Chinese surgical robots break into Vietnam market as Beijing takes aim at US dominance

Shipments to Asean have surged 246% this year as cross-border healthcare platforms pave way for manufacturers to challenge US giants like Intuitive Surgical

China has won approval for domestically developed surgical robots to be used in Vietnamese hospitals, marking a major step forward as the country’s high-end medical equipment makers push to challenge Western dominance overseas.

The Chinese-made surgical robots had been registered and installed at several leading medical facilities in the Southeast Asian nation, according to China’s National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA).

The two countries would also deepen cooperation in robotic surgery training, clinical applications, academic exchanges and talent development, the administration said on Wednesday.

The device entered Vietnam through the China-Asean regional medical products trading platform, a cross-border healthcare channel established by the NHSA and Guangxi authorities to help Chinese pharmaceuticals, medical devices and medical consumables reach Southeast Asian markets.

The NHSA said the volume-based procurement platform would next focus on expanding the registration of Chinese-made large-scale medical equipment in Vietnam, including radiotherapy and interventional treatment devices, while supporting broader medical exports.

Surgical robot exports jumped 344 per cent year on year in the first half of 2026 to US$70 million, according to customs data. About 10 per cent of those exports went to Association of Southeast Asian Nations markets, where shipments surged 246 per cent from a year earlier.