Diplomacy paves way for Hai Phong's development

Connecting resources, advancing cooperation

According to Tran Thi Quynh Trang, Director of the Hai Phong Department of Foreign Affairs, over the past time, the city's external affairs have been carried out in a coordinated and effective manner, closely aligned with the Party's foreign policy and guidelines and directions of both Central and city authorities. As a result, diplomacy has become an increasingly important driver contributing to effective implementation of the city's socio-economic development tasks.

Party diplomacy has been strengthened through exchanges and meetings with leaders and delegations at home and abroad. Highlights include meetings between the Hai Phong Party Secretary and the Deputy Prime Minister of Laos; receptions of courtesy calls from Laos’ Vientiane and Oudomxay delegations; participation in the annual Spring Gathering of Party Secretaries from Vietnamese provinces and cities and China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region; and the signing of minutes following talks with provincial and regional Party leaders from Guangxi, alongside many other significant diplomatic activities.

In the first seven months of 2026, Hai Phong welcomed nearly 200 international delegations, with more than 3,300 visitors from 40 countries and territories.

Building on these growing international relationships, the city has closely integrated diplomacy with investment promotion, business connectivity, and international resource mobilization through overseas missions led by city leaders to participate in multilateral conferences and forums. A notable example was a recent working visit to South Korea led by Do Thanh Trung, Chairman of the City People's Committee. The mission combined diplomatic engagement with business dialogue, investment promotion, and the exploration of new cooperation opportunities.

Hai Phong has also organized cooperation forums and investment promotion conferences, awarding investment registration certificates in the presence of numerous businesses, investors, and industry experts.

Creating opportunities, opening new pathways

In the new development phase, Hai Phong is reshaping its approach to investment promotion to improve the effectiveness of FDI attraction.

According to Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee Hoang Minh Cuong, diplomacy has evolved from simply establishing relationships to delivering concrete outcomes, from signing cooperation agreements to implementing projects and attracting real investment.

Before each diplomatic mission, the Department of Foreign Affairs works closely with the Economic Zone Authority to identify priority sectors, localities, and potential investors that align with the city's development strategy. As a result, overseas missions are carefully prepared, combining multiple objectives while pursuing tangible outcomes such as memoranda of understanding, project promotion, and investor engagement.

Hai Phong is also shifting from an investment model driven primarily by preferential policies to one built upon a comprehensive investment ecosystem. The city is expanding infrastructure, creating new development space, building economic zones, industrial parks, and a free trade zone, while introducing a range of competitive preferential mechanisms and policies.

According to Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee Hoang Minh Cuong, external affairs have become a key pillar contributing to maintaining Hai Phong's 11 consecutive years of double-digit economic growth.

As the city expands its development space and pursues ambitious growth targets, diplomacy is playing an increasingly vital role in broadening partnerships, attracting resources, and generating new momentum for development.

BUI HANH