Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has called on officials to expedite the approval of Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite service in the country. Speaking to a group of US business leaders, Chinh urged the Ministry of Science and Technology to grant a pilot license for Starlink, as detailed in a post on the government’s website. According to the government, SpaceX has proposed a $1.5 billion investment in Vietnam related to its Starlink service, highlighted in a September announcement. In February, the National Assembly approved regulations allowing foreign-owned or invested telecommunications companies to operate low-orbit satellite technology on a pilot basis.
Chinh emphasized that Vietnam aims to achieve a more balanced trade relationship with the US by acquiring American products, including aircraft and liquefied natural gas. He encouraged US companies to continue investing in Vietnam, where the trade surplus with the US reached $123.5 billion last year. This figure represented the third-largest trade deficit with the US, following China and Mexico, positioning Vietnam as a potential target for tariffs from US President Donald Trump.
During his remarks, Chinh mentioned that the national carrier, Vietnam Airlines JSC, is in the process of negotiating a deal to purchase narrowbody jets from Boeing Co., valued at $11 billion, although he did not provide further details. He also requested that Boeing consider reducing prices for the aircraft, noting that several other aircraft contracts are under consideration. Additionally, he referenced budget airline VietJet Aviation JSC’s previous order for 200 Boeing aircraft.
