Ho Chi Minh City, Nov. 6 -- Vietnam is becoming a key gateway in Southeast Asia's industrial production and trade network, with experts and firms casting it as a strategic partner for quality growth.

The country also has room to build resources and sharpen its domestic supplier network by linking with FDI enterprises, which are critical levers for sustainable industrial and trade growth.

Industrial manufacturers in Ho Chi Minh City said global supply chains are shifting and competition is intensifying. Investors and manufacturers are moving from volume-based to value-based growth, prioritising automation, innovation and high value-added products. Southeast Asian countries, meanwhile, are converting rising foreign investment flows into s...