Ho Chi Minh City taps Ant International to strengthen fintech and IFC ambitions

On November 25, Ant International and the Vietnam Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR Vietnam), established by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, signed an MoU to advance Vietnam’s digital economy, foster innovation, and support the city’s goal of becoming an international financial centre (IFC) and regional fintech hub, with a focus on small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and next-generation talent development.

As Vietnam emerges as one of Asia’s most dynamic engines of trade, travel, and inclusive digital finance, the collaboration between C4IR Vietnam and Ant International aims to accelerate the country’s Fourth Industrial Revolution while strengthening the municipal city’s competitiveness in the global economy and expanding access for the country’s small businesses.

Beyond payment infrastructure, the partnership focuses on developing Vietnam's domestic fintech ecosystem through regulatory innovation and talent development.

Nguyen Van Duoc, Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, said, "We hope the cooperation with Ant International will accelerate the city’s progress towards becoming an IFC, advance digital transformation, train high-quality talent, and strengthen Vietnam’s position in the global financial system. We commend the company’s global leadership in digital payments, digitisation, fintech and its ecosystem of advanced technology platforms, and acknowledge the positive contributions of Ant International in promoting digital transformation and developing Vietnam’s fintech ecosystem."

Under the MoU, both parties will collaborate across several key areas to enhance Vietnam’s innovation ecosystem and ensure that businesses – particularly SMEs and startups – benefit from progressive policies, cutting-edge technology, and global connectivity.

To support Ho Chi Minh City’s development as an IFC, both parties will provide guidance on regulatory strategies and policy measures to engage foreign businesses and apply progressive innovation frameworks. They will draw on Ant International’s 6T framework – Travel, Trade, Thrive, Technology, Talent, and Trust – to help shape the city’s future growth.

The collaboration also focuses on enabling strong local innovation. Ant International will support the city and local partners in joint innovation initiatives and technology capacity-building to support fintech industry development.

Another priority is to help globalise local SMEs by strengthening their competitiveness in regional and international markets through cutting-edge, tailored solutions offered via Ant International’s Alipay+, Antom, Bettr, and WorldFirst.

It also aims to develop next-gen talent through comprehensive training courses. The initiative will address skill gaps and provide mentorship for local startups, in areas such as digital finance, cross-border payments, compliance, and fintech operations, supporting Vietnam’s transition towards an innovation-led economy, and its ambition to become a regional hub for smart economic development and inclusive growth.

Ant International's businesses already operate in Vietnam and will progressively expand merchant access, while all three parties will ensure continuous alignment towards the partnership goals, with regular evaluation of progress towards the IFF development targets.

"Vietnam is one of the most exciting digital economies in the world today, powered by forward-looking policy, a vibrant startup ecosystem, and a fast-growing local talent pool," said Peng Yang, CEO of Ant International. “Ant International is excited to work with C4IR to advance the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam. We are committed to expanding such public-private partnerships continuously to bring together policy innovation and technology expertise to drive inclusive growth in Vietnam and a much more vibrant and sustainable global digital economy.”

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