade transactions towards value-chain integration, laying a foundation for more sustainable investment and development cooperation.

Source: VOV