Promoting strategic cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and the Greater Bay Area of ​​China

Chinese and Vietnamese enterprises signed a series of agreements, opening up many prospects for practical cooperation in the fields of agriculture, trade and production.

Representatives of Vietnamese and Chinese businesses discussed cooperation agreements at the forum. (Photo: Xuan Anh/VNA)

Vietnam and China in general, Ho Chi Minh City and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in particular, still have a lot of room to promote cooperation in the fields of investment, finance, science and technology, logistics, etc.

This is the opinion of delegates at the "Investment and Trade Forum of Ho Chi Minh City and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area 2025" held in Ho Chi Minh City on the afternoon of June 12.

The event was organized by the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA Alliance), the Hong Kong-Vietnam Chamber of Commerce (HKVCC) in collaboration with the Ho Chi Minh City Investment and Trade Promotion Center (ITPC), to promote multi-disciplinary exchanges and cooperation between the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and Ho Chi Minh City in particular, China and Vietnam in general.

Mr. Nguyen Van Dung, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, said that the Ho Chi Minh City and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Investment and Trade Forum is a step to concretize the common perception between senior leaders of Vietnam and China; creating opportunities to share new investment and trade trends, connect potential partners and expand bilateral cooperation.

This is also an opportunity to promote effective cooperation with Chinese enterprises, especially from the Greater Bay Area, in the process of investment and sustainable development in Vietnam.

Currently, Vietnam continues to be China's largest trading partner in the ASEAN region. In terms of investment, in the first 5 months of 2025, China was the third largest foreign investor in Vietnam, after Japan and South Korea, with a total registered capital of 1.81 billion USD, accounting for 25.8% of the total newly registered capital.

In particular, Chinese investors are increasing investment in the production of electronic components and auto parts, taking advantage of Vietnam's cost and geographical location in the global supply chain.

Ho Chi Minh City and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area 2025 Investment and Trade Forum. (Photo: Xuan Anh/VNA)

Locally, Chinese investors continue to show interest in Ho Chi Minh City, especially in the fields of processing, manufacturing, electronic components and green energy. This shift reflects the investment trend in high-tech industries, in line with the city’s sustainable development orientation.

Emphasizing that Ho Chi Minh City is a special urban area, Mr. Nguyen Van Dung informed that Ho Chi Minh City currently only occupies 0.6% of the country's area, but contributes nearly 20% of GDP and 25% of total budget revenue.

In the coming time, after the merger, Ho Chi Minh City, with a larger administrative boundary, more abundant resources, a more favorable investment environment, efficiency and higher performance, will open up a new phase and potential for cooperation with foreign partners, including China.

The city is implementing many strategic projects to promote economic development and international integration; with the International Financial Center Project, Ho Chi Minh City hopes to learn from the experience of Hong Kong (China) - one of the world's leading financial centers in the extensive application of green finance, towards a sustainable green financial center.

"Ho Chi Minh City also wishes to expand cooperation with major Bay Area partners in the field of infrastructure - a key field for the city in the post-merger period. The synchronous development model between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau of China is a useful model for Ho Chi Minh City in promoting regional connectivity and expanding development space. Besides hard infrastructure, Ho Chi Minh City also hopes to strengthen "soft links" with the Greater Bay Area through digital transformation cooperation, focusing on sharing AI technology in urban management, building a big data ecosystem and deploying a cross-border payment Fintech platform," Mr. Nguyen Van Dung added.

At the same time, Ho Chi Minh City is adjacent to the Mekong Delta, which is currently an important food supply source for China, especially the Greater Bay Area. Therefore, the two sides need to promote cooperation in expanding the food processing industry through optimizing agricultural product transportation, enhancing trade and sharing modern processing technology to help Ho Chi Minh City enterprises access the Greater Bay Area market more effectively.

Assessing the advantages of the Greater Bay Area, Dr. Jonathan Choi, Chairman of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area Entrepreneurs Alliance (China), Chairman of Sunwah Group, said that Hong Kong (China) plays the role of a global financial center, with a transparent legal system, extensive capital markets and close connections with international investors.

Shenzhen stands out for its rapid technological innovation and hardware manufacturing, while Guangzhou leads in research, biotechnology and smart transportation. Each city in the Greater Bay Area has its own strengths, creating a comprehensive support network that promotes rapid commercialization of ideas from lab to market.

Representing the Shenzhen Municipal Government, Mr. Jiang Likun shared that Shenzhen plays a key role in the Greater Bay Area and is a leading economic-technological center in Asia. With a GDP of 516.9 billion USD by 2024, Shenzhen stands out in strategic areas such as 5G, AI and new energy vehicles. The Shenzhen Government welcomes Vietnamese enterprises and partners to explore cooperation opportunities; and is willing to support Shenzhen enterprises to invest and start-up in Vietnam. The locality also encourages Shenzhen tourists to visit scenic spots in Vietnam to enhance mutual understanding and further strengthen the deep friendship between the two peoples.

Meanwhile, Ms. Truong Thuan, the Management Authority of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Cooperation Zone (China) in Tien Hai, emphasized that Tien Hai's position is a "special zone within a special zone" and an important gateway for cooperation between Vietnam and the Greater Bay Area.

Tien Hai International Business Electronic Station has officially launched its Vietnam Branch. (Photo: Xuan Anh/VNA)

With its strategic location in the region, Tien Hai has the ability to quickly connect with Hong Kong and Macau (China), along with a modern transport infrastructure system and a comprehensive industrial ecosystem including 18 key industry clusters in modern services, cross-border e-commerce and technology.

Ms. Zhang Chun also informed about local legal and tax incentives for investors, including China's first regional investor protection law and a mechanism that allows international law to be applied in dispute resolution.

With comprehensive support platforms such as the Tien Hai International Business Electronic Terminal and a policy of close cooperation with Hong Kong (China) on intellectual property protection, Tien Hai is an ideal destination for Vietnamese enterprises wishing to expand their markets, promote innovation and operate in a transparent legal environment.

Within the framework of the program, Tien Hai International Business Electronic Station officially launched its Vietnam Branch, marking an important step in connecting trade and investment between the two sides.

Chinese and Vietnamese enterprises also signed a series of agreements, opening up many prospects for practical cooperation in the fields of agriculture, trade and production./.

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/thuc-day-hop-tac-chien-luoc-tp-ho-chi-minh-va-vung-vinh-lon-trung-quoc-post1043962.vnp