On the morning of April 23, Mr. Do Manh Hien, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Hai Phong Party Committee, and Mr. Le Anh Quan, Standing Vice Chairman of the Hai Phong People’s Committee, hosted a working session with the delegation from the Singapore Embassy in Vietnam and young Singaporean leaders. The delegation was led by Mr. Jaya Ratnam, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Singapore to Vietnam.
Also attending the meeting were Ms. Ho Moon Shin, Director of the Communications and Engagement Division under the Singapore Ministry of Health; officials from various Singaporean ministries, government agencies, and the Singapore Embassy; and leaders from relevant Hai Phong departments and agencies.
Welcoming the delegation to Hai Phong, Mr. Do Manh Hien highlighted the positive progress in cooperation between Hai Phong and Singapore in recent years, particularly in delegation exchanges, investment, trade, and education-training. He expressed hope that the visit would serve as a bridge between the young leaders of Singapore and Hai Phong, fostering new opportunities, mutual understanding, and stronger collaboration. Hai Phong is always ready to promote practical cooperation initiatives and looks forward to sharing and receiving support from Singapore, especially in areas of mutual strength and interest, contributing to further development of the Singapore–Hai Phong relationship.
Speaking at the meeting, Vice Chairman Le Anh Quan introduced key socio-economic achievements of Hai Phong in the past year. Known for its expansive and modern development space, Hai Phong boasts great potential in logistics, with all five modes of transportation. The city is home to the largest seaport system in northern Vietnam, including Lach Huyen Port—one of the world’s top 20 deep-water ports capable of accommodating vessels up to 200,000 tons.
Hai Phong has identified three economic pillars: high-tech industry, seaports-logistics, and tourism-commerce. The city has consistently maintained double-digit growth and is among the fastest-growing localities in Vietnam. As one of the top destinations for foreign investors, as of March 2025, Hai Phong had attracted 96 projects from Singaporean investors with a total investment of approximately USD 3.7 billion. The VSIP Industrial Park, established in 2020, stands as a key symbol of Vietnam–Singapore cooperation in Hai Phong.
Currently, 14 industrial parks have been established in Hai Phong, most of which are already filled. Moving forward, the city plans to develop 20 more industrial parks covering over 7,000 hectares, in line with its approved planning.
Hai Phong has four universities offering 49 undergraduate programs, 17 master’s programs, 8 doctoral programs, and 39 vocational education institutions. The city also leads the country in implementing social welfare policies, such as tuition exemptions for students at all levels, free vocational training, and expanded development of social housing projects.
With a rich cultural and historical heritage, distinctive cuisine, and famous tourist destinations, Hai Phong continues to attract visitors and international friends. Vice Chairman Le Anh Quan expressed hope that the visit would provide Singaporean delegates with meaningful experiences and a deeper understanding of Hai Phong’s development potential and cooperation opportunities.
Ambassador Jaya Ratnam thanked Hai Phong leaders for the warm reception and highly appreciated the city’s socio-economic development strategy, especially the development of the Lach Huyen deep-water port. He also shared areas in which Singapore could support Hai Phong in the future, such as developing next-generation free trade zones, expanding the VSIP Industrial Park to attract more foreign investors, and other collaborative initiatives.
During the program, young Singaporean leaders posed various questions to Hai Phong officials, focusing on foreign investment attraction, green economic development, and proactive responses to climate change. Representatives from Hai Phong’s departments and sectors provided detailed responses to the issues raised by the young Singaporean delegates.