The delegation visited the 1823 Call Centre – a call centre model managed by the Digital Policy Office. VNA/VNS Photo

HONG KONG — A delegation of the HCM City People’s Committee led by its vice chairman Nguyễn Mạnh Cường paid a working visit to China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region from September 23-26, aiming to consolidate and deepen cooperation between the city and Hong Kong.

During the visit, the delegation exchanged experience in developing the civil service workforce amid digital transformation, building shared databases among government agencies, delivering public services, and managing residential areas.

On September 24, Cường had a working session with Algernon Yau, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of Hong Kong, during which he congratulated Hong Kong on its development achievements and expressed his delight at the positive growth of bilateral cooperation, particularly in trade, investment, finance, logistics, education and cultural exchanges.

He described Hong Kong as one of Việt Nam’s leading important economic partners, while highly appreciating its business community’s longstanding and effective presence in Ho Chi Minh City and its contributions to the development of both sides.

To further strengthen substantive cooperation, Cường proposed the two sides promote collaboration in business connectivity, development of international financial centres, education and training, science and technology, innovation, supply chains and logistics.

He also called for more trade and investment promotion events and greater use of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) to facilitate bilateral ties.

Yau congratulated HCM City on its development achievements following the administrative merger, highlighted the similarities between the two sides in socio-economic and cultural development, and affirmed that their close ties offer considerable potential for cooperation.

He suggested stepping up exchanges and cooperation between universities and research institutes in Hong Kong and HCM City, enhancing coordination within multilateral trade frameworks, including the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area and the ASEAN-Hong Kong, China Free Trade Agreement.

On September 25, the delegation held working sessions with several agencies to exchange experience in addressing pressing issues arising in urban development.

The delegation discussed civil servant development and management, as well as the application of science, technology, innovation and digital transformation in public administration, with Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung.

At the Digital Policy Office, Acting Commissioner Daniel Cheung briefed the delegation on e-government development, organisational and procedural restructuring alongside digital transformation, inter-agency coordination and data infrastructure policies.

The delegation also visited the 1823 Call Centre, which receives and handles public enquiries and complaints.

The delegation also met Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho to learn about Hong Kong’s policies on public and rental housing and visited a subsidised rental housing complex to study its residential management model.

During the visit, the delegation visited the historic Victoria Prison, where late President Hồ Chí Minh was detained by the colonial authorities from mid-1931 to 1933, as well as the Consulate General of Việt Nam in Hong Kong, and several cultural, social, science, technology and innovation facilities. VNA/VNS