A view of 2nd HCM City Friendship Dialogue on Tuesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Xuân Khu

HCM CITY — The 2nd HCM City Friendship Dialogue 2024 was held on September 24 with the participation of 35 delegations from international localities that have set up friendship and cooperative relations with the southern city.

Speaking at the event, Chairman of the municipal People's Committee Phan Văn Mãi highlighted this year's dialogue is themed "Industrial transformation: Development experience and cooperation priorities", saying it aims to address essential and urgent issues at repesent.

In the era of intensive industrial transformation, innovation and sustainable development have become decisive factors for success. Faced with the dual pressure of maintaining economic growth and meeting increasingly stringent environmental standards and social responsibilities, it is neccesary to boost innovation and adaptation, he said.

According to Mãi, to maintain competitiveness and sustainable development, HCM City needs to shift from traditional industries to high-tech and high value-added ones.

He said the city eyes to increase the proportion of high-tech industries to its GDP from the current 23 per cent to 40 per cent by 2030. It has adopted a dual strategy, which combines green transition and digital transformation to build a sustainable, inclusive and resilient economy, becoming a model for other localities to follow.

The southern metropolis is also focusing on developing high-tech industries, investing in automation, smart factories, and advanced manufacturing technology to upgrade the value chain.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyễn Minh Hằng spoke highly of the city's initiative to organise the dialogue as well as its theme, hoping that leaders of localities will discuss key issues in promoting industrial transformation at the dialouge.

Following the opening session, the dialouge continued with a mayors conference, during which participants discussed industrial transformation in their localities, and put forth initiatives and cooperation programmes to promote the process. — VNS