International super urban area in the digital age
On the afternoon of November 25, at the 2025 Autumn Economic Forum, chaired by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, the CEO 500 program - TEA Connect with the theme "Ho Chi Minh City - towards an international super city in the digital era" took place.
The program was attended by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Tran Luu Quang, Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Van Duoc, and leaders of ministries, branches and departments under Ho Chi Minh City.
This is a high-level dialogue space between the Government and Ho Chi Minh City with more than 500 domestic and international business leaders, focusing on public-private partnership models, green investment strategies, technological innovation and modern urban governance.
Speaking at the dialogue, Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, Mr. Tran Luu Quang, commented that after the merger, Ho Chi Minh City is entering a development stage with an open vision and great aspiration to become a modern, dynamic, livable, and globally competitive city.
However, the stature of an international urban area does not only come from population size or economic contribution but also from growth quality, connectivity, governance capacity, international competitiveness and the ability to create a creative and classy living and working environment.
Therefore, Ho Chi Minh City is restructuring the development space, shaping a new development strategy with a multipolar mindset, integrating connectivity, orienting the formation of three regions, three corridors, five pillars, and one special zone.
The five pillars of strategic development are high-tech industry and innovation, in which artificial intelligence (AI) digital technology is the driving force throughout.
Second is logistics and free trade associated with seaports, airports, and free trade zones.
Third is the development of international financial centers.
Fourth is tourism and cultural industry that create added value from international culture, creativity, art, entertainment and events.
The fifth pillar is education, healthcare, science and technology towards regional and international standards.
Ho Chi Minh City Party Secretary Tran Luu Quang said that the city also deeply recognizes the challenges facing many problems and needs to have fundamental and strategic solutions.
That is: First, the governance pressure of a large urban area with a large population and high growth rate. Second, the shortage of high-quality financial, technological, infrastructure and human resources.
Third, the logistics system and transport infrastructure are still in the process of completion.
Fourth, it is urgent to improve the quality of public services, improve administrative procedures and strengthen digital governance.
Fifth, competition is increasingly fierce between economic centers in the region and the world.
Identifying the role of a "dingitive super city"
The CEO 500 - TEA CONNECT Dialogue has more than 20 presentations from international organizations and global corporations such as Foxconn Technology Group, Qualcomm, Siemens, Amazon, and many typical Vietnamese enterprises.
The discussion focused on practical issues that businesses are interested in in the context of Ho Chi Minh City re- positi positizing the role of a "dingential super city", including cooperation in digital transformation - green transformation, international financial center and attracting high-quality capital flows, building an innovation ecosystem, developing highly qualified human resources, especially in AI and digital technology, ...
Concluding the dialogue, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh highly appreciated the practical, responsible and enthusiastic contributions of international partners, and the domestic and foreign business community.
The sharing of the partners has painted a comprehensive, multidimensional picture, rich in practicality and strategic significance, especially contributing to the goal of making Ho Chi Minh City an international super city in the coming time.
To fulfill the responsibilities assigned by the Government, as well as not disappoint the expectations of the business community, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, Nguyen Van Duoc, has made a number of specific commitments.
Firstly, in the spirit of Resolution 98 amending the law on creating new institutional leverage, unlocking resources and improving competitiveness for the super urban area of Ho Chi Minh City.
Second, the city will actively promote connectivity, forming modern logistics centers according to the orientation of "3 regions - 1 special zone - 3 corridors - 5 pillars", set out in the 1st Congress of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, term 2025-2030.
Third, Ho Chi Minh City is urgently completing the best conditions to be ready to operate the International Financial Center.
Fourth, the city will promote the exploitation of cultural, historical and artistic values, thereby developing typical tourism - cultural products, applying high technology and connecting with the international event chain.
Fifth, the development of science and technology is identified as a leading breakthrough, a driving force for socio-economic development, especially the double-digit growth target. At the same time, focus on training high-quality human resources to meet the development requirements of high-tech industries and the digital economy.
Sixth, the city is also committed to continuing to promote administrative reform, cut unnecessary procedures, and improve the quality of government services for investors and businesses. Commit to continuing to strengthen the linkage between the private sector, state-owned enterprises and FDI enterprises through calling for and attracting investment.
