From 15 to 18 of July, 2025, Hai Phong city hosted the 3rd meeting of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC III) with the theme: "Bridge – Business – Reach out" - a message that meant to be connected and to express the desire to cooperate to overcome challenges for sustainable development.
From 15 to 18 of July, 2025, Hai Phong city hosted the 3rd meeting of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC III) with the theme: "Bridge – Business – Reach out" - a message that meant to be connected and to express the desire to cooperate to overcome challenges for sustainable development.
The ABAC III meeting was hosted by Vietnam Confederation of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), Saigon Investment Group (SGI), Kinh Bac City Development Holding Corporation (KBC) and SOVICO Group, taking place from 15 to 18 of July, 2025 in Hai Phong city with the support of the city. The event gathered more than 200 delegates who are ABAC members and assistants, including leaders of large corporations, multinational companies, and leading enterprises from 21 APEC member economies.
This is one of the important meetings to unify the content of ABAC's letter to APEC Ministers: Ministry of Economy, SME, Health, Ministry in charge of digital transformation and to complete the ABAC report on policy recommendations from the business community submitted to APEC Economic leaders at the October, 2025 Summit Week in Korea.
The opening ceremony and sessions of ABAC III focused on strategic topics such as: Trade – investment, digital economy, green transformation, sustainable finance, small and medium enterprise development, supply chain, artificial intelligence, smart health, etc. The results of the meeting shall be compiled into an official report of ABAC to be submitted to APEC leaders.
In his opening remarks, President of Vietnam – Mr. Luong Cuong emphasized: A sustainable APEC region is indispensable for close cohesion between businesses. The President called on the APEC business community to work together to strengthen cooperation, connect production chains, share technologies, and improve resilience to global shocks. Competition is necessary, but cooperation is the condition for all economies to win.
The President also encouraged organizations such as ABAC, large enterprises in the region to actively support small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), through trainings, technology transfer and market cooperation. It is necessary to create conditions for small and medium-sized enterprises to participate more deeply in the global value chain, contributing to the inclusive and sustainable development of the region.
President of Vietnam – Mr. Luong Cuong spoke at the opening session on July 16, 2025
In the coming time, Vietnam will continue to promote APEC cooperation initiatives in the direction of people-centered, business-driven and sustainable development as the goal. Vietnam will accompany ABAC in developing practical policy recommendations that reflect the expectations and needs of the business community.
President Luong Cuong took pictures with ABAC members
President Luong Cuong visited KBC's exhibition booth within the framework of side events of the Conference
ABAC delegates visited LG Innotek at KBC's Trang Due Industrial Park
Mr. Dang Thanh Tam, Member of ABAC Vietnam, Chairman of SGI and KBC said: The conference shall create conditions for strategic dialogues, promote long-term cooperation and remove barriers in business investment practices
KBC was the main sponsor and hosted Gala dinner II at ABAC, welcoming more than 300 delegates with a lot of content and images to promote Vietnamese culture to international delegates
Vietnam is expected to assume the role of APEC Chair in 2027, a strategically significant moment in its deepening integration process. In this context, ABAC III in 2025 is seen as a practical preparation step in terms of content, personnel, and organizational capacity for the upcoming role. At the same time, this is also an opportunity for the domestic community to strengthen connections, update global trends, and engage more deeply in the international value chains that are undergoing significant restructuring.
"It can be said that ABAC III and the 2025 Investment Promotion Conference in Hai Phong mark a strategic turning point, attracting high-quality capital flows, while affirming organizational capacity, development vision, and the aspiration to become a dynamic economic hub of the region. This sets a solid foundation for the breakthrough phase after the administrative unit merger, contributing to realizing the goal of transforming Hai Phong into a modern, civilized, and sustainable industrial city. This is also an opportunity for Vietnamese businesses to directly connect with international partners and ABAC members to enhance business connections, promote the investment environment, and together work towards a prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable APEC region.