City Diplomacy Initiatives Gain Traction in the International Community

Under the theme "City Diplomacy: A Driving Force for Innovation and Sustainable Development," this year's event brings together leaders from numerous foreign localities and international organizations to share strategic perspectives on local diplomacy and a proactive approach to international integration. At the Mayors' Conference, participants discussed and reached consensus on leveraging local diplomacy to attract technological resources and talent, with a view to building a modern urban ecosystem and promoting sustainable growth. The participating localities also proposed a range of solutions to encourage businesses to invest in research and development (R&D), commercialize innovation outcomes, and strengthen the role of local governments in advancing port cooperation and meeting next-generation sustainability standards.

One notable outcome was the participants' support for an initiative to study a city-level multilateral cooperation mechanism on seaports, with the aim of creating a regular forum for exchanging experience, sharing data, expanding connections and coordination among ports, as well as broadening markets and connecting supply chains to meet next-generation sustainability standards.

A New Profile for a City with Deep-Water Seaports

Since July 1, 2025, following its merger with Binh Duong and Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Ho Chi Minh City has entered a new stage of development, covering more than 6,770 km² and home to a population of over 14 million. The expanded City brings together three of Viet Nam's most dynamic growth poles: a financial, commercial, services, science and technology hub in the core urban area; a high-tech industrial manufacturing base in the Binh Duong area; and a deep-water port system, marine economy, energy sector and coastal tourism in the Vung Tau area. This expanded development space is reinforced by an important legal framework, including the Law on Urban Development adopted by the National Assembly on August 24, 2026, and Politburo Resolution No. 09-NQ/TW dated May 19, 2026, on the building and development of Ho Chi Minh City in the new era, which sets targets for GRDP per capita of USD 14,000 by 2030 and USD 75,000 by 2045.

Local diplomacy serves as an important channel for the City to translate this development potential into tangible resources: connecting with international financial centers and attracting experts and high-tech capital to the core urban area; promoting investment, technology transfer and supply-chain expansion for the Binh Duong industrial area; and creating a forum for multilateral port cooperation, sharing experience in green port governance and connecting the Vung Tau marine economic area with global logistics chains.

Ho Chi Minh City currently maintains an extensive network of local-level external relations, with friendship and cooperation ties with 88 foreign localities and nearly 20 international organizations and partners across the continents. The City is also a major destination for foreign direct investment, with more than 20,000 active FDI projects, making an important contribution to technology capital flows and national development resources. In the first six months of 2026, the City's economy reached nearly USD 60 billion, its highest level in the past 10 years, contributing nearly 25% of national GDP and more than 30% of total state budget revenue.

Strategic infrastructure of regional significance continues to reinforce the City's development position. The Cai Mep - Thi Vai port cluster is currently the largest deep-water seaport complex in southern Viet Nam and ranks 19th globally in its capacity to accommodate mainline vessels. With an average depth of 14 meters, it can receive vessels of up to 250,000 DWT. In addition, Phu My 3 Specialized Industrial Park - a representative model of cooperation between the Governments of Viet Nam and Japan - is being developed along ecological and industrial-symbiosis principles, meeting stringent ESG and sustainable-development standards. These strategic advantages are generating new momentum, strengthening the City's internal capacity and enhancing its ability to attract high-tech and green-industry resources for future development.

The successful organization of the FD 2026 not only demonstrates the City's capacity for modern urban governance and opens a direct channel for attracting high-quality investment, green technologies and advanced logistics, but also contributes to Viet Nam a model of effective local diplomacy. It reflects the City's pioneering role in the coordinated and effective implementation of the country's foreign policy at the local level, in line with the principle that foreign affairs are a key and regular task; thereby enhancing Viet Nam's international standing and helping advance the goal of making the country a reliable link in global value chains.

For more information, visit the FD 2026 website.