Da Nang (VNA) – Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Da Nang city Ho Ky Minh hosted a local reception on May 20 for Zhou Xianyi, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Tianfu New Area in Sichuan of China.
Minh presented Da Nang as a growth nucleus of the central key economic region of Vietnam, known for major industrial products such as seafood, apparel, leather and footwear, mechanical engineering, construction materials and handicrafts. The city is also developing hi-tech industries and information technology into major economic sectors, with its economic structure oriented towards services, industry and agriculture.
In 2023, the city won the Best Vietnam Smart City Award in the categories “Smart Operations and Management City for Infrastructure and Public Service”, Smart, Green Environmental Management City” and “Attractive City for Startups and Innovation”.
In the first quarter of this year, the total number of tourist arrivals to the city was estimated at 235,000, with foreigners increasing by 70.7%.
Da Nang and the Tianfu New Area share similarities in urban economic management and development, Minh said, adding that Da Nang could share its experience and cooperate with the Tianfu New Area in the fields of digital transformation, transportation, tourism, sci-tech, innovation and commerce.
Zhou, for his part, introduced the Tianfu New Area as a rapidly growing urban area in the southern part of Chengdu, Sichuan province. Covering 1,578 sq.km and home to 3.56 million people, it boasted an economic size of 463.28 billion CNY (64 billion USD) in 2023, ranking first among new urban areas. It aims to become a significant growth pole and a new driving force in the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle.
He expressed a desire for closer ties between the two localities, particularly in tourism, industry, energy, and digital transformation, and sought Da Nang's support for the Tianfu New Area's firms operating in the city.
Currently, 93 Chinese projects are underway in Da Nang, with a total capital of 118 million USD, mainly in restaurants, consulting for electronic equipment import, silicon and honey production.
In 2023, Da Nang's exports to China fetched 47 million USD, including transformers, fishing rods, apparel, seafood, small engines, mobile phone headsets, wood chips, and handicrafts. Imports from China were worth 205 million USD, comprising engines, components, machinery, production equipment, and various types of steel.
Da Nang has over 30 businesses maintaining regular trade relations with China. Last year, the city welcomed roughly 179,000 Chinese tourists, making China its second largest international tourist market./.
