Ho Chi Minh City Named Among Asia-Pacific Cities to Watch

Ho Chi Minh City has been named among the top cities to watch in the Asia-Pacific region. This recognition stems from the city's comprehensive range of tasks and solutions aimed at enhancing business competitiveness, promoting sustainable exports, expanding markets, and enabling local enterprises to engage more deeply in global value and supply chains. These efforts are expected to contribute to Ho Chi Minh City's development as a regional hub for trade, logistics, and international economic integration. As a driver of Vietnam's economic growth, Ho Chi Minh City is accelerating reforms to boost international competitiveness within the economic development strategies set forth by the government under its one-party system. Digitalization efforts are particularly advanced, with 99.4% of the city's hospitals expected to adopt electronic medical records by July 2026. Approximately 64% of public hospitals and 65% of private hospitals are already running this technology across their entire operations. While Vietnam maintains strong economic ties with China, it is also strengthening economic relations with Europe, the Americas, and Japan to diversify supply chains and mitigate geopolitical risks. The internationalization of major cities like Ho Chi Minh City is intertwined with Vietnam's broader diplomatic and economic strategies. Furthermore, Vietnam is advancing its legal system reforms, with draft laws being discussed under a Political Bureau Resolution aimed at reforming lawmaking and enforcement to meet the development requirements of the new era. This new legislative mindset adopts an approach that provides framework and principle-based regulations, delegating frequently changing matters to the government and relevant ministries. Vietnam is actively deepening its engagement with the international community, participating in initiatives such as international cooperation in education in the digital era, combating fake news, and promoting information integrity. These moves signal Vietnam's ambition to play a more confident, open, and responsible role on the global stage.