On December 18, 2021, the first National Foreign Affairs Conference took place with the 31st diplomatic meeting series, the 20th National Foreign Affairs Conference and completed with many successful, profound and substantive results. On this occasion, General Secretary Mr. Nguyen PhuTrong emphasized the flexibility of Vietnam's diplomacy sector, the unique methodology of diplomacy imbued with the identity of "Vietnamese bamboo” as "solid roots, strong body, flexible branches", making a worthy contribution to maintaining the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity. This is a peaceful remedy to prevent conflicts and promote the "soft power" of the Vietnamese nation. Also on this occasion, HaiPhong Department of Foreign Affairs advised HaiPhong City Party Committee to discuss and include in the summary record of the Conference. HaiPhong City Multilingual External Relations Portal would like to introduce the full content of Presentation:"HaiPhong City with the implementation of Foreign Affairs Policy in accordance with the 13th National Party Congress: Opportunities, challenges and directions in the coming period“.
The National Conference on Foreign Affairs to implement the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress is an opportunity to review the achievements and limitations that still exist in the foreign affairs sector of the whole country and localities. On that basis, it will discuss and propose directions and measures to effectively carry out key foreign affairs tasks to implement the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress. This is an important conference not only of the diplomatic sector but also of entire national forces working in foreign affairs sector to recognize and promote "the pioneering role of foreign affairs in building and safeguarding a peaceful and stable environment, mobilizing external resources for the country’s development, and enhancing the country's position and prestige”. This is also very meaningful conference because it was held in the context of taking place many important events of the country, the first year of implementing the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, the national strategy of 10-year socio-economic development in the period of 2021-2030 and the resolutions of National Assembly and localities on 5-year development plan in the period of 2021-2025.
The year 2021 is ending in the context of the complicated situation of Covid-19 pandemic with the emergence of new virus variants such as Omicron …which recently threaten to the prospects for a sustainable recovery of the global economy. However, in general, the world economy and trade are showing signs of recovery and prosperity, but the pace is still very slow. The pandemic has disrupted many global production and supply chains, pushed up inflation, and raw material prices in many places causing the problem of human resources. Major economies are showing signs of slow growth with the increase of inflationary pressures and public debt.
Our country and many other countries are also promoting economic linkages on both bilateral and multilateral levels to create more impetus for economy recovery. Free trade agreements, especially EVFTA, CPTPP, and RCEP are gradually opening new chapters that promise to strongly promote cross-border trade in the coming time, especially after the time of pushing back the epidemic. Macro-economy continued to keep stability and started to have better development in the whole country. However, the 4th wave outbreak of Covid-19 epidemic also seriously affected the lives and health of people as well as production and business activities in many localities throughout the country.
Faced with that situation, the Party Committee, Authority, Army and People of HaiPhong City with the highest determination have actively and proactively implemented the "dual goals" of preventing, fighting epidemics and protecting people's health, while recovering and developing socio-economic, ensuring people's lives. In those efforts, HaiPhong's foreign affairs has actively and creatively cooperated with the whole country to synchronously, comprehensively and effectively implement foreign affairs activities, continuously maintained and strengthened the cooperation relationship with foreign organizations, partners and localities, created favorable conditions for foreign experts and investors to enter the country to maintain and restore production and business. At the same time, the City also promoted and effectively implemented cultural diplomacy, foreign information, consular and citizen protection; actively supported and created favorable conditions for stability and development of expatriates; continuously contributed to the City and the Country.
Photo: The city’s leaders congratulated LG Display Company on expanding investment in HaiPhong in August 2021,
source: https://haiphong.gov.vn/
The result of attracting foreign investment was one of outstanding bright strips stretching in foreign affairs sector of HaiPhong City over the past time. Along with multi-layer, drastic and effective epidemic prevention and control, the City always proactively conducted "one step ahead” to create safety and absolute trust for investors; Investment promotion activities were also greatly promoted, and the time of handling administrative procedures was significantly shortened by the City. The time of settling investment procedures, granting investment registration certificates of some large projects were reduced in just 3-5 days. This has intentionally created confidence in a safe, friendly and attractive investment environment. Thereby, in 2021, HaiPhong's FDI attraction will reach approximately 3.13 billion USD, an increase of 91.44% compared to 2020, reaching over 13% of the total attraction value of the whole country, bringing the total capital of valid FDI projects to over 22.5 billion USD. Notably, LG Display has raised its total investment capital in HaiPhong to 4.65 billion USD, and many foreign satellite and supporting businesses have also increased investment and expansion in HaiPhong.
Regarding ODA, in 2021, the City was deploying a total investment of over 11,000 billion VND, of which ODA capital was over 5,000 billion VND from World Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency, Korean Government... These projects contributed to helping the City to build a synchronous and modern technical - transport - urban infrastructure system with the vision of bringing "new vitality" for developing, accessing and catching the investment wave after the pandemic. This factor together with FDI capital has had a direct impact on increasing the output of exporting goods to 25.11 billion USD, up 23.19%, approximately 01/10 of total value of the country's turnover. Up to now, HaiPhong has commercial cooperation relations with 126 countries and territories around the world. Cargo through ports in 2021 will reach 150 million tons, up 7.35% in comparison with 2020. HaiPhong Port is currently the leading modern deep-water port of the country, able to receive ships of up to 150,000 tons, plays an important role in international freight transport, a vivid illustration showing the level and position of international integration of the City which is becoming more and more extensive and comprehensive.
Photo: HaiPhong seaport - a vivid illustration showing the level and position of international integration of the City which is becoming more and more extensive and comprehensive, source: https://baodautu.vn/
Local-level cooperation is always paid high attention, contributing to removing bottlenecks in the harmonious combination of interests based on the foundation of "substantive cooperation, win-win outcome". Up to now, HaiPhong has established, maintained and promoted close cooperation and connection with 23 localities and territories in 13 countries around the world, in which many cities have successfully built sister relationships with many bilateral projects implemented such as: Project on promoting carbon-free eco-industrial parks in cooperation with Kitakyushu, Project on reducing plastic waste at sea in cooperation with Kagawa, Project on cooperating and supporting the application of Biwa Lake model for management of Cat Ba archipelago and surrounding area of Shiga Province (Japan),... In the context of global pandemic, foreign affairs has created momentum to convert from in-person diplomatic forms to online diplomatic forms with international imprint, and comprehensive cooperation maintenance. From 2019 to now, the City has signed 12 international agreements, of which there are 04typical city-level agreements, namely: Memorandum of Understanding on establishing friendly cooperation relations between HaiPhong City People's Committee and Ningbo City People's Government (China), Memorandum of Understanding on promoting educational and cultural exchanges with Korean Embassy in Vietnam, Memorandum of Understanding on developing LNG gas power project in HaiPhong with ExxonMobil partners.
Photo: Signing Ceremony of Memorandum of Understanding on promoting educational and cultural exchanges in HaiPhong between HaiPhong City People's Committee and Korean Embassy in Vietnam, Source: HaiPhong Department of Foreign Affairs.
In multilateral connection, the City strengthened cooperation with international organizations with the role of responsible and active member. The City participated in conferences, cooperation programs and regular activities with Asian Local Government Network Organization (CityNet), Asia-Pacific Cities Tourism Promotion Organization (TPO), World Council on City Management Data (WCCD), became a member of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World (MBBW) Club in 2020, connected the Annual Conference on International Road Transport between Vietnam and China to promote the recovery of international road transport. HaiPhongalsocontinuously participated effectively and qualitatively in a number of other organizations/forums such as: WeGO, CDIA, UN-Habitat...
In addition, foreign non-governmental aid mobilization has been paid attention, promoted and maintained to attract resources. Currently, HaiPhong City has cooperative relations with 60 international organizations and foreign non-governmental organizations.In the period from 2018 up to now, 43 projects and non-projects have been implemented in the city area with total committed value of 22.1 million USD, and disbursement value of 14.2 million USD. Some typical programs and projects are: Program on Ngo Quyen District Regional Development funded by World Vision Organization with total value of 1.58 million USD; Project on reducing disaster risks in HaiPhong City funded by Prudence Fund of Prudential Asia Group; Project on Initiative for disaster preparedness and response between Vietnam and US sister cities funded by PWA; Project on HaiPhong City Development Support Program sponsored by Action Aid International in Vietnam...
Cultural diplomacy and external information activities had innovation and creativity in appropriate approaches in the context of the epidemic, linked the promotion of the land and people of HaiPhong City with investment, trade and tourism promotion. The City built a tourism product of “01 tour 02 countries 06 destinations" between Vietnam and China, implemented a tourism development cooperation agreement with Vietnam Airlines Corporation (VNA), and promoted traditional products and the city's images through external gifts. Particularly, in 2021, HaiPhong completed the application and field acceptance to nominate Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Islands as a World Natural Heritage for submission to UNESCOwith 4 criteria of aesthetics, geology and geomorphology, ecosystem diversity and species diversity. This is a particularly important milestone to build a strategic "airway" for the recovery and "take-off" of tourism industry as well as the city-wide service economy in the post-pandemic period. In addition, the city's position, image and development environment continued to be widely promoted and locally and internationally marketed at various levels and forms of cooperation. The City cooperated with Brest (France), Incheon (Korea), Kunming, Nanning (China), ... to organize digital exhibitions, promote investment, cuisine, and culture; strengthened cooperation with domestic and international news agencies and press; published Bilingual Foreign Affairs Newsletter, opened HaiPhong Multilingual External Relations Portal providing news in 5 languages to approach a large number of readers, international friends, domestic and foreign investors.
Photo: The City worked with UNESCO expert delegation to appraise the new World Natural Heritage documents of Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Islands in November 2021, before submitting to the General Assembly for approval in 2022, Source: Management Board of Natural Heritage of Cat Ba Islands.
The work of overseas Vietnamese in recent years has been effectively implemented, encouraging overseas Vietnamese to return their homeland. The City deployed a survey project on HaiPhong people living abroad and their relatives in the country, a project on proposing some solutions to promote the resources of HaiPhong people abroad until 2030; continuously supported citizens, overseas Vietnamese of HaiPhong who are stuck abroad due to Covid-19 epidemic to return home. Many businesses established by expatriates continue to maintain profitable production and business.In particular, the total value of remittances in the period of 2016-2020 reached about 1.61 billion USD, an increase of 69.12% compared to the period of 2011-2015. In only 2019, the amount of remittances reached 409 million USD (about 9,000 billion VND), equivalent to one-third of the city's total domestic revenue in the same year. In 2021, despite the pandemic, the remittance value still reached over 208 million USD. This foreign currency flow has made an important contribution to support the recovery of the private economy, households for investment, reproduction and business.
Photo: The resources of HaiPhong people abroad are being increasingly, actively and effectively promoted for the cause of the city's construction and development, especially in the current context of epidemic prevention and control. Source: HaiPhong Association for Liaison with Overseas Vietnamese
External management activities have been improved effectively and put into order. The City continued to strictly direct the implementation of Decision No.674-QD/TU dated September 18, 2017 of Standing Committee of the City Party Committee on implementing Decision No. 272-QD/TW dated January 21, 2015 of the 11th Politburo on promulgating the Regulation on unified management of foreign affairs. The City Party Committee and the City People's Committee promulgated decisions and directives on management of outgoing delegations, diplomatic and official passports, international conferences and seminars in order to seriously implement Conclusion No. 33-KL/TW dated July 25, 2018 of the 12th Politburo on continuing the implementation of Regulation No.272.
The delegation exchanges were carried out effectively and deeply. In early 2019, the City closely coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and central foreign affairs agencies to organize a solemn reception for the high-ranking delegation of Democratic People's Republic of Korea to visit and work within the framework of the 2nd US-North Korea Summit, which was recognized and highly appreciated by the Central Committee. During the epidemic outbreak, the City minimized the organization of delegations, but still ensured the safe, secure, cooperative and effective results of reception, discussion, and working with diplomatic delegations, investment promotion delegations of other countries.
Foreign affairs and people-to-people friendship continued to closely follow Directive No.04-CT/TW dated July 6, 2011 and Directive No.38-CT/TW dated September 19, 2019 of the Secretariat. The City practically organized friendship exchange programs, meetings with friends from other countries on even-numbered-year or round-year occasions to celebrate the establishment of diplomatic relations; annually organized a series of English, Japanese, and Korean language festivals; strengthened people-to-people cooperation in the fields of education, culture, health care, science and technology contributing to support growth goals; strengthened to propagandize the policies of the Party and State on sovereignty of sea and islands; maintained the management of national sea borders and territories. Consular works and citizen protection have been implemented in a timely and methodical manner contributing to ensuring social order and security, protecting the legitimate interests of the city's citizens abroad.
It can be affirmed that the above-mentioned results are thanks to the close, regular and favorable companionship, guidance, and facilitation of the central foreign affairs agencies, especially the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Central Commission for Foreign Affairs. Besides, on the city side, there are the flexible and close direction of Standing Committee of the City Party Committee, the City People's Council and the City People's Committee. In particular, those results have the very important contribution of Department of Foreign Affairs and the city's external staffs with enthusiasm, responsibility, high professional qualifications and the desire of dedication and services.
However, the foreign affairs of HaiPhong City in the coming time also have some limitations that need to be overcome such as: Due to epidemic, many delegation exchange activities could not be guaranteed according to the plan, the implementation of foreign cultural activities and people-to-people friendship was also postponed or canceled; some international agreements were behind schedule; quantity and quality of officials working in foreign affairs sector was still limited, and not commensurate with the tasks; the awareness of all levels, branches, units and localities about foreign affairs was sometimes incomplete, so the coordination in implementing foreign programs was sometimes still not smooth, rhythmic, and tight. In addition, the total value of foreign investment attraction was still quite low in comparison with the potentials and demands; especially the amount of annual ODA attraction was still limited, not meeting the goals and demands of increasing total investment capital of whole society. Foreign affairs have not closely followed and comprehensively supported the promotion of synchronous and modern transport infrastructure including the construction of a specialized international transshipment port, the upgrading and connection of railways in the economic corridor of 5 Vietnam - China provinces. The strategic research and situation forecast have not been really proactive to keep up with the rapid and complicated changes of situations. The training and fostering foreign affairs officials for localities and units have not been paid much attention and have not met the requirements of building foreign affairs official teams with brave, professional, and visionary virtues in the period of comprehensive international integration.
In the coming years, the global economic recovery is forecasted to have many different bright and dark pictures, the prospect of Covid-19 epidemic is being controlled, but still has many existing barriers, especially the appearance of new variations without final evolution will continue to be the lurking threats to prevent the reconstruction of global trade, At the same time, the instability of leading economies, trade war, decrease of raw material supply, inflation and public debt are challenges hindering the recovery of national and local economies.
In addition, the trend of global, domestic and inter-local competition put pressure on localities as if they do not want to be left behind, they have to self-innovate,improve their competitiveness at all levels, enhance business environment, reduce negative impacts, promote administrative reform, renew appropriate, timely and effective policies towards sustainability in the new period, especially the post-pandemic period, when the needs for investment, development, goods and services can explode after a period of repression and suppression to prevent epidemics.
External economic activities of HaiPhong as well as many other localities also faced new challenges. As a city with a leading index of industrial development and a central seaport in the country, the commodity exports make an important contribution to the city's economy. Facing the concern of increasing protectionism in many countries, especially in large markets, the existing trade war among major countries will greatly affect the city’s economic development. In addition, the City must also actively balance the investment attraction strategy as "two hands" in the combination between attracting investment, enhancing domestic enterprises and developing the foreign investment.
On the other hand, the development of science and technology is also posing new problems for foreign trade and investment. The capacity for innovation and creativity along with markets, internal scientific and technological resources of the City has not really been developed enough to be able to comprehensively approach high-tech production, investment, and trade activities with foreign factors and supporting industry sectors. Simultaneously, the quantity and quality of external human resources have not met the requirements of tasks, and in some places, there is still confusion in concertizing guidelines and policies on foreign affairs and international economic integration. The high-quality human resources for the development of the city's key economic sectors including high-tech industry, tourism, seaports and logistics are also the challenging problems for the City and local foreign affairs in the current period of comprehensive international integration.
In addition, due to the complicated fluctuations of situation, the changes in comparison of forces, the calculations of countries involved, the emergences of unilateralism, the lacks of respecting international laws, with defense position for Hanoi capital, an important traffic hub and main gateway of the northern provinces; therefore, the external relation tasks to strengthen sovereignty protection and border security of sea and island areas also face a number of new challenges.
Besides, HaiPhong City also has great and favorable opportunities on the way of development. Those are:
With the role and position as the main gate to the sea of the North, a leading locality of the Northern Key Economic Zone and whole country, HaiPhong has always received the comprehensive attention and direct supports of the Party Central Committee, Politburo, Secretariat, National Assembly, Government, Central Committees, Ministries, other provinces and cities, especially Resolution No.45-NQ/TW of the Politburo confirmed a vision to 2030 as turning HaiPhong into a "modern, smart and sustainable industrial city of Southeast Asia" and “a city with a high level of development in the group of leading cities in Asia and the world”. This is a great opportunity for HaiPhong to become a leading development city in the region and the world in the coming decades. In addition, the attention, support, accompaniment and facilitation of the Central Government and external agencies in the implementation of key foreign policy strategies, programs and plans helps the City to increase accessible ability to preferential loans, establish friendly cooperation and international investment.
On the other hand, peace, cooperation and development are still a big trend in the world situation, the national foreign diplomacy space is increasing, creating premise and opportunities for localities, especially cities with strong growth momentum like HaiPhong to promote and expand cooperation markets and strengthen international connections. HaiPhong is also one of the localities with many potentials and strengths in the comprehensive international integration strategy, from its geographical location, foundation for cooperative relations establishments, development history to the city's external strategies, policies and programs in order to realize the philosophy of "always ready to be a friend, a reliable partner" and actively building an image on the regional and global integration map.
Concurrently, our country is actively joining and participating in global trade markets to open up many opportunities for localities in international economic integration. As of November 2021, Vietnam has signed 15 Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), which can be listed as: The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) which are about to come into effect in early 2022. HaiPhong has been building a comprehensive, modern and convenient system of technical, traffic and urban infrastructure to be able to go ahead and catch new investment waves. Simultaneously, the business environment and administrative procedure reform are being significantly improved, thereby gradually building a dynamic and creative image of the City in the minds and hearts of international friends. The capacity and quality of staffs working in foreign affairs has been increasingly improved.
HaiPhong people community abroad (currently about 40,000 people are living and working across 36 countries) and the resources of overseas Vietnamese entrepreneurs and intellectuals are growing, integrating better and better into the socio-political life of the host country, always looking towards the Fatherland and HaiPhong, making an increasingly important contribution to promoting the bilateral friendship. This is one of the important internal resources of the City that needs to be aroused and promoted in the coming time.
In the contexts, opportunities and challenges mentioned above, the external affairs of HaiPhong City will continue to focus on the implementation of "dual tasks” of epidemic prevention and control along with economic recovery and development. It is time to catch a new investment wave after a stagnation period, create new development motivations to implement Resolution No.45-NQ/TW of the Politburo, which focuses on the following tasks:
Firstly, renewing the thinking in foreign affairs on the principle of "thinking globally, acting locally" in order to comprehensively and effectively implement external orientations, Resolutions of the 16th City Party Congress, the strategy of 10-year socio-economic development in the period of 2021-2030 and the Resolutions of National Assembly and the City on 5-year development plan in the period of 2021 to 2025; implementing synchronously and smoothly among Party diplomacy, State diplomacy and people-to-people diplomacy in order to develop all cooperation resources, especially in strong and key sectors of the City; actively promoting advantages in foreign affairs and international integration from specific mechanisms and policies for HaiPhong; actively and bravely approaching the "vaccine diplomacy" mechanism as well as international financial and medical facilities for effective prevention and control of epidemic .
Secondly, strengthening to reorganize the city's external delegations to promote markets, cooperation and investment abroad to ensure safety, compact and quality delegation structure; continuing to deepen the friendship and economic relations, strengthen the interweaving of interests and political trusts with international partners, and put development at the heart of the relations. In which, localities and partners in the Asia-Pacific region are considered as strategic focal points, especially economic partners of Japan and Korea; bravely breaking through in participating in multilateral institutions, proactively proposing linkage groups and practical initiatives that are suitable to the capabilities and interests of the Country and the City as well as the common interest of the international community; mobilizing international organizations and foreign non-governmental organizations to strengthen cooperation and locate their headquarters in the City. It is proposed that the Central Government agree to build and operate a model of a free trade zone in HaiPhong on the basis of careful research, evaluation, and reasonable application of the successful development model of cities - locomotive territories to attract economic development of the world's developed countries; striving to be a pioneer locality in building a night economy on the project of Ministry of Planning and Investment; focusing on developing the contents of culinary, shopping, entertainment and tourism services to make the most of 24/7 all development resources.
Thirdly, continuing to effectively implement the policy of proactive and active international integration, especially Resolution No.06-NQ/TW of the Central Party Committee on "effectively implementing the process of international economic integration, maintaining socio-political stability in the context of our country participating in new-generation free trade agreements" and "master strategy on international integration to 2020, with vision to 2030";strongly promoting trade and investment promotion activities, especially attracting FDI and ODA capital in order to achieve the goal of increasing the total investment capital of whole society. However, the City will actively attract domestic investment combined with supporting the city's businesses and entrepreneurs in taking advantage of bilateral and multilateral FTA agreements to increase investment, production and business; access to modern and advanced science and technology; promote exports, expand markets for goods and services; solve difficulties, problems, disputes, complaints in order to create a "balance of internal resources and external resources” associated with building a favorable and equal development environment.Foreign Affairs comprehensively support to upgrade synchronous and modern transport infrastructure; focus on developing international transshipment seaports, renovating and connecting economic corridors of 05 provinces and cities of Vietnam and China, actively seizing great opportunities for innovation and creativity in technology, education - training, digital transformation, green growth, supporting to improve competitiveness of businesses and products of local strengths.
Fourthly,strongly promoting administrative reform, especially administrative procedure reform; actively proposing to strengthen the decentralization of ministries and branches for the City in some sectors, especially in areas of investment management, construction, land, integration; continuously promote the construction and consolidation of organizations and applications of information technology to build e-government towards digital government and smart cities on the basis of digital transformation, online public services as well as consolidate and improve the city's competitiveness to best serve the domestic and international people and business community; actively improving the investment and business environment in the direction consistent with commitments and principles of integration; actively implementing practical people-to-people diplomacy, increasing the attraction of foreign non-governmental aid along with identifying and zoning key areas.
Fifthly, building the city's foreign affairs cultural identity in association with promoting the culture imbued with local identity; completing the transformation of Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Islands into a new World Natural Heritage, actively enhancing heritage values; strongly promoting information activities, external propaganda, building the image of the city's stature and position, creating prominent local brands on the integration map; fostering the quality of human resources, developing the learning and practice of foreign languages among people to meet the requirements of the city's integration.
Sixthly, effectively strengthening research, forecast and implementation of strategies for external affairs in accordance with real situations; consolidating the close and smooth coordination relationship with the central foreign affairs agencies such as Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, and diplomatic missions in carrying out the city's external and integration tasks; continuing to strictly implement unified policy on foreign affairs of the Politburo, maintain external management orderly and effectively.
Seventh, paying attention to renewing and improving the efficiency of HaiPhong people living abroad, actively connecting the city's overseas Vietnamese community towards the development of homeland, country; at the same time creating favorable conditions for overseas Vietnamese to return home safely or develop stably in the host country; strengthening the propaganda of policies and laws, managing the border - territory of sea and islands, speeding up consular works, protecting citizens, serving the comprehensive integration; always considering "officials as the root of all work", strengthening the building of the city's staffs working in foreign affairs with sufficient quality and quantity, enough capability to meet the new requirements of integration.
With the above-mentioned solution orientations, HaiPhong's foreign affairs is ready to take the lead together with all levels, branches and localities in implementing a comprehensive, modern diplomacy in service of developing the Country and the City, realizing the “dual goals" of fighting the pandemic and actively, innovatively and creatively recovering socio-economic development on the basis of philosophy of "thinking globally, acting locally" in order to create a qualitative change for local international integration process, make the most of the city's potential, improve the competitiveness of local businesses, products, goods and services, which contribute to effectively solving development problems of the City in the coming time, and make a worthy contribution to successfully implementing the foreign affairs policy of the 13th Party Congress on building a comprehensive, flexible and modern diplomacy, the 16th City Party Congress on development 5 year socio-economic development, Resolution No.45 of the Politburo on building HaiPhong into a leading city in the region and the world in the next decade./.