The merger of Hai Phong and Hai Duong will expand new development space, optimize resources, and enhance the role of the Northern key economic region’s growth engine.
Immediately after the Standing Committee of Hai Phong Party Committee and the Standing Committee of Hai Duong Provincial Party Committee issued Conclusion No. 555-KL/TUHP-TUHD on the development of the merger project of Hai Duong Province and Hai Phong City and preparations for the Party Congress of the merged Hai Phong City for the 2025–2030 term, both localities promptly implemented Conclusion No. 555 to develop the merger plan.
Recently, the Hai Phong Party Executive Committee issued Resolution No. 20-NQ/TU on April 26, 2025, on the merger of Hai Duong Province and Hai Phong City. Meanwhile, the Hai Duong Provincial People's Council also issued Resolution No. 12/NQ-HĐND approving the merger of Hai Duong Province and Hai Phong City.
Thus, the merger of Hai Phong City and Hai Duong Province meets the high-level goal of administrative restructuring: expanding development space and enhancing the leadership role of economic corridors and growth poles.
Following the merger, the new Hai Phong City and Hai Duong Province will have a total area of 3,194.7 km², a population of over 4 million, and an economic scale reaching nearly VND 660 trillion.
Hai Phong is a major industrial production and seaport center of Vietnam
In reality, both Hai Phong and Hai Duong share common characteristics and individual strengths. Specifically, Hai Phong is a major industrial production hub and seaport city, maintaining double-digit economic growth for ten consecutive years. To date, Hai Phong has attracted over 1,000 FDI projects from 42 countries and territories, with total capital reaching USD 33.6 billion. Of this, the Dinh Vu - Cat Hai Economic Zone alone has attracted USD 22.9 billion, accounting for over 80% of the city’s total FDI. Industrial park occupancy rates have reached 64.3%, with an average investment density of USD 12 million per hectare, three times the national average. The industrial-construction sector accounts for around 53% of GRDP, attracting many large corporations.
Meanwhile, Hai Duong Province currently hosts 610 foreign-invested projects with a total capital of over USD 11 billion and is actively attracting major investors to its large industrial zones. The province aims to develop 33 industrial parks by 2030, with a specialized economic zone project in Binh Giang and Thanh Mien Districts covering about 5,300 hectares.
Overall, the two localities share similar economic structures, with industry, construction, and services sectors accounting for over 74%, making them both key industrial regions.
Notably, in recent years, both Hai Phong and Hai Duong have maintained high growth rates. In 2024, Hai Phong’s economic growth reached 11.01%, ranking first, while Hai Duong recorded 10.2%, ranking third among the 11 provinces and cities in the Red River Delta region. In Q1 2025, both localities ranked among the top nine nationwide with double-digit growth.
These figures demonstrate that following the merger, the enlarged Hai Phong - Hai Duong will not only grow in area, population, and economic size but will also leverage each other’s strengths, boosting competitiveness, attracting investment, and expanding development space.
Continuing to affirm growth engine status
According to the national master plan for 2021–2030 with a vision to 2050, approved by the Prime Minister, Hai Phong is oriented to become a major international seaport city, a modern logistics service center, and a leading marine economic hub in Southeast Asia by 2030, pioneering national industrialization, modernization, and digital transformation, serving as a growth engine for the North and the entire country. Hai Duong is set to meet key criteria to become a centrally governed city by 2050.
Thus, the merger of Hai Duong Province and Hai Phong City is not only based on the Party’s orientation but also presents an opportunity for the new Hai Phong City to open new development space, optimize resources, and strengthen its role as a growth engine in the Northern key economic region. This will lay the foundation for building a modern industrial center, sustainable logistics services, and improving people’s livelihoods.
Mr. Le Tien Chau – Secretary of Hai Phong Party Committee stated that Hai Phong has proactively studied urban construction and socio-economic development plans for both Hai Phong and Hai Duong to propose strategic infrastructure projects in transportation, industry, and urban development, turning their combined advantages into new growth momentum. The city will continue to restructure its economy towards quality, depth, and sustainability.
According to Mr. Tran Duc Thang – Secretary of Hai Duong Provincial Party Committee, the close coordination, joint investments, and remarkable economic-social development results of each locality in recent years form a crucial foundation for the comprehensive and sustainable development of the new administrative unit after the merger.
Reportedly, following the Party Central Committee's directive, Hai Phong has actively coordinated with Hai Duong to draft the Party Congress documents for the new city. Hai Phong has also proactively proposed plans to ensure infrastructure, working conditions (offices, housing, policies) for agencies, units, officials, and civil servants after the provincial-level administrative restructuring. Additionally, rapid solutions are being studied for applying IT and digital transformation to support leadership, management, and operations after the merger, ensuring seamless functionality.
Previously, to affirm the region’s growth momentum, Hai Phong and Hai Duong signed development cooperation agreements, especially focusing on transportation infrastructure connectivity. Hai Phong proactively invested in constructing Dinh Bridge connecting Kinh Mon Town (Hai Duong) with Thuy Nguyen City, and Quang Thanh Bridge connecting Thanh Ha District (Hai Duong) with An Lao District.
These transportation projects have shortened distances between the two localities, reducing travel time and costs for both residents and businesses while boosting trade, goods circulation, and socio-economic development.
In the near future, once officially merged, the new Hai Phong City will have more opportunities for large-scale transportation, urban, and industrial park planning, creating space and strong growth momentum, further affirming its role as a high-growth engine for the region and the nation.