Representing Hai Phong at the meeting were leaders and representatives of the Departments of Foreign Affairs, Education and Training, Finance, Industry and Trade, Science and Technology, and Home Affairs; the Hai Phong Economic Zone Management Board; and the Office of the municipal People’s Committee.

The U.S. delegation comprised 21 members, including Republican and Democratic representatives from the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, along with representatives of the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi.

Overview of the meeting between the Chairman of the Hai Phong People’s Committee and the U.S. House delegation.

Welcoming the delegation, Chairman Do Thanh Trung expressed his pleasure at receiving Representative Tim Walberg and the delegation during their visit and working trip to Hai Phong. He noted that following the administrative merger effective July 1, 2025, the new Hai Phong covers nearly 3,195 sq. km, has a population of approximately 4.66 million, ranking fourth nationwide, and has an economy among the three largest local economies in Vietnam. To achieve its goal of becoming a modern, civilized and ecological industrial port city of regional stature in Southeast Asia, Hai Phong has identified the development of high-quality human resources as one of its strategic breakthroughs.

Chairman Do Thanh Trung speaks at the meeting.

The city currently has a large-scale education network comprising 1,662 educational institutions, from preschool to university level; 33 vocational education institutions, which enroll an average of 96,300 students annually; and eight universities with more than 58,400 students. Hai Phong is currently cooperating with the California Maritime Academy to provide advanced training programs and is promoting the establishment of the first international university branch in cooperation with Keiser University of the United States. Hai Phong is committed to remaining open and creating the most favorable conditions for U.S. educational institutions and technology corporations to invest and cooperate in the city.

Representative Tim Walberg, Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce, speaks at the meeting.

On behalf of the delegation, Representative Tim Walberg expressed his sincere appreciation for the warm welcome extended by the city’s leadership. He praised Hai Phong’s dynamic socio-economic development, modern industrial and logistics infrastructure, and impressive urban spatial planning.

Representative Tim Walberg affirmed that education is a fundamental foundation for developing a high-quality workforce and promoting sustainable economic growth. Members of the U.S. House delegation expressed their strong impression of Hai Phong’s orientation toward connecting education with the labor market. They also expressed their desire to strongly promote bilateral cooperation programs in vocational training and academic exchange, encourage U.S. educational institutions to establish branches in Hai Phong, and encourage the U.S. business community, including the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham), to strengthen connections and invest in sustainable supply chains in the city.

The two sides exchanged views and discussed cooperation opportunities in vocational education, human resource development and supply chains.

Chairman Do Thanh Trung presents a commemorative gift to the U.S. House delegation.

In his concluding remarks, Chairman Do Thanh Trung assigned the Department of Foreign Affairs to serve as the focal point, coordinating with the Department of Education and Training, the Hai Phong Economic Zone Management Board and relevant agencies to compile the proposals. The department was also tasked with proactively connecting with U.S. partners to develop a list of specific cooperation programs, deepening and making cooperation between Hai Phong and U.S. partners more substantive and practical, thereby contributing to further strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Viet Nam and the United States.