On the morning of April 17, Chairman of the Hai Phong People’s Committee, Mr. Nguyễn Văn Tùng, hosted and worked with a Chinese delegation consisting of scholars, experts, and business representatives, led by Professor Tao Yidao, Director of the Research Center for Special Economic Zones at Shenzhen University (China). Attending the meeting were leaders from relevant departments, the Hai Phong Economic Zone Authority, and Hai Phong University.
Welcoming the delegation, the Chairman of the People’s Committee introduced key achievements in Hai Phong’s recent socio-economic development, affirming the city's stable and favorable investment environment, as well as the strong support from city leaders and departments for investors. He also highlighted that Vietnam and China are currently cooperating on the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong railway project, which will enhance bilateral connectivity.
During the meeting, Chairman Nguyễn Văn Tùng proposed that Professor Tao Yidao support promoting cooperation between Hai Phong and Guangdong Province (China) in areas such as investment, trade, education, and high-quality human resource training. He also encouraged the connection of Chinese enterprises to explore cooperation and investment opportunities in Hai Phong. In particular, he expressed his hope that the professor and accompanying businesses would assist in promoting the launch of a direct Hai Phong – Shenzhen flight route to meet the growing travel demand of investors in the city.
Furthermore, he suggested exploring cooperation to help Hai Phong organize training programs for city officials to study and exchange knowledge on free trade zones at Shenzhen University. The Chairman also invited the attending Chinese enterprises to consider specific investment projects in Hai Phong, and expressed a strong interest in hearing ideas, recommendations, and proposals from Professor Tao Yidao and the delegation to help effectively attract Chinese investors—especially in the fields of science and technology, clean energy, and cross-border trade.
On behalf of the delegation, Professor Tao Yidao expressed sincere thanks for the warm reception by the city leaders. He affirmed his belief that, following the merger of Hai Phong and Hai Duong, the newly formed entity will become a competitive and attractive economic cluster. The professor expressed great interest in learning more about Hai Phong’s urban planning and new policies to better support Chinese enterprises in identifying investment opportunities—especially in smart city development and digital transformation, which are strengths of many Chinese firms. Professor Tao Yidao also cordially invited Hai Phong leaders and local businesses to visit Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, to further deepen mutual understanding and exchange.