By Chen Yuwen, Special Correspondent, and Tang Ya, Reporter, Global Times
The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported on April 8 that the 14-day exchange and study program, "AI Empowers China-Vietnam Cross-Border Tourism Cooperation," officially kicked off the previous day in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. According to VNA, the event is co-hosted by the Department of Culture and Tourism of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and the Departments of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of Vietnam's Quang Ninh, Lang Son, Cao Bang, and Tuyen Quang provinces. Under the theme "Strengthening 'AI + Cross-Border Tourism' Exchange and Cooperation," the program has attracted nearly 30 officials and business representatives from the four Vietnamese provinces.
During the event, participants will conduct field trips to Nanning, Liuzhou, Guilin, and Hechi in Guangxi. They will learn about smart tourism models, take part in traditional cultural experiences, and visit historical sites of China-Vietnam friendship, including Ho Chi Minh's Former Residence in China.
Vietnam is among the first countries in Southeast Asia to formulate an artificial intelligence (AI) development strategy. In June 2025, the Vietnamese government approved a catalog of strategic technologies, identifying AI as a core technological field. Nguyen Manh Hung, Minister of Information and Communications of Vietnam, stated that AI represents a crucial strategic opportunity for Vietnam to achieve leapfrog development and move toward becoming a high-income country.
Currently, the AI economy is rapidly expanding among Vietnamese enterprises, with several major corporations continuously increasing investment and application in the AI sector. Concurrently, the government is accelerating the development of AI talent training programs.
Leveraging its geographical proximity to China, Vietnam is further strengthening AI cooperation with its northern neighbor. In a recent interview with Vietnamese media, Wei Tao, Chairman of the People's Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, noted that since 2025, Guangxi and various Vietnamese localities have achieved encouraging results in AI cooperation. Business partnerships have continued to expand, multiple AI applications have been deployed in Vietnam, university collaborations in AI have deepened, and personnel training exchanges have become more frequent. In 2025, Guangxi organized five AI training programs for Vietnam, drawing over 200 participants.
Huang Dongri, a Distinguished Research Fellow at the Center for Regional and Country Studies at Guangxi Minzu Normal University, told the Global Times on April 8 that Vietnam's AI industry exhibits three prominent characteristics. First, it emphasizes top-level design. Vietnam's Law on Artificial Intelligence came into effect on March 1, making it the first Southeast Asian nation to establish a comprehensive AI regulatory framework through dedicated legislation. Previously, Vietnam issued the National Artificial Intelligence Development Strategy to 2030, positioning AI as central to its digital transformation. Second, the market is expanding rapidly. Vietnam's AI market was valued at approximately $750 million in 2024 and is projected to reach a staggering $65 billion by 2035. Third, it boasts distinct advantages. An impressive 81% of Vietnamese users regularly employ AI tools; talent development is aligned with global tech giants like NVIDIA and Google; and Vietnam ranks highly in global AI-related indices.
Huang noted that China-Vietnam AI cooperation has made solid strides. The two countries have jointly established platforms such as the AI Application Cooperation Center, and implemented projects including a Vietnamese large language model, the AI digital human "De Tian A Mei", smart customs clearance, and smart payment solutions, indicating broad prospects. He believes that as AI technologies continue to advance and application scenarios multiply, China-Vietnam AI cooperation in cross-border tourism will achieve even deeper and wider-ranging progress, with a highly promising future.
