Ho Chi Minh City aims to be in the top 100 best cities in the world

On November 13, in Ho Chi Minh City, the opening ceremony of the 9th "High-level Dialogue Forum on ASEAN - Italy Economic Relations" in 2025 took place.

Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Van Duoc (left cover) talks with delegates.

At the Forum, the parties agreed to develop four key strategic cooperation orientations to promote sustainable and innovative development. Building a green, circular and inclusive economy. Vietnam is committed to achieving a net zero emission target by 2050, towards sustainable development and environmental protection.

Vietnam aims for the digital economy to account for 30% of GDP by 2030, promoting comprehensive digital transformation in all fields.

International delegates speak at the forum

Mr. Nguyen Van Duoc - Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee - said that the event took place at a very special time, when Vietnam in general and Ho Chi Minh City in particular are entering a historic transition period to enter a new era of development. The merger of Ho Chi Minh City with Binh Duong and Ba Ria Vung Tau provinces is a particularly important milestone, marking the convergence of 3 economic centers, 3 dynamic growth poles, forming the largest urban - industrial - seaport area in the country and having an important position in the region.

Mr. Duoc said that Ho Chi Minh City is restructuring its development space according to a multi-polar - integrated - super-connected mindset; mobilizing investment resources to build a synchronous, civilized and modern urban infrastructure system. Accordingly, Ho Chi Minh City is oriented to form "3 regions - 1 special zone - 3 corridors - 5 pillars".

Ho Chi Minh City aims to become a civilized, modern, dynamic, integrated city with a prominent position in Southeast Asia, among the top 100 livable global cities, with a world- leading innovation ecosystem and high income.

By 2045, the city aims to become an international megacity of Southeast Asia, among the top 100 cities in the world, an economic, financial, tourism, service, educational and medical center of Asia, an attractive global destination, with unique and sustainable economic, cultural and social development, high quality of life, and deep international integration.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung speaks

Speaking online at the forum, Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung said that the world economy is facing risks of decline, supply chain disruptions, and energy fluctuations, while witnessing new growth drivers from innovation, green economy, digital economy, and artificial intelligence. Meanwhile, protectionism, strategic competition between major countries, and non-traditional security challenges such as climate change, natural disasters, and epidemics continue to have a profound impact on the global structure.

According to Mr. Trung, these changes require a more flexible, multi-layered and substantive international cooperation model, in which dynamic regions such as ASEAN and the EU are becoming important pillars of stability and development. ASEAN, with a population of over 680 million people and a total GDP exceeding 4,000 billion USD, is currently the 5th largest economy in the world, emerging as a bright spot of regional integration, growth and stability.

"Ho Chi Minh City - a megacity aiming for global stature in Southeast Asia, is gradually affirming its role as an international financial, science - technology and innovation center of Vietnam. The High-Level Dialogue on ASEAN - Italy Economic Relations 2025 held in Ho Chi Minh City has special significance," the Minister of Foreign Affairs affirmed.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/tphcm-tham-vong-vao-top-100-thanh-pho-tot-nhat-the-gioi-post1795789.tpo