Incheon, Hai Phong Expand Friendly Cooperation

Incheon Metropolitan City discussed friendly cooperation with Vietnam’s Hai Phong and future directions for development on Oct. 15. (Provided by Incheon Metropolitan City)  Incheon Metropolitan City and Vietnam’s Hai Phong are expanding a 30-year friendship built on ports and free economic zones into the fields of advanced industries and smart cities. Kim Seong-jung, Administrative Vice Mayor of Incheon Metropolitan City, met on Oct. 15 with a delegation led by Do Man Hien, deputy secretary of the Hai Phong Party Committee, who visited Incheon. The meeting was arranged to review the achievements of cultural, healthcare, and people-to-people exchanges that have continued since the two cities signed a sister-city agreement in 1997, and to discuss future directions for development ahead of the 30th anniversary of the sister-city relationship next year. Hai Phong is paying close attention to the smart city operating model of the Incheon Free Economic Zone and Incheon’s experience in fostering advanced industries such as bio. Hai Phong plans to actively apply Incheon’s advanced examples to development projects currently under way in the city. During the meeting, Vice Mayor Kim said, "Incheon and Hai Phong are partners that have achieved remarkable growth centered on ports and free economic zones," stressing cooperation across a wide range of areas including the economy and culture. Ahead of the meeting, the Hai Phong delegation directly inspected major infrastructure sites in Incheon. In the morning, the delegation visited the Cheongna Sky Bridge, listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s tallest sea bridge observatory, and toured its major facilities. From a height of 184.2 m, the delegation saw Incheon’s infrastructure competitiveness before visiting the Incheon Free Economic Zone promotion hall in the afternoon. At the promotion hall, the delegation examined the development status of the Songdo, Yeongjong, and Cheongna districts and listened to a briefing on smart city development policies. Incheon Metropolitan City currently has an exchange network with 39 sister and friendship cities in 18 countries around the world.