VietNamNet Bridge – HCM City is looking to Singapore’s “smart city” experiences to develop a scheme to build creative urban areas in districts 2 and 9, a top city official said on Monday.

Nguyen Thien Nhan (right), secretary of HCM City’s Party Committee, and Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean at a meeting on Monday in the city. — VNS Photo Bo Xuan Hiep

Speaking at a meeting with Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, Nguyen Thien Nhan, secretary of the city’s Party Committee, said, “Singapore has always been on the cutting edge of trends, especially technology, which has been key to its success and business growth, providing a great lesson for HCM City,” he said.  

“HCM City would like to receive support from Singapore in the fields of green urban development and urban lighting systems for tourism development,” he added. “We want to become an ideal destination for Singaporean businesses to do business and stay long-term in the city.”

Nhan thanked Singapore for partnering with Vietnam, especially in training a high-quality workforce, developing scientific research, and creating new economic areas to take advantage of 4.0 Industry trends.

Nhan said, “I’m impressed by the strong partnership in the two countries over the past years in many fields such as national defence-security, economy, trade, investment, education and training, and people-to-people exchange.”

Teo, who is also Co-ordinating Minister for Public Security, said Singapore wanted to promote a strategic partnership with Vietnam within the framework of ASEAN and more. He said such partnerships would allow each partner to learn, share and help each other in the development process.

Teo thanked the city’s leaders for their support of Singaporean businesses working in the city and encouraged them to create favourable conditions for further business.

Singapore praised the plans that HCM City has used in the early stage of building smart urban areas, including measures to apply technology to state management.

During his visit, Teo plans to visit several investment projects operated by Singaporean businesses in the city. He has also been meeting members of the local and Singaporean business community in HCM City.

As of the end of last year, Singapore was HCM City’s largest investor with about 1,100 projects with total registered capital of more than US$10.7 billion. Singapore is the city’s second largest trading partner with two-way trade turnover of $3.7 billion last year. 

HCM City welcomed nearly 300,000 Singaporean tourists last year, a surge of 41.3 per cent compared to 2017.

During the visit to Vietnam, Teo also met with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc during a reception in Hanoi on March 22.

Teo launched the Viet Nam-Singapore Co-operation Centre, and officially opened the Singapore Festival in Hanoi and the new chancery of the Singapore Consulate-General in HCM City. 

Source: VNS