Delegates pose for photos during a break of the opening plenary session held yesterday as part of the Asia Horasis Meeting that will officially begin today. VNS Photo Bồ Xuân Hiệp

Bồ Xuân Hiệp

BÌNH DƯƠNG — A new dynamism is creating more prosperity and stability in Asia as nations across the region are joining together politically and through trade, speakers said yesterday at the opening plenary session of the Horasis Asia Meeting, which officially begins today.

Speaking at the event, Trần Văn Nam, the Party Secretary of Bình Dương Province, said that Việt Nam’s open economy had strengthened its position within ASEAN to compete in the digital economy. 

“Việt Nam’s strong economic indicators suggest it can hold a key position in the resurgence of Asia,” he said.  

Speakers and delegates at the plenary discussed what the future of Asia might be, and whether diversity and cultural identities could be maintained while aspiring to unity. 

More than 400 senior executives and CEOs from over 60 countries, as well as 400 government leaders and top executives from Việt Nam’s largest businesses, are attending the meeting, hosted by Bình Dương Province.

Tôn Nữ Thị Ninh, president of the HCM City Peace and Development Foundation, told Việt Nam News: “The Horasis Asia Meeting is attended by CEOs of the world’s most respected corporations, key leaders from emerging markets, and public figures. Such a meeting acts as a platform to advance solutions to the most critical challenges we are facing today.”

Ninh said she would speak about the future of Asian geopolitics, focusing on China-US relations, the rise of China, and the new roles of ASEAN.

Deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng will address the opening ceremony today.

A range of activities will be held during the two-day meeting, with four plenary sessions and 36 dialogue sessions.

Plenary sessions will include discussions on new trends in technology and the status of the regional and global economy, with presentations and speeches made by global leaders and respected experts. 

New business models, support for start-up businesses, and solutions for smart cities, in addition to the challenges of the Fourth Industial Revolution, will be the focus of the sessions.

Vietnamese enterprises at the meeting will also have the opportunity to connect with senior partners, founders, and CEOs of leading companies in Asia, the region and the world

Delegates speak during a break of the opening plenary session held yesterday as part of the Asia Horasis Meeting that will officially begin today. VNS Photo Bồ Xuân Hiệp

Mai Hùng Dũng, standing vice chairman of Bình Dương People’s Committee, said the province was proud to be chosen as the host of the Horasis Asia Meeting 2018, shortly after its successful hosting of the 11th conference of the World Technopolis Association.

Bình Dương Smart City was honoured recently as one of “The World’s 21 Smartest Cities in 2019” by the Intelligent Community Forum, he noted.

“The event is an opportunity to promote the image of Bình Dương and Việt Nam with international partners, and to improve management capacity as well as the science and technology level of Việt Nam, with the aim of speeding up the building of smart cities,” he said.

Bình Dương is considered one of Việt Nam’s major economic hubs, with strong industrial development, he added.

Phạm Hồng Hải, CEO of HSBC Việt Nam, noted that Bình Dương Province had seen robust economic growth with improvement in administration, emerging at the top of the infrastructure index in the Provincial Competitiveness Index 2016. 

“All of these factors have made Bình Dương an ideal destination for investors. The province has become one of the country’s key industrial hubs, with strong investment in infrastructure and modern industrial parks to attract foreign investors,” he said.

“This robust development requires new urban areas to serve the growing numbers of new businesses and residents,” he said.

Dr. Frank-Jürgen Richter, chairman and founder of Horasis, said: “We are very impressed with the strength and economic potential of the Vietnamese economy and Bình Dương Province. There is good infrastructure with a state-of-the-art conference centre, and we have had great support from the local government as the host of our meeting.”

A session will also be held on the province’s investment opportunities in hi-tech industries, supporting industries, information technology, construction, human resource development and vocational training, among other fields.

The meeting will also discuss Artificial Intelligence (AI), the ongoing development of the education sector, and business innovation.  

The event is hosted by Bình Dương People’s Committee in collaboration with the Horasis Global Visions Community, Becamex IDC Corporation, VSIP Group, All India Management Association (AIMA) and the Young Premier Leadership Organisation (YPO). 

The Horasis Asia Meeting is convened by Horasis: The Global Visions Community. — VNS