Attending the 12th Joint Conference on Economic Corridor Cooperation between five provinces and cities: Lao Cai, Hanoi, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh (Vietnam) and Yunnan (China), held in Lao Cai province from August 23 to 25, 2026, the delegation of Hai Phong City, led by Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee Nguyễn Minh Hùng, actively participated and made highly influential contributions. Particularly, at the Discussion Session of Theme 3 on strengthening cooperation in culture, tourism, healthcare, education, and people-to-people exchanges, the Hai Phong delegation asserted a pioneering role through practical cooperative achievements and breakthrough solutions.
Hai Phong delegation attended the Conference on Economic Corridor Cooperation
For Hai Phong, the Economic Corridor is not only a key trade and logistics route, but also a bridge of culture, knowledge, health, and people-to-people solidarity. Over the past period, this work has reaped many outstanding results:
- In Culture and Tourism: Hai Phong has proactively integrated the promotion of friendship through heritage exhibitions, artistic exchanges, and regional tourism connectivity. A prominent highlight was the themed exhibition "From Port to Border - A Century on the Railway Tracks" co-organized by the Hai Phong Museum and the Lao Cai Province Museum. Additionally, the city has actively surveyed, upgraded, and promoted the "Two Countries - Six Destinations" tourism route, coordinating to effectively maintain the charter flight route between Hai Phong and Lijiang to foster people-to-people exchanges. The application of digital transformation, QR codes, and multi-lingual voice-over systems at destinations has clearly improved service quality for visitors.
- In Healthcare and Medical Cooperation: Healthcare cooperation represents a deeply humane highlight. The Hai Phong Eye Hospital coordinated with the medical delegation of the First Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University to implement the "Journey of Light" free eye surgery program in April 2025, restoring sight to 100 disadvantaged residents in Hai Phong.
- In Education and Training: Higher education institutions in the city have actively established and expanded comprehensive partnerships with Yunnan counterparts. For instance, the Hai Phong University of Medicine and Pharmacy dispatched officials for specialized training in traditional herbal medicine, while Hai Phong University maintained the 2+2 joint training program in Information Technology with Yunnan Minzu University. The selection of candidates for scholarship programs funded by Yunnan Province was carried out transparently and effectively, helping to develop high-quality human resources.
Alongside the achieved results, Hai Phong also frankly acknowledged the reality that two-way tourist flows (especially visitors from Yunnan to Hai Phong) have not yet matched the potential, external administrative procedures in healthcare sometimes remain time-consuming, and information sharing lacks a synchronized, interconnected digital platform. To enhance the quality and depth of cooperation in the coming period, at the thematic presentation session chaired by the leadership of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Hai Phong proposed five key solution groups:
- Promoting Digital Transformation and Interconnected Data Sharing: Coordinating to build a shared digital platform to search for information on tourism, educational institutions, and major cultural, medical, and educational events among localities; implementing digital explanation technologies and multi-lingual QR codes at destinations.
- Developing Tourism and Aviation Connectivity: Cooperatively building regional heritage and cultural tourism products connecting major tourism centers of the localities; enhancing marketing efforts to maintain and sustainably exploit the direct flight route between Hai Phong and Lijiang.
- Strengthening People-to-People Exchanges: Suggesting that the localities rotationally host Culture - Tourism Weeks, mobile exhibitions, and traditional art performances to create deep connection spaces.
- Expanding Healthcare Cooperation Programs: Maintaining and institutionalizing the "Journey of Light" free eye surgery program into an annual activity; expanding cooperation into traditional medicine and proposing to simplify and shorten the approval time for external administrative procedures for foreign medical expert delegations.
- Enhancing Educational Connections Aligned with Practical Needs: Establishing a direct communication channel between the two Departments of Education; promoting two-way scholarship mechanisms and aligning vocational training programs with the recruitment needs of businesses along the economic corridor.
A special imprint of the Hai Phong delegation at this conference was the sharp, action-oriented statement made by Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee Nguyễn Minh Hùng during the closing session. With Hai Phong officially designated as the host city for the 13th Economic Corridor Cooperation Conference in 2028, the Vice Chairman affirmed: “The 13th Conference in 2028 in Hai Phong is not just a periodic meeting after two years, but must serve as a realistic touchstone to verify the actual implementation of the Minutes of the 12th Conference in 2026.”
To realize this goal, on behalf of the leadership of Hai Phong City, Vice Chairman Nguyễn Minh Hùng urged the localities along the entire route to focus on taking drastic actions between now and 2028 to achieve clear progress in three key result areas:
- First, regarding transport and logistics connectivity, particularly linking the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway route with border gates, industrial zones, and the deep-water seaport system.
- Second, promoting the materialization of more actual investment projects, commercial contracts, new transport routes, and regional tourism products in real-world operation.
- Third, establishing a regular coordination mechanism among the localities, supported by synchronized digital data, clear timelines, and measurable outputs.
The Vice Chairman concluded by asserting that Hai Phong City commits to making the absolute best preparations—from program content and physical infrastructure to diplomatic protocols and sideline activities—to ensure that the 2028 Conference is a highly practical event that leaves a lasting positive impression. The next two years will be two years of action, connection, and concrete results, laying the foundation to elevate the efficiency and influence of the entire Vietnam - China Economic Corridor cooperation mechanism.