On 1 August 2025, Dezan Shira & Associates was invited to speak at the Business Seminar in Conjunction with Malaysia MADANI Week, titled “Forging Stronger Ties: Deepening Malaysia–Vietnam Economic Relationship,” held at the Sheraton Hanoi Hotel.
The event was jointly hosted by the Embassy of Malaysia in Hanoi and Malaysia’s Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), and was opened with welcome remarks from His Excellency Dato’ Tan Yang Thai, Ambassador of Malaysia to Vietnam. This was followed by an economic overview from Madam Suhaili binti Ismail, Minister Counsellor (Economic), and presentations by Mr. Hafidz Shukri Junit, Assistant Trade Commissioner, MATRADE HCMC: “Malaysia Trade Performance and Trade Opportunities with Malaysia,” and Ms. Dang Mai Kim Ngan, Tax Partner, Deloitte Vietnam: “From Incentives to Innovation: What Investors Should Know in Vietnam 2025,” alongside Marco Förster, Director (ASEAN) at Dezan Shira & Associates.
He delivered a presentation titled “Leveraging Vietnam–Malaysia Synergies in Today’s Business and Supply Chain Environment,” which outlined how the two ASEAN economies, often viewed in isolation, are in fact complementary players in the evolving China+1 strategy.
“Vietnam anchors the value chain through cost competitiveness and manufacturing scale, while Malaysia advances the upper end through energy reliability, regulatory maturity, and high-value processes,” he noted.
Marco also highlighted both countries’ active roles in multilateral FTAs such as the CPTPP and RCEP, and their nuanced foreign policy positioning, described as “bamboo diplomacy,” enabling them to navigate trade relationships across all major blocs.
The seminar, which featured a distinguished lineup of speakers from both the Malaysian and Vietnamese governments, as well as regional business leaders and advisors, concluded with a networking session, fostering deeper discussions on bilateral investment, ASEAN supply chain shifts, and upcoming regional opportunities.
We appreciate the chance to share our expertise and insights on bilateral trade between both countries to such a distinguished audience and continue to support international businesses across ASEAN through local expertise and integrated advisory. For support in Malaysia, please contact our colleague Quinn Lu; for Vietnam, please reach out to Dan Martin.
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