Vietnam, Singapore agree to boost ties, cooperation on subsea cables

12/3/2025 17:10

Singapore and Vietnam on Wednesday have agreed to enhance cooperation in subsea cables, finance, and energy, marking an upgrade in their relations to Vietnam's highest level, during a visit by its Communist Party Chief To Lam to the city-state.



Singapore is the third Southeast Asian nation, after Malaysia and Indonesia, with which Vietnam has established a "comprehensive strategic relationship".



In a joint statement released following the upgrade, Lam and Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong witnessed the exchange of six agreements and discussed cooperation in undersea cable development, digital connectivity, and cross-border data flows.



Southeast Asian countries, a major junction for cables connecting Asia to Europe, aim to expand their networks to meet the surging demand for AI services and data centres. Vietnam alone plans to launch 10 new submarine cables by 2030.



In December, Reuters reported that Singaporean asset manager Keppel and Vietnamese conglomerate Sovico Group were discussing plans for new undersea fiber-optic cables to boost the region's data centre industry.