The event provides an opportunity for both sides to share trends in investment, trade and emerging growth sectors, as well as to connect potential partners and expand the development of bilateral cooperation.
More than 150 delegates, including government officials, associations and major enterprises from Ho Chi Minh City and the Greater Bay Area (GBA) Alliance gathered at the forum.
In his opening remarks, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Nguyen Van Dung emphasized that the event is part of ongoing efforts to realize the shared understanding between the senior leaders of the Communist Parties and States of Vietnam and China, thereby contributing to promoting investment, trade cooperation and sustainable development between Ho Chi Minh City and the Greater Bay Area.
In the context of complex world geopolitics and economic developments, the Party and State of Vietnam remain steadfast in their goal of building an independent and self-reliant economy, aligned with deep international integration.
As the economic locomotive of the country, Ho Chi Minh City is actively expanding its development space, enhancing infrastructure quality and competitiveness to create momentum for breakthrough growth in the new era.
Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Van Dung proposed several potential fields of cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and the Greater Bay Area, including the development of a regional financial center by learning from Hong Kong’s experience; collaboration in renewable energy and green finance; investment in transportation infrastructure and smart urban development, digital transformation, financial technology and cross-border payment systems; expanding agro-processing and export linkages between the Mekong Delta and cities within the Greater Bay Area.
The city’s leader also affirmed that Ho Chi Minh City is committed to continuously improving its investment environment, enhancing the effectiveness of trade promotion, and accompanying investors, including businesses from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau (China), aiming at making practical contributions to shared development and elevating the cooperative relationship between both sides.
Speaking at the forum, Dr. Jonathan Choi, the chairman of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Entrepreneurs Union, Founding Chairman of the Hong Kong-Vietnam Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in Qianhai and Shenzhen and Chairman of Sunwah Group, which has invested around US$5 billion in Vietnam, shared the advantages of the Greater Bay Area.
He believed that the GBA Alliance would continue to serve as an effective bridge between China and Vietnam.
Representatives from the governments of Shenzhen, Qianhai, and agencies from Hong Kong and Singapore in charge of investment and trade affirmed their desire to strengthen ties with Ho Chi Minh City, especially as the city is striving to become a regional financial and innovation hub in the ASEAN region.
Ho Chi Minh City hopes to expand cooperation with cities in the Greater Bay Area in investment and trade, artificial intelligence (AI), financial technology and cross-border payment technologies.
As part of the forum, numerous memoranda of understanding and cooperation agreements were signed in key areas such as e-commerce, high-tech agriculture, digital transformation and component manufacturing.
