Shantou City has long been regarded as a historical trading port with a rich cultural and commercial heritage. Currently, Shantou City is a multifunctional key transportation hub at nation level. Shantou Port is one of the 15 key ports along the Belt and Road route, ranking 22nd in terms of cargo throughput in China. Chaoshan Airport is the third largest airport in Guangdong Province, with 71 regular domestic and international routes, approximately 40 minutes' drive from the city center. Shantou City is also considered one of the first state-level e-commerce model cities, with new business models such as service commerce, market shopping, cross-border e-commerce, and livestream sales providing vitality for the development of Shantou's commerce sector.

Since 2005, Shantou City and Can Tho City have established a sister city relationship. To date, both sides have had effective exchanges and cooperation, particularly in tourism and trade. In 2023, the total trade turnover between Shantou City and ASEAN is projected to reach 15.53 billion RMB. Among this, the trade turnover between Shantou City and Vietnam is 1.24 billion RMB, with main products being toys, clothing, and rice. Furthermore, both sides have bilateral investments. Vietnam mainly invests in trade in Shantou City, while Shantou City primarily engages in wholesale spice trading in Vietnam.

The delegation visited Shanghai Electronics Group, Guangdong Branch. Photo: Collaborator.

Comrade Tran Viet Truong and the delegation visited the Shantou Integrated Free Trade Zone and learned about the overall situation of the area. This is one of the first free trade zones established by the state in 1993, and it is the only comprehensive free trade zone in eastern Guangdong Province. This zone, together with the deep-water port of Guan Gao, has two connecting routes to Hai Phong Port and Ho Chi Minh City Port, with unique policy functions focusing on the development of bonded processing, bonded logistics, and bonded comprehensive services. It offers incentives such as "exemption from certification, exemption from taxes, export-oriented policies, and tax refunds". It also serves as a comprehensive zone for "General bonded area - Pilot Zone for Cross-border E-commerce - Development Zone for Free Trade Linkages". The zone is currently planning the construction of a port industrial park. By 2023, the total import and export volume of the Shantou Integrated Free Trade Zone is expected to reach 14.172 billion RMB, with an export volume of 13.199 billion RMB, ranking 48th among all 159 general bonded area in China.

During the exchange with the Can Tho delegation, Comrade Tran Xuan Tong, Director of the Shantou Integrated Free Trade Zone, believes that this foreign zone has the potential to cooperate with businesses in Can Tho City in four aspects: inspection of frozen meat and seafood (this is the only designated inspection zone for imported frozen meat and seafood from the eastern province of Guangdong); processing facilities, warehouses, and cold chain logistics with the second largest independent storage capacity in China, with a total construction area of 130,000m2 and equipped with ultra-low temperature freezers at -65°C; comprehensive services for warehouses, processing, and distribution of cold chain fruits, vegetables, and other agricultural products; and cross-border e-commerce. Currently, leading e-commerce businesses such as Taobao and Temu are already operating here, providing efficient global trade services. Additionally, this zone also has a B2B trading platform with a central export warehouse...

Scene of Signing ceremony of the Strategic Economic and Trade Cooperation Agreement between the Can Tho Department of Planning and Investment and the Shantou City Trade Department. Photo: Collaborator.

At the China (Shantou) - Vietnam (Can Tho) Cooperation and Friendship Forum, representatives from both governments and businesses discussed the potential for cooperation in the import-export sector and the advantages of related industries. Businesses from Shantou City participating in the forum expressed interest in the import-export situation in Can Tho City, particularly in sectors such as textiles, toys, construction, and import-export. In these areas of interest, which countries are mainly involved in international cooperation? What are the intentions for cooperation between Shantou City and Can Tho in the mentioned fields? Therefore, the Can Tho delegation hopes to introduce and connect with corresponding business associations in the industries of interest...

Comrade Tran Viet Truong (left) and Comrade Zeng Fengbao exchanging souvenirs. Photo: Collaborator.

Providing information to the government and businesses of Shantou City, Comrade Tran Viet Truong believes that Can Tho City holds a strategic position as the center of the Mekong Delta, where various transportation routes converge: air, road, water, and international multimodal transport. It is a hub for human resources training, science and technology, healthcare, and health services in the region. Can Tho offers an open investment and business environment, a clean living environment, and diverse economic potential. Furthermore, with its mild climate and fertile land, Can Tho has advantages for investment and development in agriculture, with key agricultural products including rice, seafood, fruits, and vegetables, as well as potential for processing and export. The logistics service system is increasingly improved with three ports (Cai Cui Port, Hoang Dieu Tra Noc Port, and Thot Not New Port), highways, expressways, and six national highways connecting provinces in the Mekong Delta and Ho Chi Minh City. Promoting the opening of more international routes to Can Tho International Airport will further benefit businesses investing and operating in Can Tho. In addition to Vietnam's general investment policies, to facilitate Can Tho's development, the Vietnamese National Assembly has recently issued Resolution No. 45 on piloting certain mechanisms and policies to help Can Tho accelerate and overcome difficulties. In which there is a mechanism that allows the city to mobilize resources for infrastructure development, human resources, digital transformation, including foreign resources. At the forum, Comrade Chairman of the People's Committee of Can Tho City expects that through the working program, both sides will remove obstacles to create the best conditions for the implementation of the signed Memorandum of Understanding in a substantive and effective manner. At the same time, breakthroughs will be made in cooperation in the fields of sports, culture, education, seaports, and trade.

Representatives of the Shantou City government hope that on the basis of the sisterhood relationship, it will be a starting point to enhance economic and trade cooperation between the two sides. Thereby, promoting the establishment of cooperation mechanisms, enhancing the exchange of information on economy and trade between the two sides, actively promoting two-way investment cooperation; providing more platforms and opportunities for practical exchange and cooperation between businesses from both sides through organizing various forms of economic and trade promotion activities. At the same time, further strengthening bilateral trade cooperation, supporting each other's local businesses to participate in important trade fairs and exhibitions organized by the other side to support Shantou products for export to Vietnam and support high-quality Vietnamese products to enter the Shantou market.

Comrade Zeng Fengbao, Mayor of Shantou City, believes that through this visit, the friendship between the two cities will be strengthened. Cultural and trade exchanges between the two sides will be further expanded. Direct trade cooperation between businesses from both sides will also be promoted. Comrade Zeng Fengbao stated that Shantou City is currently facing rare development opportunities and is experiencing strong development trends. In October 2020, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, Xi Jinping, visited Shantou City and outlined the development direction for the city, giving Shantou a new mission to build a better economic zone in the new era. The Provincial Party Committee and the provincial government of Guangdong also have high hopes for the development of Shantou City... This is seen as a great opportunity for Shantou City to develop and enhance international cooperation activities. It is believed that this direction is also similar to the direction given by the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to Can Tho City. It is expected that this will be the basis for the two localities to continue to vigorously promote cooperation in various fields in the future.