On November 26, 2025, amid the excitement following the successful Vietnam–Japan Local Cooperation Forum, a delegation from the ASEAN–Japan Centre (AJC), led by Secretary-General K. Chris Hirabayashi, visited and worked with the Hai Phong Economic Zone Authority (HEZA). The visit was considered a specific and practical step toward realising cooperation opportunities for the port city.
Taking place immediately after the Vietnam–Japan Local Cooperation Forum, the event demonstrated Hai Phong’s spirit of putting words into action and its initiative in seizing international connectivity opportunities. HEZA representatives welcomed the delegation and introduced the city’s potential, competitive advantages and outstanding investment incentives. It was an important opportunity for both sides to discuss development orientations and the practical needs of Japanese investors in the new period.
AJC Secretary-General K. Chris Hirabayashi at the meeting.
At the meeting, K. Chris Hirabayashi praised Hai Phong’s dynamic development. Japan regards its economic partnership with Vietnam as important, and Hai Phong is a strategic destination thanks to its integrated logistics infrastructure and increasingly complete investment environment.
The AJC Secretary-General said the visit was intended not only to learn about the investment environment generally but also to identify specific and practical cooperation opportunities. AJC wants to strongly promote its role as a trusted “bridge”, helping Japanese businesses access accurate and timely information about industrial parks and economic zones in Hai Phong.
Overview of the meeting between HEZA and the ASEAN–Japan Centre delegation.
K. Chris Hirabayashi expressed a desire to establish a long-term and sustainable cooperation mechanism between AJC and HEZA. AJC is ready to support Hai Phong’s investment promotion activities in Japan and share experience in green and sustainable industrial development, areas in which Japan is strong and Hai Phong is highly interested.
The HEZA representative affirmed its commitment to accompany Japanese investors and create the most favourable conditions for them. HEZA leaders believed that, with active support from the Secretary-General and AJC, Japanese investment in Hai Phong would continue to grow strongly in both quantity and quality.
HEZA leaders present a souvenir gift to K. Chris Hirabayashi and the ASEAN–Japan Centre delegation.
At the meeting, both sides agreed to maintain regular communication to realise the matters discussed, further strengthening the extensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Japan in general and between Hai Phong and the Japanese business community in particular.