VCCI and NCAPEC foster cooperation in preparation for APEC 2027

On 15 July in Hanoi, Mr. Nguyen Quang Vinh, Vice President of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), met with Ms. Monica Hardy Whaley, President of the National Center for APEC (NCAPEC) to discuss the preparations for the APEC Year 2027 and the APEC CEO Summit in Vietnam.

During the meeting, VCCI Vice President Nguyen Quang Vinh highly appreciated NCAPEC's long-standing companionship with APEC economies, as well as the United States' proactive approach in assisting Vietnam with its preparations for APEC 2027.

The VCCI Vice President noted that following the successful hosting of APEC in 2006 and 2017, Vietnam is urgently pressing ahead with preparations for APEC 2027. Therefore, the Vietnamese Government has established the APEC National Committee and specialised subcommittees that meet on a monthly basis to review preparatory progress. Alongside upgrading transport infrastructure, facilities, and services in the host localities, Vietnam is also crafting an agenda that reflects its development priorities for this new era.

As the agency tasked by the Government with spearheading three core business community events within the APEC 2027, VCCI will hold meetings of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), the ABAC Dialogue with APEC Economic Leaders, and the APEC CEO Summit—a premier forum gathering top executives from world-leading corporations.

The VCCI Vice President highlighted that while experience from previous APEC years serves as a crucial foundation, the current global landscape has evolved significantly. This includes geopolitical shifts, the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI), digital and green transitions, and the imperative to build sustainable supply chains. Therefore, the APEC 2027 agenda must reflect these emerging trends and address Vietnam's development priorities for the coming decade.

“Vietnam is striving for double-digit growth by leveraging the role of the private sector, innovation, digital transformation, and the development of a high-quality workforce. These will also be pivotal themes that VCCI plans to integrate into the APEC CEO Summit and other business forums”, VCCI Vice-President shared.

Furthermore, VCCI is keen to hear more from the international business community, particularly major US corporations operating in technology, finance, aviation, energy, semiconductors, and the green economy. This will help formulate a highly practical agenda and generate actionable policy recommendations for APEC leaders.

On behalf of NCAPEC, Ms. Monica Hardy Whaley shared that her organisation, alongside the US Secretariat, boasted over 20 years of experience in assisting host economies with the APEC CEO Summit. It currently holds a wealth of resources and organisational expertise from previous summits. Ms. Whaley also commended the preparatory efforts of Vietnam and VCCI for APEC 2027. She affirmed NCAPEC's readiness to share its expertise, help connect with international speakers, provide organisational consultancy, and support VCCI throughout the preparation and execution of the APEC Year's business events.

Beyond the APEC CEO Summit, NCAPEC also expressed a desire to be deeply involved in business activities occurring throughout 2027.

Both parties agreed to enhance their coordination to encourage the US's leading corporations to send top executives to the APEC CEO Summit 2027. They will explore organising a US business delegation to Vietnam on the occasion of APEC whilst jointly implementing policy dialogues, investment and business matchmaking, and bilateral networking events within the summit's framework.

VCCI Vice President Nguyen Quang Vinh expressed his hope that, with the support of NCAPEC and international partners, the APEC CEO Summit 2027 will not only build upon the success of previous summits but also help promote the image of a dynamic and innovative Vietnam—one that is poised to enter a new stage of development with an increasingly vital role in the Asia-Pacific economy and value chains.