US-Vietnam chamber to gather 500 leaders in Monterey Park

The US-Vietnam General Chamber of Commerce will bring about 500 business, government and community leaders to Monterey Park on Oct. 9 to deepen trade, investment and city-to-city ties between the U.S. and Vietnam. The event is designed to turn introductions into longer-term commercial partnerships and local cooperation.

Why it matters: - The Monterey Park gathering is aimed at expanding U.S.-Vietnam trade and investment relationships. - The event also pushes city-to-city cooperation, which can open new channels for business, education, logistics, tourism and community partnerships. - The Chamber is positioning Southern California as a gateway for U.S.-Asia commerce through cross-cultural business networks.

What happened: - The US-Vietnam General Chamber of Commerce will convene approximately 500 business executives, entrepreneurs, industry leaders, elected officials and community leaders in Monterey Park on Oct. 9. - The event theme is “Building Businesses • Connecting Opportunities.” - The program is focused on building commercial relationships between U.S. and Vietnamese businesses and communities. - Expected participants include U.S. Rep. Judy Chu, California Assemblymember Mike Fong, Mike Eng, Monterey Park Councilmembers Vinh T. Ngo and Elizabeth Yang, San Gabriel Vice Mayor Tony Ding, San Gabriel Councilmember John Wu and Rosemead Mayor Pro Tem Polly Low.

The details: - The Chamber says its goal is to create direct business relationships that can lead to trade, investment and long-term cooperation. - Co-founders Sam Ma and Dan Cheng established the Chamber in 2019. - The organization supports Vietnamese businesses seeking U.S. opportunities and American businesses looking to expand into Vietnam. - The Chamber has connected Vietnamese products including seafood, agricultural products and consumer goods with U.S. market opportunities. - The group also supports visiting business and government delegations from Vietnam by linking them with businesses, local officials and community networks in Southern California. - Monterey Park and Phú Mỹ in Vietnam’s Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu region have an agreement covering economic development, trade, investment, import-export activity, logistics, tourism, education, healthcare, workforce development, culture, science and technology. - The Chamber has helped facilitate connections between those two communities. - The Chamber connects Vietnamese American, Chinese American and other business networks across Southern California. - A LinkedIn profile for Sam Ma is available here.

Between the lines: - The Chamber is trying to move beyond one-time introductions and convert networking into durable partnerships. - The focus on city-to-city ties suggests a strategy that blends private-sector deals with local government and civic cooperation. - The event also reflects the role of diaspora business communities in shaping international commerce and market access.

What's next: - The Oct. 9 program will give attendees a venue to meet across industries and explore partnerships. - The Chamber plans to continue business delegations, trade and investment initiatives, networking programs, community partnerships, market-access connections and city-to-city relationships. - Future cooperation is expected to deepen between U.S. and Vietnamese entrepreneurs, cities and community institutions.

The bottom line: - The Monterey Park event is designed to turn a broad network of U.S. and Vietnamese leaders into lasting business and civic ties.