In January 2025, the Politburo issued Resolution No. 59-NQ/TW, a landmark directive titled "International Integration in the New Situation." For Hai Phong, a critical port city and a driver of Northern Vietnam’s growth, this resolution was not merely a set of instructions but a strategic imperative to redefine its position on the global stage. Over the past year, under the city's comprehensive Plan No. 316/KH-UBND, Hai Phong has transitioned from a recipient of foreign investment to a proactive participant in high-tech diplomacy, cultural branding, and sustainable governance.
The city’s success began with a fundamental shift in mindset. Departments across the city, from Justice to Science and Technology, have integrated Resolution 59 into their annual core missions. The Department of Justice, for instance, issued plan which defined eight specific task groups ranging from legal institutional refinement to international dispute resolution. This proactive stance ensured that 100% of party members and officials were briefed on the "new integration" mindset, moving away from passive compliance toward active strategic foresight.
II. Economic Integration: Selective Attraction and Global Logistics
Hai Phong continues to be a "magnet" for global capital, but with a new emphasis on quality over quantity. In the first five months of 2026, the city attracted approximately $1.9 billion in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), a significant increase from the $1.34 billion recorded in the same period of 2025. As of mid-2026, the city hosts 1,838 active FDI projects from 42 countries, totaling $52.8 billion in registered capital.
However, the nature of these investments is changing. Guided by Resolution 59, Hai Phong is prioritizing projects involving core technologies, clean energy, and the circular economy. The city is currently finalizing the scheme for the Hai Phong Free Trade Zone and a specialized Economic Zone, which aim to create breakthrough institutional environments for international trade. Furthermore, the Department of Industry and Trade is leading a plan to transform Hai Phong into a modern international logistics hub connected to global maritime routes, utilizing real-time data sharing across ports, customs, and transport agencies.
III. Science, Technology, and the Digital Frontier
A cornerstone of Resolution 59 is the mastery of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Hai Phong has positioned itself as a pioneer in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and high-tech manufacturing. Significant milestones include:
- HP-KIST Tech Hub: Through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), the city is establishing a research and development hub focused on semiconductors and mobility.
- AI Cooperation with China: The city signed a deepening cooperation agreement with the Nanning Data Bureau (Guangxi, China) to apply AI across various industrial sectors and train a new generation of "digital-age" talent.
- The Startup Ecosystem: Learning from the Osaka Innovation Hub (Japan) and TTA (Taiwan), Hai Phong is building an international-standard startup ecosystem, inviting global accelerators and venture capital funds to support local tech firms.
Integration has also reached the realm of culture and tourism. The recognition of the Cat Ba Archipelago as a World Natural Heritage site triggered a tourism boom, with visitor numbers in early 2024 increasing by 115%. The city is currently leveraging "Green Tourism” (Du lịch Xanh) as a competitive edge, focusing on plastic-free campaigns in Lan Ha Bay to attract high-spending tourists from Europe and North America.
Beyond natural beauty, Hai Phong is aggressively building its cultural brand:
- Music City: The city is implementing a plan to join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) as a "Music City," positioning music as the "soft infrastructure" of the urban environment.
- Historical Recognition: Dossiers are being finalized for UNESCO to honor cultural icons such as Nguyen Binh Khiem and the Great Physician Tue Tinh, alongside the designation of Cheo art as an intangible cultural heritage.
- Digital Heritage: Projects are underway to build a "Digital Museum" and 3D virtual tours of heritage sites, integrated with an AI Chatbot for 24/7 tourist support.
Resolution 59’s impact is perhaps most visible in the sectors directly affecting citizen well-being:
- Global Learning City: The Department of Education and Training aims to make Hai Phong a member of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities. By 2030, 100% of primary students are expected to reach A1 English proficiency, and 70% of high school students will be able to communicate effectively in a foreign language at level 3 of the competency framework.
- Regional Medical Center: The city is developing into a regional healthcare hub for the Northern Coastal Area. This includes high-tech training collaborations with hospitals in France, Italy, and South Korea, focusing on infectious diseases and the use of AI in advanced medical imaging.
- Net Zero Ambitions: In collaboration with Kobe (Japan), Hai Phong is piloting a "Carbon Neutral City" project. This includes inventorying greenhouse gas emissions and developing a carbon credit exchange mechanism to meet national Net Zero goals by 2050.
Integration in the new situation requires a robust defensive posture. The city has hosted visits from the Royal Netherlands Navy and top U.S. naval officials, fostering international trust and regional stability. Simultaneously, the Department of Justice has ensured that local policies—especially those concerning land recovery and the Free Trade Zone—are strictly compatible with Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and international investment treaties.
VII. Limitations and Strategic Bottlenecks
Despite these accomplishments, several "bottlenecks" remain that could hinder long-term progress:
- Human Resource Scarcity: There is a notable shortage of officials specialized in international law, high-level negotiation, and legal English. Most integration tasks are currently performed by personnel working concurrently across multiple roles.
- Infrastructure Gaps: Traffic congestion, particularly ferry delays to major tourist destinations like Cat Ba, limits the ability to exploit high-end international tours.
- Fragmented Data: Efforts to build "Big Data" or "Super Apps" for tourism and logistics face challenges due to data fragmentation between different departments.
- Evolving Standards: Rapidly changing global standards for green transformation (ESG), digital economies, and labor rights place immense pressure on local businesses to adapt quickly.
VIII. Future Expectations and the 2026–2030 Roadmap
As Hai Phong enters the next phase of Resolution 59, expectations are focused on achieving substantive and sustainable integration. The city's key priorities for the 2026–2030 period include:
- HP-KIST Implementation: Realizing the HP-KIST Tech Hub to commercialize high-tech solutions for Vietnamese enterprises.
- Infrastructure Breakthroughs: Investing in smart parking, large-capacity ferries, and high-speed passenger vessels to ease pressure on the Cat Ba gateway.
- Unified Digital Governance: Centralizing digital projects under a single authority to ensure that tourism apps and logistics platforms are seamlessly integrated and commercially viable.
- Specialized Personnel Training: Intensifying training in international litigation and contract drafting to build a "transparent and reliable legal gateway" for foreign investors.
The first year of implementing Resolution 59 in Hai Phong has been a testament to the city’s resilience and strategic ambition. By blending economic selective attraction with cultural soft power and high-tech innovation, Hai Phong is not just following a national mandate—it is actively shaping its future as a modern, civilized, and sustainable international port city. While challenges in human resources and infrastructure persist, the city's clear roadmap and commitment to "Loyalty, Creativity, and Responsibility" provide a solid foundation for the era of deep global integration.