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During the 2020–2025 term, Hai Phong successfully implemented a smart economic diplomacy strategy, proactively expanding its development space. The city not only effectively attracted foreign direct investment (FDI) but also elevated its brand and affirmed its position on the international stage.
The mark of creation
After years of effort, Hai Phong has achieved a solid foundation in both economy and infrastructure, which has become its “capital” to confidently integrate globally. This was clearly evident during the 2020–2025 term, when Hai Phong was no longer a city waiting for opportunities to come, but one that actively created them by attracting investment and expanding cooperation with 44 countries and territories.
Specifically, in 2023 and 2024, high-level delegations from Hai Phong, led by Secretary of the city Party Committee Le Tien Chau, carried out investment promotion activities and expanded strategic cooperation in Japan, the US, China, and South Korea.
As of August 2025, South Korea ranks first in terms of total investment in Hai Phong, with about 16 billion USD and hundreds of projects. These investment promotion trips contributed significantly to the former Hai Phong city’s foreign investment results in the 2021–2025 period, reaching 20.2 billion USD, 1.89 times higher than the previous term.
Upholding a pioneering role, the leadership of the former Hai Duong province also led numerous delegations to attract foreign investment, bringing in many projects with strong economic potential, high technology, and clean technology. During the 2021–2025 period, the province achieved remarkable results in economic diplomacy, attracting 3.85 billion USD in FDI. Cumulatively, before the merger with Hai Phong city, Hai Duong lured more than 11 billion USD in FDI from 27 countries and territories, with many high-tech projects, creating jobs for hundreds of thousands of workers.
After the merger, by the end of August 2025, the new Hai Phong city had attracted about 997 FDI projects with a total investment of approximately 42.2 billion USD.
Other highlights in foreign economic relations include the establishment of cooperative and friendly relations with 31 localities worldwide, including strategic partners such as the US, Japan, China, South Korea, France, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
Over the past five years, the city has welcomed more than 1,000 international delegations, including many heads of state and leaders of major economic corporations. It has also signed 61 international cooperation agreements, focusing on key sectors such as seaport development, logistics, digital transformation, and green growth.
Focus on “blue economic diplomacy”
Speaking at the Hai Phong Investment Promotion Conference, held in July within the framework of the third APEC Business Advisory Council Meeting (ABAC III), which brought together leaders and businesses from 21 member economies and ambassadors from leading global economies, President Luong Cuong emphasized: “We welcome investors from Asia, Europe, the Americas, and APEC economies who have chosen Hai Phong as the place to implement large-scale projects, from supporting industries, electronics production, high technology, to innovation centers and smart logistics services. This event is not only significant for Hai Phong, but also a strong message of Vietnam’s proactive and comprehensive integration, development aspirations, and commitment to improving its investment environment.”
Hai Phong is experiencing its most dynamic development phase to date. Achievements in economic growth, investment attraction, and seaport–logistics infrastructure have established a strong position for the city on Vietnam’s economic map. Although FDI inflows have been large in recent years, it is now time for the city to shift from “attracting” to “selecting” investment. A smart foreign relations strategy will enable the city to proactively approach, promote, and draw projects in core technologies, green technologies, clean energy, and R&D centers, rather than merely attracting processing and assembly projects.
This is also a highlight in Hai Phong’s foreign affairs development strategy toward 2030. On this basis, the city Department of Foreign Affairs has set specific goals, such as increasing the number of international delegations to Hai Phong by at least 30% compared to the previous term, focusing on international enterprises, corporations, and organizations, and signing at least five international agreements in the city’s priority sectors.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has also outlined many specific breakthrough tasks and solutions in economic diplomacy to achieve the set objectives for the 2025–2030 term. In particular, Hai Phong will integrate “green criteria” into all diplomatic activities, with a focus on “blue economic diplomacy.”
Leveraging its seaport advantage, Hai Phong will continue to take the lead in seeking international partners to develop sustainable marine industries and selectively attract FDI projects applying advanced, high value-added technologies.
These breakthrough solutions will help Hai Phong not only attract high-quality FDI but also affirm its position as a smart, green, and sustainable port city of the future, continuing to maintain and elevate its standing on the international stage.
AN PHUC
