On the morning of August 2nd, 2026, Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Diep, Vice Chairwoman of the Can Tho City People’s Committee, hosted a reception and working session with Shantou city delegation (Guangdong Province, China), led by Mr. Thai Vinh Minh, Member of the Standing Committee of the Shantou Municipal Party Committee. The meeting was attended by representatives of relevant departments and agencies. It took place within the framework of an official visit aimed at strengthening mutual understanding, fostering friendship, and expanding cooperation between the two localities.
At the meeting, Can Tho city leaders provided an overview of the city’s socio-economic development, emphasizing its role as the central hub of the Mekong Delta in terms of economy, trade, logistics, education and healthcare. The city possesses considerable potential and competitive advantages in attracting investment, particularly in agro- and seafood processing, logistics, industrial park infrastructure and high-quality services.
Cooperation between Can Tho and Chinese partners has yielded encouraging results in recent years. To date, the city hosts 35 FDI projects from China, with a total registered capital of approximately 1,193 million USD, mainly in processing industries, energy, trade and services. In the first six months of 2026, exports to China reached 15.5 million USD, with key export items including rice, seafood, agricultural products and processed agricultural goods, garments, and several other products (such as feathers and paper). Imports totaled 34.2 million USD, primarily consisting of agrochemicals, veterinary medicines, fertilizers, chemicals, fabrics, and other materials (including raw materials, inputs for seafood processing, paper, etc.). Regarding relations between Can Tho and Shantou, the two cities have maintained a cooperative foundation since 1995 through delegation exchanges and the signing of cooperation agreements in economic, cultural and educational fields. However, existing outcomes have yet to fully match the potential. Both sides therefore agreed to further promote cooperation in a more substantive, effective, and in-depth manner.
During the meeting, Can Tho leader proposed enhancing cooperation in several areas: investment and trade connectivity, promotion activities and business matching; logistics development, port infrastructure and supply chains; agricultural processing, exporting with sustainable value chains development; as well as education, healthcare, technological science, cultural and tourism exchanges. In particular, in the logistics – one of the city’s key development areas – Can Tho expressed its interest in learning from Shantou’s experience in planning, managing, and operating modern port and logistics systems to better leverage regional advantages.
On behalf of Shantou City, Mr. Thai Vinh Minh highly appreciated Can Tho’s development potential and noted that the strengths of the two localities are complementary. As one of China’s earliest special economic zones, Shantou holds advantages in industry, logistics, trade, and organizing of large-scale fairs and exhibitions. He expressed a strong desire to deepen cooperation, enhance business connectivity, and expand markets, while inviting Can Tho to organize delegations and enterprises to participate in relevant events to explore partnership opportunities.
Previously, as part of the visit, on the afternoon of August 1st, 2026, Shantou City delegation visited Can Tho Vietnam-China General School and held a working session with Can Tho Union of Friendship Organization, Can Tho Vietnam-China Friendship Association. The meeting took place in a warm and cordial atmosphere, providing an opportunity for all parties to reflect on achievements in cultural and educational exchanges between the two localities in recent years.
The visit and working sessions of Shantou City delegation are expected to open up new avenues for cooperation, further strengthening the friendship between the two cities in a sustainable, practical and effective manner, while contributing to the broader Vietnam-China partnership. Both sides agreed to maintain coordination, promote the signing of concrete cooperation programs among departments and agencies; strengthen business matching, investment promoting and expand people-to-people exchanges.
Representatives of both localities took a commemorative photo
Da Uyen