Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Pang Te Cheng, Consul General of Singapore in Ho Chi Minh City, emphasized that although Singapore is a young nation, it has much to be proud of. In his National Day address on August 8, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong noted that this year’s celebrations are a time to honor the past and look ahead to a new chapter. He highlighted unity, resilience, and solidarity as guiding principles that will continue to steer Singapore forward.
The Singaporean Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City stressed that 2025 marks a significant milestone in Singapore–Vietnam relations. The bilateral relationship was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the visit of Party General Secretary To Lam to Singapore in March. This was shortly followed by a visit to Vietnam by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. The high-level visits reflect the strong momentum in bilateral cooperation and the deepening strategic trust between the two countries.
Regarding cooperation between Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City, during the 2020–2024 period (before the administrative merger with Binh Duong and Ba Ria–Vung Tau), Singapore was the largest foreign direct investor in the city, with total accumulated investment reaching US$14.3 billion. Investments spanned various sectors, including real estate, industrial parks, logistics, and financial services. Mr. Pang Te Cheng expressed confidence that the newly expanded Ho Chi Minh City would offer even greater opportunities for collaboration between the two sides.
On behalf of the city’s leadership, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Nguyen Manh Cuong extended his congratulations to Mr. Pang Te Cheng and the staff of the Consulate General of Singapore, as well as the Singaporean business community and citizens living and working in Ho Chi Minh City. He expressed his delight at the steadily growing and increasingly substantive cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and Singapore across multiple sectors. Singapore is currently one of the city’s leading investors and trading partners, with numerous prominent projects in real estate, infrastructure, logistics, and energy, making significant contributions to the city’s socio-economic development.
The two sides have also placed strong emphasis on enhancing cooperation in education and training, as well as in developing high-quality human resources, through regular collaborative projects with Singapore’s Ministry of Education and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. In addition, thanks to geographical proximity and cultural similarities, people-to-people exchanges have flourished between the two sides. Cultural, sports, and tourism exchanges have played an important role in fostering mutual understanding, friendship, and trust, laying a solid foundation for the continued strong development of Ho Chi Minh City–Singapore relations in the years to come.
The newly expanded Ho Chi Minh City is prioritizing the development of an international financial center, high-tech industries, and high-quality education and healthcare systems, alongside investments in modern and synchronized transport and digital infrastructure. These are areas in which Singapore holds considerable strengths, offering significant opportunities for both sides to fully leverage their potential, complement each other, and further deepen cooperation.
Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong affirmed that Ho Chi Minh City is eager and fully committed to engaging in unlimited collaboration with Singapore across these key sectors.
