On November 27th, 2025, in Hanoi, Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Tuong Van had a working session with Chairman of Shenzhen Smart City Technology Development Group (SZSC, China) Zhang Xiaoxuan.
At the meeting, Mr. Zhang Xiaoxuan said that SZSC Group was established in 2018 and has developed more than 300 technology applications, smart city management and operation solutions in many fields, most of which have been deployed in Shenzhen city, China. In addition, the Group is also implementing a number of projects in a number of cities around the world, including Abu Dhabi and Singapore.
Mr. Zhang Xiaoxuan said that China places great importance on the development of smart cities, and Shenzhen City is identified as one of the key and pioneering localities in urban digital transformation.
Meeting scene.
Emphasizing that SZSC is ready to exchange and expand cooperation with the Ministry of Construction of Vietnam, Mr. Zhang Xiaoxuan proposed that the two sides strengthen coordination in developing a cooperation plan aligned with the policy of promoting bilateral relations.
Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Minister Nguyen Tuong Van said that after more than seven years of implementing the Sustainable Smart City Development Project (2018–2025), Vietnam has achieved many important initial results, with 26 out of 34 localities having issued strategies or plans for smart city development. These include many innovative models such as Intelligent Operation Centers (IOCs), urban data management based on GIS, smart transportation, smart lighting, water supply, healthcare, education, and especially online public services for citizens.
Deputy Minister Nguyen Tuong Van highly appreciated SZSC’s cooperation proposals and affirmed that this is an important starting point, helping both sides clearly identify areas with substantial cooperation potential, particularly in standardization, data governance, technology transfer, and the development of smart urban systems.
“Vietnam is currently developing a national-level smart city development plan and wishes to gain deeper insights into China’s experience in planning, particularly the implementation model in Shenzhen and the development of smart city criteria; as well as the application of technology in water supply management, energy, transportation, and urban data,” Van emphasized.
Deputy Minister Nguyen Tuong Van and Mr. Zhang Xiaoxuan took a photo with delegates at the working session.
Based on the shared development orientations of both sides, Deputy Minister Nguyen Tuong Van proposed that SZSC and the Ministry of Construction consider promoting cooperation in the following areas: sharing China’s national-level smart city development strategies and experiences, particularly those in Shenzhen; coordinating in the development of standards, regulations, and technical guidelines for smart cities, especially in fields related to digital infrastructure and data management; studying the establishment of a bilateral cooperation mechanism on standardization and technology transfer; and strengthening cooperation in scientific research, innovation, digital transformation, green development, and low-carbon initiatives.
In addition, the Deputy Minister requested that SZSC provide in-depth exchanges on Shenzhen’s urban planning technologies and urban database governance model; share experiences in developing smart urban areas and technology urban areas, along with preferential policy systems for enterprises; and support the training and capacity-building of Vietnamese specialists in the smart-city field through both short- and long-term training programs.