On the morning of February 11, 2025, as part of the program “Journey to the Roots – Connecting with the Homeland,” the Hai Phong Department of Foreign Affairs, in coordination with the city’s Liaison Association for Overseas Vietnamese, held the 2025 Early Spring Overseas Vietnamese Connection Conference. The event welcomed representatives of the City Party Committee's Commission for Propaganda and Education, along with over 50 Hai Phong expatriates from Germany, Russia, Australia, and the United States returning to their hometown to celebrate Lunar New Year – the Year of the Snake.
At the conference, Deputy Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong, briefed the overseas delegates on the city’s 10 most notable achievements in 2024. She also commended the contributions of Hai Phong expatriates to the city’s development, especially their prompt and heartfelt support when they raised over VND 600 million to help the city recover from the aftermath of Typhoon Yagi.
Delegates at the Conference
In his speech, Mr. Le Van Quy, Chairman of the city’s Liaison Association for Overseas Vietnamese, reviewed the context and activities of the association and Hai Phong expatriate communities around the world in 2024. Domestically, the association currently comprises 13 chapters and two affiliated units with a total of 800 members who have relatives living abroad. These chapters serve as essential focal points for outreach, policy dissemination, and supporting Hai Phong expatriate associations abroad, as well as maintaining close ties between overseas Vietnamese and their homeland.
Chairing the discussion session, Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Dung, provided an update on the city’s international relations. She noted that Hai Phong has established sister-city relationships with nearly 30 foreign localities and affirmed that the overseas Vietnamese community is a vital driver of the city’s foreign affairs efforts. She also shared the department’s initial plans for events celebrating the 70th anniversary of Hai Phong’s Liberation Day (May 13, 1955 – May 13, 2025), inviting input and ideas from the expatriate community.
At the conference, overseas Vietnamese delegates shared experiences in organizing and developing Hai Phong associations abroad, and highlighted achievements such as teaching and learning Vietnamese, promoting Vietnamese culture, mutual support among overseas communities, and encouraging younger generations to stay connected with their homeland. Delegates also proposed that the Department of Foreign Affairs report to the city People’s Committee and consider the following initiatives: Establishing a symbolic monument for Hai Phong expatriates in the city; Organizing annual summer camps for children of Hai Phong expatriates to maintain cultural and ancestral ties; Establishing a Global Hai Phong Expatriate Club to enhance networking and harness the collective strength of overseas Hai Phong communities; Enhancing communication and promotion of the city and overseas Vietnamese communities through diverse, multilingual channels.
Also at the conference, recognizing the critical importance of teaching and learning Vietnamese among younger generations of expatriates—seen as a vital task in preserving cultural roots and national identity, as well as fostering intergenerational bonds within overseas families—the organizers presented bilingual Vietnamese language books to representatives of expatriate delegations from various countries.
Representatives from the City Party Committee’s Commission for Propaganda and the Department of Foreign Affairs present Vietnamese language books to overseas Vietnamese delegates
The event was held in an uplifting atmosphere as the new lunar year began. This year, the number of overseas Vietnamese returning to celebrate Tet in Hai Phong significantly increased compared to previous years, including second- and third-generation youth from many countries. Remittance inflows also reached their highest levels since 2020. The joyful expressions of the delegates reflected growing economic prosperity and improved quality of life among Hai Phong expatriates. Witnessing the city’s remarkable progress—with its ever-improving infrastructure and transportation system—many delegates expressed their desire to continue contributing to building Hai Phong into a leading city in Asia, in line with the goals of the Politburo’s Conclusion No. 96-KL/TW dated September 30, 2024, on continuing the implementation of Resolution No. 45-NQ/TW on Hai Phong's development to 2030, with vision to 2045, and Resolution No. 30-NQ/TW dated November 23, 2022, on socio-economic development and national defense and security in the Red River Delta to 2030, with vision to 2045.
As part of the program, the Department of Foreign Affairs and the city’s Liaison Association for Overseas Vietnamese also organized ceremonial visits for the expatriate delegation to historical sites including: Nghè Temple, the Statue of General Le Chan, Tuong Long Tower, the Mac Family Ancestral Hall, and the Memorial Site of the Mac Dynasty. At each location, delegates were introduced to the historical significance of these heritage sites, deepening their understanding and appreciation of the contributions of national heroes in building and defending the country.
Leaders from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Do Son District, and the Liaison Association pose with overseas Vietnamese delegates at Tuong Long Tower