Promoting cooperation between the City of Los Angeles (USA) and Vietnam in a new phase.

Following the upgrading of relations between the two countries, many areas of cooperation have naturally and rapidly expanded. This has created new opportunities for US localities, including Los Angeles, to connect more deeply with provinces and cities in Vietnam.

Vietnamese Consul General in San Francisco, Hoang Anh Tuan, met with Los Angeles Vice Mayor for International Relations, Dilpreet Sidhu, on December 9th. (Source: Vietnamese Consulate General in San Francisco)

On December 9th in Los Angeles, California, the Vietnamese Consul General in San Francisco, Hoang Anh Tuan, held a working meeting with the Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles in charge of international relations, Ms. Dilpreet Sidhu. Taking place more than two years after the Vietnam-US relationship was upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (September 11, 2023), the exchange opened up many practical avenues for cooperation between Los Angeles and localities in Vietnam.

The Consul General congratulated Ms. Sidhu on assuming the position of Deputy Mayor and expressed confidence that she will continue to make significant contributions to the development of Los Angeles – a global city that is innovative, multicultural, and highly influential.

Deputy Mayor Sidhu thanked the congratulations and emphasized that Los Angeles has always considered international cooperation a crucial driver of innovation-based growth. She assessed Vietnam as a dynamic partner with broad potential for cooperation in the fields of economics , technology, and people-to-people exchanges.

A new context in cooperation

In his exchange with the Deputy Mayor, Consul General Hoang Anh Tuan reviewed the notable developments in Vietnam-US relations since the two countries upgraded their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. He emphasized the strong growth of bilateral trade, the expansion of cooperation in science and technology, investment in semiconductors, artificial intelligence, clean energy, and high-quality human resource training.

Vietnam and the United States have also strengthened high-level dialogue mechanisms, local exchanges, and university-to-research and development connectivity projects.

The Consul General shared: “After the two countries upgraded their relationship, many areas of cooperation have expanded naturally and rapidly. This has created new space for US localities, including Los Angeles, to connect more deeply with provinces and cities in Vietnam.”

Ms. Sidhu highly appreciated Vietnam's rapid development and its increasingly prominent role in global value chains. She believes that Los Angeles shares many similarities with Vietnam's development orientation, particularly in innovation, technology, and green development.

The potential for connectivity between Los Angeles and localities in Vietnam.

A key focus of the exchange was expanding direct cooperation between Los Angeles and Vietnamese localities. Consul General Hoang Anh Tuan emphasized that Los Angeles is not only a globally renowned cultural and artistic center but also a leading technology, logistics, maritime, and aviation hub in the United States and the world .

The city boasts a robust startup ecosystem, a diverse creative community, and industries with global reach such as film, digital content, clean energy, maritime transport, aviation, and smart urban technology.

He stated, "Los Angeles has particular strengths in areas that Vietnam is prioritizing for development. I believe that direct exchanges between the city and localities in Vietnam will create practical and long-term benefits."

The Consul General proposed strengthening city-level exchange programs, exchanging ideas on urban planning and management, cooperating on green transformation, port logistics, air logistics, and innovative models. He affirmed that the Consulate General is ready to play a connecting and facilitating role to ensure the effective implementation of cooperative activities.

Ms. Sidhu welcomed the proposals and emphasized Los Angeles' strong interest in multi-sectoral cooperation with Vietnam. She stated, “We look forward to welcoming more delegations from Vietnam and promoting sustainable exchange programs. Los Angeles is ready to share its experience and also eager to learn from the development of Vietnamese cities.”

Promoting the idea of ​​a sister city partnership between Los Angeles and Hanoi.

Another important topic of discussion at the meeting was the continued promotion of business connections between the two sides. Consul General Hoang Anh Tuan stated that many Vietnamese businesses are looking for partners in the Los Angeles area, especially in the fields of logistics, creative industries, technology, clean energy, and agricultural products. He suggested that the city cooperate in organizing business forums, industry-specific networking events, and creating a mechanism for regular information sharing.

He stated: “Los Angeles is a major economic gateway to the United States, while Vietnam is becoming a destination for new investment flows. This is an opportune time for businesses from both sides to engage more strongly.”

Ms. Sidhu expressed her agreement and stated that the city would direct relevant agencies to work closely with the Consulate General to build a long-term business exchange channel. She emphasized that Los Angeles warmly welcomes Vietnamese businesses and also wants to encourage local businesses to seek opportunities in Vietnam.

During the meeting, the Consul General also mentioned continuing to promote the idea of ​​establishing a sister city relationship between Los Angeles and Hanoi. This idea had been mentioned before, in the context of Mayor Eric Garcetti expressing interest in strengthening cooperation with Vietnam, although he clarified: "I don't know the details of the visit or the specific timing," however, he affirmed that this is a valuable direction, consistent with the trend of exchange between major cities.

Ms. Sidhu acknowledged the proposal and stated that the city is ready to study a suitable roadmap to gradually restart this process when conditions are ripe.

Concluding the exchange, Deputy Mayor Sidhu expressed his hope that cooperation between the city of Los Angeles and Vietnam would continue to expand, contributing positively to the development of both sides in the fields of economics, technology, culture, and innovation. Consul General Hoang Anh Tuan emphasized: “We will do our utmost to connect Los Angeles with Vietnam in a substantive, effective, and sustainable way.”

The meeting between Consul General Hoang Anh Tuan and Deputy Mayor Dilpreet Sidhu in Los Angeles further strengthened the foundation of cooperation between Los Angeles and Vietnam, as the two countries continue to expand bilateral cooperation after upgrading their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Both sides affirmed their commitment to partnership and shared agreement on many specific directions, from promoting exchanges at the local level, cooperating in sectors of strength, sharing urban development experiences, to building mechanisms for business networking and restarting the idea of ​​establishing a sister city relationship between Los Angeles and Hanoi.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/thuc-day-hop-tac-giua-thanh-pho-los-angeles-hoa-ky-va-viet-nam-trong-giai-doan-moi-337337.html