Mr. Nguyen Trung Chinh, Chairman of CMC Corporation, has been appointed by Keidanren – Japan Business Federation as a Shingiin, or Member of the Board of Councillors, opening a new strategic channel to connect Vietnamese and Japanese businesses in technology, AI and digital infrastructure.

Recently, Keidanren issued an official letter announcing the appointment of Mr. Nguyen Trung Chinh, Chairman of CMC Corporation, as Shingiin – Member of the Board of Councillors of Keidanren. His term began on June 3, 2026 and will last until the conclusion of Keidanren’s 2028 Annual General Meeting, expected to be held at the end of May 2028.

Keidanren, officially known as the Japan Business Federation, is one of Japan’s most influential economic organizations. Founded in 1946 during Japan’s post-war economic reconstruction, Keidanren has grown into a major forum bringing together leading corporations, industry associations and regional economic organizations.

Keidanren is widely regarded as the voice of the Japanese business community, with participation from major corporations such as ANA Holdings, ITOCHU Corporation, Mitsui & Co., Hitachi, Panasonic Holdings, Nippon Steel, Mitsubishi Electric, Dai-ichi Life Holdings, Marubeni and Tokyo Gas. For decades, the organization has served as a bridge between businesses and the Japanese Government, contributing policy recommendations on the economy, industry, trade, investment, labor, environment, science and technology, and international cooperation.

Within Keidanren’s structure, the Board of Councillors serves as a senior consultative body where representatives of member companies discuss major issues at the request of Keidanren’s Chairman. These discussions cover economic, industrial, social, environmental, scientific and technological matters, as well as long-term directions for the Japanese business community.

As such, Shingiin is not an executive management position, but a strategic advisory role. Members of the Board of Councillors contribute policy perspectives, corporate governance experience, cooperation proposals and initiatives that may influence Japan’s economic relations with international partners.

The appointment of a Vietnamese business leader as Shingiin of Keidanren is considered a notable strategic signal. For CMC, it marks a transition from being a member company to participating more deeply in strategic dialogue and consultation within Japan’s economic community.

A representative of Keidanren recognized Mr. Chinh’s contributions to promoting cooperation between Vietnamese and Japanese businesses, particularly in technology, digital transformation and AI.

“Mr. Nguyen Trung Chinh and CMC have played an active role in connecting the Japanese business community with Vietnam. In his capacity as Shingiin, we expect him to continue contributing perspectives from Vietnam and ASEAN, while promoting new cooperation initiatives in the digital economy, AI, technology infrastructure and human resource development,” the Keidanren representative said.

Photo 1: Mr. Nguyen Trung Chinh has actively participated in Keidanren activities since CMC became a member in 2024.

The CMC Chairman’s participation in Keidanren’s Board of Councillors comes as Vietnam and Japan are advancing their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Beyond traditional cooperation in trade, investment and manufacturing, the two countries are increasingly focusing on new areas such as AI, data centers, digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, semiconductors, innovation and high-quality human resource development.

For Japan, Vietnam is emerging as an important growth destination in ASEAN. For Vietnam, Japan is a partner with strengths in industry, technology, governance, capital and sustainable development standards. Keidanren’s connecting role therefore extends beyond trade promotion to the development of long-term cooperation models between businesses of the two countries.

In this context, Mr. Nguyen Trung Chinh is expected to contribute the voice of a Vietnamese technology entrepreneur who understands the Japanese market and has experience in promoting areas that are now shared priorities for both economies. Themes such as AI-X, AI Cloud, data centers, digital sovereignty, the data economy and high-quality technology talent are among the areas where CMC can further strengthen cooperation through Keidanren’s network.

Japan is one of CMC’s key international markets. The corporation has operated in Japan for more than 20 years and is present in major economic and technology hubs including Yokohama, Osaka and Tokyo. Through CMC Japan and the CMC Global ecosystem, CMC provides technology services, digital transformation, data, AI, cloud computing, software development and transformation consulting for Japanese clients.

In 2024, CMC opened its third office in Tokyo and announced its AI Transformation strategy in Japan. At the same time, CMC joined Keidanren, expanding opportunities to cooperate with major Japanese corporations in AI, digital transformation, data infrastructure and technology workforce development.

Photo 2: Japan is one of CMC’s key international markets. The photo shows the launch ceremony of CMC’s third office in Tokyo on September 18, 2024.

Mr. Nguyen Trung Chinh is Co-founder, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Executive Chairman of CMC Corporation. From a small technology company founded in 1993, CMC has grown into one of Vietnam’s leading technology corporations, with more than 6,000 employees and operations in around 30 international markets.

Under the leadership of Mr. Chinh and his colleagues, CMC has built a technology ecosystem spanning digital infrastructure, technology and solutions, global business, technology research and education. In recent years, the corporation has accelerated its AI-X strategy, focusing on AI, data centers, cloud computing, cybersecurity, digital transformation and high-quality technology workforce development.

Beyond his role in CMC’s development, Mr. Nguyen Trung Chinh has also been active in professional organizations, business associations and domestic advisory councils. He is a founding member of the Vietnam Private Business Association and formerly served as its Standing Vice Chairman; Vice Chairman of VINASA for the 2016–2020 term; Vice Chairman of the National Cybersecurity Association for the 2023–2028 term; and Vice Chairman of the National Data Association for the 2025–2030 term.

He has also participated in several high-level government advisory councils, contributing recommendations on economic development, science and technology, innovation, digital transformation and data. At domestic and international forums, he has often emphasized the role of digital infrastructure, data sovereignty, AI and technology talent in strengthening national competitiveness.

Speaking about the appointment, Mr. Nguyen Trung Chinh said it was both an honor and a major responsibility for himself and CMC.

“I deeply appreciate the trust of Keidanren and the Japanese business community. In my role as Shingiin, I hope to contribute more to strengthening economic, technological and innovation cooperation between Vietnam and Japan, especially in AI, data, digital infrastructure, cybersecurity and high-quality human resource development,” Mr. Chinh said.

According to him, CMC will not view this role merely as an external title, but as an opportunity to promote concrete cooperation initiatives. In the coming period, the corporation aims to strengthen connections with Japanese businesses, research institutes and universities in AI, data centers, R&D, semiconductors, higher education and digital talent development.

The appointment of CMC Chairman as Shingiin of Keidanren is expected to elevate the voice of Vietnamese technology enterprises within Japan’s economic community. It also creates an opportunity for CMC to strengthen its role as a digital technology bridge between Vietnam, Japan and ASEAN in an era of rapid growth in the digital economy, AI and data infrastructure.