Vietnam’s government is evaluating a proposal by SpaceX to invest up to $15 billion to launch its Starlink satellite service in the country, The World and Vietnam reported.

General Secretary and State President To Lam met with SpaceX SVP for global business and government affairs Tim Hughes and other executives of US companies while in the US for the United Nations General Assembly, which opened on 24 September.

Lam stated Vietnam is reviewing the proposal, and requested SpaceX coordinate with relevant agencies and partners to complete investment procedures, the portal wrote.

Hughes held discussions with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Hanoi earlier this month about investing and offering satellite service in the country.

With rising trade friction with China, Vietnam has emerged as an attractive location for tech investment.

Samsung, Apple and key supplier Foxconn have poured billions into Vietnam to shift production away from China.

Earlier this week, Samsung Display Co disclosed plans to invest $1.8 billion in a facility to produce OLED displays in Bac Ninh province, east of Hanoi.

Samsung operates six plants and an R&D centre in the country.