Speakers discuss capital market development and financial sector transformation at the Việt Nam-UK Financial Services Summit 2026 in HCM City on September 14. — Photo vneconomy.vn

HCM CITY — The Việt Nam-UK Financial Services Summit 2026 took place in HCM City on Monday, bringing together senior policymakers, business leaders and financial experts to discuss capital market development, talent and women's leadership.

The event was held as part of a visit to Việt Nam by Susan Langley, Mayor of the City of London, and was jointly organised by the British Embassy, the British Consulate-General in HCM City, the British Chamber of Commerce Vietnam (BritCham) and Dragon Capital.

The summit attracted more than 150 senior delegates from the two countries, including government officials, business executives, financial professionals, researchers and representatives of professional organisations.

The event was a key highlight of Langley's official visit to Việt Nam, underscoring the UK's long-term commitment to supporting the country's development of an international financial centre and strengthening bilateral cooperation in financial services and professional expertise.

The summit focused on three areas identified by Langley as important to the development of Việt Nam's financial sector: women's leadership, capital market development, and skills and talent.

The first topic highlighted the importance of promoting diversity, strengthening governance capacity and enhancing the role of women leaders in modern financial institutions.

Discussions on capital market development centred on strengthening market infrastructure, attracting investment and improving liquidity.

Meanwhile, the skills and talent agenda focused on developing internationally recognised professional standards and building a workforce equipped to meet future demands.

The visit marks Langley's third trip to Việt Nam, reflecting the growing strategic partnership between the UK and Việt Nam in finance, investment, education and professional services.

Supporting financial centre

The summit comes as Việt Nam accelerates efforts to establish a competitive international financial centre, offering an opportunity to draw on London’s experience as one of the world's leading financial hubs.

The forum provided a platform for government, business, academic and professional stakeholders to discuss practical measures to support a resilient capital market, adopt globally recognised professional standards and build an innovative financial ecosystem.

Addressing the summit, Nguyễn Công Vinh, vice chairman of the city People's Committee, said financial cooperation was a key pillar of the comprehensive strategic partnership between Việt Nam and the UK.

British partners had accompanied HCM City from the early stages of developing the Việt Nam International Financial Centre (VIFC) in the city, he said.

“We hope cooperation will be implemented simultaneously in three areas: improving the operating environment, developing the market and enhancing implementation capacity,” Vinh said, outlining opportunities for bilateral cooperation in finance.

For her part, Langley said Việt Nam's progress was gaining international recognition.

“This month, FTSE Russell will upgrade Việt Nam from a frontier market to a secondary emerging market, recognising significant progress in regulations, brokerage activities and capital mobilisation. The City of London is proud to be a close partner of the Việt Nam International Financial Centre in this process,” she said.

British Ambassador to Việt Nam Iain Frew stressed that bilateral ties had moved well beyond trade and investment.

The UK would continue to support Việt Nam's progress in three key areas: expanding access to finance, mobilising capital for the green transition, and strengthening the core foundations of the financial system, he said. — VNS