Dang Minh Thong, Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, yesterday received Secretary Sun Xinjun of the Dongcheng District Party Committee of Beijing - China, who was visiting and working in Ho Chi Minh City.
At the meeting, Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Deputy Secretary Dang Minh Thong highly appreciated Secretary Sun Xinjun's visit, stating that it reflected the attention and importance that Beijing in general, and Dongcheng District in particular, attach to developing friendly and cooperative relations with the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, government, and its subordinate administrative units, including Saigon Ward.
According to the Deputy Secretary of HCMC, the visit was also a practical activity aimed at implementing the common understanding reached by the senior leaders of the two Parties and two countries on continuing to deepen bilateral relations.
Mr. Dang Minh Thong emphasized that the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee and government place great importance on and wish to strengthen broad, in-depth, and effective friendly and cooperative relations with Chinese localities, ministries, agencies, and partners. Total trade turnover between Ho Chi Minh City and the Chinese market reached US$25.8 billion in 2025; in the first four months of 2026 alone, it reached US$11.4 billion.
According to the Ho Chi Minh City leader, on May 19 the Politburo issued a Resolution on the construction and development of Ho Chi Minh City in the new era. Under the Resolution, the goal is for Ho Chi Minh City by 2030 to become a civilized and modern metropolis and an economic, cultural, and social center of Southeast Asia; by 2045, it is expected to become an Asian center for economics, science and technology, and innovation, as well as an attractive global destination.
In that spirit, Ho Chi Minh City wishes to strengthen comprehensive and substantive cooperation with cities around the world, especially Beijing.
In response, Mr. Sun Xinjun thanked the leaders and people of Ho Chi Minh City for their warm reception. He also noted that Dongcheng District and Ho Chi Minh City share many similarities, both being economic and cultural centers that attract large numbers of domestic and international tourists.
According to him, the two sides still have considerable potential for cooperation, especially in the fields of urban management, tourism, and healthcare.
