Vietnamese entrepreneurs explore agricultural economy in China

9 Vietnamese participants have joined the CAU-Tencent Global South Rural Entrepreneurs Development Initiative in China from September 17 to 26, 2026, as part of a cooperation program between China Agricultural University (CAU) and the Viet Nam National University of Agriculture, bringing together around 40 participants from Viet Nam, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Laos and Nepal.

Over 10 days in Beijing and Yunnan, the participants explored rural entrepreneurship, the digital economy, e-commerce, artificial intelligence (AI), agricultural technologies, agricultural processing and rural tourism. They also studied local business and rural development models.

A key component of the program was the development of an individual rural business plan for each participant. Drawing on their experiences in China, each participant selected and adapted approaches that could be piloted in Viet Nam. The trip also provided an opportunity for the Vietnamese group to exchange views with rural entrepreneurs, experts and participants from other countries.

The Vietnamese Rural CEO delegation took part in a range of activities in Beijing, including the World Agri-Food Innovation (WAFI) Conference, which brought together policymakers, scientists and delegates from countries around the world, particularly those from the Global South.

The delegation also attended training courses covering an overview of China's economic model, crop production, agricultural processing, the application of technology and AI in crop production and the harvesting and trading of agricultural products.

Notably, during their study tour in China, the Vietnamese Rural CEO delegation and participants from other countries visited Tencent, one of China's leading technology corporations, in Beijing. They also visited agricultural enterprises and cooperatives, rural development models, major tea-growing and processing areas, coffee cultivation and processing models, a model for the research, cultivation and processing of ready-to-eat corn, and a pomelo-growing model combined with mushroom cultivation in Yunnan, China.

Of particular note, the Vietnamese Rural CEO delegation and participants from other countries had the opportunity to experience and study two rural development models in Man Luan village and Haibian village in Yunnan.

Through the visits, Rural CEOs gained first-hand experience and practical insights into how local organizations can bring farmers together, organize and support them in tapping local potential, developing production, linking agriculture with tourism, increasing incomes and improving people's livelihoods.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Minh Hien, Head of the Faculty of Economics and Management at the Viet Nam National University of Agriculture, said: “Each participant returns with not only knowledge, but also viable ideas, new relationships and a broader vision of rural development. In the longer term, the program aims to establish a Rural CEO network capable of connecting knowledge, markets and resources and jointly developing practical initiatives for Viet Nam's agriculture and rural areas.”