HANOI, March 18 (Reuters) - A large U.S. business

delegation, including Meta, Boeing ( BA ) and wind energy firm GE

Vernova, is visiting Vietnam this week in a sign of continued

corporate interest in the Southeast Asian nation after

Washington upgraded ties last year.

About 50 companies will participate, according to organiser

US-ASEAN Business Council, which last year brought a business

delegation of similar size to Vietnam.

Conglomerate Koch Industries, safety standards firm UL

Solutions, insurance group Chubb, gaming company Roblox ( RBLX )

, weather forecasts provider ATMO and energy firm

AES ( AES ) are also taking part.

Many of these companies are already active in Vietnam.

Meta's Facebook has over 60 million users in the

country, making it one of its largest markets globally.

Boeing ( BA ) signed a preliminary deal with national

carrier Vietnam Airlines last year for the sale of 50 of its 737

planes.

U.S. President Joe Biden upgraded relations with Vietnam

last year and pushed for increased cooperation in the

semiconductor industry. The organisers said, however, that no

semiconductor firms are scheduled to join this week's business

delegation.

The business mission will hold meetings with local

authorities from Tuesday to Thursday. On Monday, a smaller

delegation of security firms plans to discuss possible business

opportunities with representatives from Vietnam's ministries of

defence and police, according to the organisers.