World No 36 Minh defeated world No146 Kean Yew Loh of Singapore 21-17, 21-14 after just 37 minutes of competition.
He next faces off with Chinese strong player Lin Dan, who has beaten him on several occasions at previous matchups.
On the same day, Vietnam no 1 female player Vu Thi Trang lost to Bae Yeon Ju of the Republic of Korea 10-21 and 14-21 at the women’s singles, while Bao Minh/Duong Bao Duc were also beaten by RoK rivals 7-21, 11-21 at the doubles event.
Other Vietnamese team members Nguyen Thuy Linh, Le Thu Huyen/Pham Nhu Thao, and Vu Thi Trang/Nguyen Thi Sen, are set to compete later in the day at the tournament, which runs through May 1.
