Many similarities, strengths
Hai Phong City is a region located in the East, the ancient Hai Duong town. Therefore, Hai Duong province and Hai Phong City have similarities in customs, beliefs, festivals and folk culture, bearing the common cultural identity of the Northern Delta region.
Both Hai Duong and Hai Phong are located in the Northern Delta region with mainly low, flat terrain, favorable for industrial, agricultural and transportation development. Hai Duong has Thanh Ha, Tu Ky, Kim Thanh, Ninh Giang districts and Kinh Mon town bordering Hai Phong with a 97.8 km long administrative boundary. The districts, towns and cities of Hai Phong bordering Hai Duong province include: An Duong, An Lao, Tien Lang, Thuy Nguyen and Vinh Bao.
The distance from Hai Duong City to Hai Phong City is only about 50 km. The transportation system connecting the two localities is very convenient with the Hanoi - Hai Phong expressway, the Hanoi - Hai Duong - Hai Phong railway and national highways 5, 10, 17B.
Hai Phong is an important port city of Vietnam with a coastline of over 125 km, so waterway traffic is also extremely convenient. Ports in Hai Phong are import and export gateways for the entire Northern Delta region. Meanwhile, Hai Duong province has a dense river network, favorable for developing inland waterways. Hai Phong city also has Cat Bi International Airport, a railway system connecting two corridors, an economic belt between Vietnam and China. It is expected that after the merger, the locality will invest in a new route connecting Hai Duong - Hai Phong, so the traffic system will be more convenient and synchronous.
Hai Phong City and Hai Duong Province have dynamically developing economies. Currently, both provinces and cities have similar economic structures with the proportion of industry, construction and services reaching over 74%; average income per capita reaching over 63 million VND/year. Hai Duong and Hai Phong are both key industrial areas.
Hai Duong province currently has 542 FDI projects in operation with a total capital of more than 10.3 billion USD, with many large industrial parks such as Dai An, Phu Thai, Tan Truong, VSIP, An Phat... strongly attracting investors. The province aims to develop 33 industrial parks with a total area of 5,661 hectares and a specialized economic zone along the Hanoi - Hai Phong highway by 2030. Meanwhile, Hai Phong is an industrial production center with a double-digit economic growth rate for 10 consecutive years, the industrial - construction structure accounts for about 53% of GRDP, attracting many large corporations in the fields of electronics, automobiles, and electrical equipment.
Hai Phong City is the main import-export gateway in the North with the Lach Huyen deep-water seaport cluster, Hai Phong port and an international-scale warehouse and logistics system. Currently, most of the goods produced in Hai Duong province are transported through Hai Phong for export and about 80% of Hai Duong's agricultural products are planned to be exported through Hai Phong port.
The new City Political - Administrative Center, invested in large scale and modernly in Thuy Nguyen City, located in the middle position between Hai Phong City and Hai Duong Province, is about to be completed and ready to meet the working requirements of local organizations and apparatus when merged.
In Resolution No. 60-NQ/TW of the 11th Conference of the 13th Party Central Committee dated April 12, 2025, the Party Central Committee plans to merge and consolidate localities. In particular, it is planned to merge Hai Duong province and Hai Phong city, named Hai Phong city, with the political and administrative center located in Hai Phong city today.
After the merger, the natural area of Hai Phong City (new) is 3,194.7 km2 , reaching 212.98%; the population size of Hai Phong City (new) is more than 4.6 million people, reaching 466.41% according to the standards of a centrally-run city.
The driving force of national development
Up to now, Hai Duong province and Hai Phong city have both had their planning for the period 2021 - 2030 approved by the Prime Minister, with a vision to 2050. Accordingly, by 2030, Hai Phong city is oriented to become a large seaport city, leading the country in industrialization, modernization and digital transformation; a driving force for development of the Northern region and the whole country; with modern, smart and sustainable industry; the material and spiritual life of the people is constantly improved to be on par with typical cities in Asia. By 2030, Hai Duong province is oriented to meet some basic criteria of a centrally-run city. By 2050, it will become a centrally-run city.
The merger of Hai Duong and Hai Phong will help form a new large-scale administrative unit, expand development space, maximize the potential and existing advantages of localities, create favorable conditions to attract investment projects, create connections and promote local development. Thereby, enhancing the autonomy, adaptability and resilience of the local economy, with enough potential to compete with administrative units of countries in the region and the world.
Merging the two localities also overcomes the situation of a divided, fragmented, small-scale economy or scattered, scattered investment. After the merger, Hai Phong City will have the third largest economic scale in the country, only after Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi with about 660,000 billion VND; budget revenue will also rank third with about 140,000 billion VND. The new city will be a driving force for the country's development.
The merger of Hai Duong province with Hai Phong city also creates favorable conditions for promoting the potential and advantages of localities in terms of natural conditions and human resources in socio-economic development; rationally arranging labor resources, creating new driving forces for development, contributing to promoting economic growth, shifting economic structure, strengthening state management, ensuring national defense and security.
Planning for infrastructure, transportation, increasing investment resources, developing the local economy, attracting businesses and investors will also have positive changes when merging the two localities to promote economic development and improve the quality of people's lives.
Along with creating new development drivers, expanding the scale of administrative units will create conditions to better solve problems of environmental pollution, waste collection and treatment, social security issues in the area, and ensure security and national defense.
The similarities in religious factors, customs, practices and traditional economic and political relations between Hai Duong province and Hai Phong city and commune-level administrative units will create conditions for expanding the great national unity bloc, promoting cultural exchange activities as a premise for building tourism and cultural activities, supporting economic development...
The Standing Committee of Hai Duong Provincial Party Committee and the Standing Committee of Hai Phong City Party Committee have high consensus, closely coordinate to lead and direct the implementation of the work to merge the two localities. In particular, with the high consensus of the entire political system and all classes of people, the implementation of the merger of Hai Duong province and Hai Phong city will certainly be smooth, on schedule, with quality and efficiency.
Ready to adapt to situations
My husband and I are both civil servants. When we first heard about the province merger, we were quite worried, but now we are ready for the change when the merger happens.
In case both husband and wife work at the new City Political - Administrative Center after the merger, I will consider the option of changing the children's residence and school.
Recently, when the province reviewed the travel and accommodation needs of officials, civil servants, public employees, and workers, my husband and I registered our wishes. Now that travel is convenient and we are young, we are always ready to adapt, especially when the authorities and sectors are paying attention and creating favorable conditions.
Nguyen Van Ky
Deputy Head of Administration, Organization and Management Department, Office of the National Assembly Delegation and People's Council of Hai Duong province
Open up more space for development
I strongly agree with the policy of merging Hai Duong and Hai Phong because the two localities have similar cultures, opening up more space for economic development, especially seaport economy, and promoting the current advantages of the two provinces and cities.
Along with that, when merging communes, wards and towns, it will create conditions for connection, connectivity and inter-regional development.
In particular, Thuy Nguyen City will be the administrative and political center of the new Hai Phong City. The city has been preparing all the necessary conditions for the merger, aiming not only to be an administrative and political center but also to be a leading economic and cultural center.
This content has also been clearly stated in the project to merge Hai Duong province and Hai Phong city and was submitted to voters for consultation, receiving high consensus.
Ngo Minh Tam , Secretary of the Party Committee of the Business Bloc of Thuy Nguyen City (Hai Phong)
People in Hai Phong highly agree
Our residential group has just completed collecting voters' opinions on the project to merge Hai Duong province and Hai Phong city. The entire residential group has 353 voter representatives and all agreed. This shows that the policy of merging the two localities is very correct and has received high consensus from the people.
I hope that after the merger, the new Hai Phong City will promote all the advantages and strengths of the two old localities to build a common homeland and develop it, further improving the people's lives.
In the coming time, I think the city can organize more activities for cadres, party members, and people from localities in Hai Duong and Hai Phong to exchange and learn from each other's experiences to further strengthen solidarity, cohesion, and replicate good models and practices in each locality.
Nguyen Minh Toan
Secretary of the Party Cell of Duong Moi Residential Group, Thuong Ly Ward, Hong Bang District (Hai Phong City)
My husband and I will be from the same hometown.
I got married in Ngo Quyen district (Hai Phong). Hai Duong province merged with Hai Phong city, my husband and I will be from the same hometown, I am very happy. When we are in the same administrative unit, if the family needs to do administrative procedures, it will be more convenient than now.
Currently, every time I go back to my hometown, my family still has to cross Bau ferry in Thanh Ha district. Recently, I saw the news that after the merger, the locality will invest in building a new, large road through this area, I am very happy.
I believe that when coming together as one, Hai Duong province and Hai Duong city will continue to develop further, and people's lives will be increasingly improved.
Pham Thi Xoa
(from Gia Loc district, currently living in Hai Phong city)
Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/dia-loi-nhan-hoa-trong-hop-nhat-hai-duong-hai-phong-410012.html
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