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Ho Chi Minh City and Philippines seek to boost business cooperation
๐Ÿ‡ป๐Ÿ‡ณ Vietnam /Economy & Trade

Ho Chi Minh City and Philippines seek to boost business cooperation

From Tuแป•i Trแบป · (8m ago) Vietnamese Positive tone

Translated from Vietnamese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Ho Chi Minh City and the Philippines aim to strengthen bilateral cooperation, particularly in economic and business ties.
  • Trade between the city and the Philippines reached over $1.88 billion in 2025, with potential for growth in various sectors.
  • Both sides are keen on facilitating business investment, promoting cultural exchange, and commemorating 50 years of diplomatic relations.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's vibrant economic engine, is actively seeking to deepen its partnership with the Philippines, recognizing the significant potential for mutual growth and collaboration. The recent meeting between Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, Nguyแป…n Vฤƒn ฤฦฐแปฃc, and the new Philippine Ambassador to Vietnam, Francisco Noel R. Fernandez III, signals a strong intent to bolster existing ties and explore new avenues for cooperation.

Ho Chi Minh City and Manila have established a friendship and cooperation relationship since June 1994 in the fields of economy, culture, education, and industry.

โ€” Chairman Nguyแป…n Vฤƒn ฤฦฐแปฃcThis highlights the long-standing and multi-faceted nature of the relationship between the two cities.

Our city, with its dynamic economy and strategic location, views the Philippines not just as a fellow ASEAN member but as a key partner for economic advancement. The established friendship and cooperation relationship between Ho Chi Minh City and Manila, dating back to 1994, has already yielded substantial trade, exceeding $1.88 billion in 2025. This figure, encompassing exports of agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products from our side, and imports of seafood, fertilizers, steel, and machinery from the Philippines, demonstrates a robust foundation upon which to build.

Chairman ฤฦฐแปฃc highlighted the cultural and lifestyle similarities between our peoples, which naturally foster closer people-to-people exchanges, tourism, and cultural cooperation. He expressed Ho Chi Minh City's eagerness to facilitate Philippine businesses in sectors such as automotive components, electronics, supporting industries, and high-tech agriculture. Our city's ambitious goal to become a leading regional hub for international economy, trade, finance, and technology aligns perfectly with the Philippines' own development aspirations.

In 2025, the trade turnover between Ho Chi Minh City and the Philippines reached over $1.88 billion.

โ€” Chairman Nguyแป…n Vฤƒn ฤฦฐแปฃcThis provides a key metric demonstrating the significant economic ties between the two entities.

Ambassador Fernandez's positive reception of Ho Chi Minh City's dynamic development and investment environment is encouraging. The keen interest shown by numerous Philippine enterprises in our market underscores the strategic importance of this partnership. As we approach 2026, marking 50 years of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the Philippines, both sides are committed to organizing meaningful activities to enhance friendship and mutual understanding. From our perspective in Ho Chi Minh City, this is not just about trade figures; it's about building a stronger, more interconnected Southeast Asia, driven by shared prosperity and cultural appreciation.

Many Philippine businesses are interested in the Vietnamese market, especially Ho Chi Minh City.

โ€” Ambassador Francisco Noel R. Fernandez IIIThis indicates a strong interest from the Philippine business community in expanding their presence in Vietnam.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Tuแป•i Trแบป in Vietnamese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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