Regarding its economy and key industries, Western Australia is Australia's largest state by land area, with a population of more than 2.9 million people. The state contributes approximately 17% of Australia's GDP and consistently ranks as the country's largest exporting state. Western Australia's economy is built upon a strong industrial base and abundant natural resources, with globally competitive strengths in mining, oil and gas, and maritime logistics. The state is the world's largest producer of iron ore and one of the world's leading exporters of liquefied natural gas (LNG), supported by a number of large-scale resource projects. Looking ahead, with Perth serving as its financial centre, Western Australia continues to strengthen its position as a hub for innovation and green energy through the development of green hydrogen, renewable energy, advanced mining technologies and comprehensive digital transformation.
Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Vo Van Hoan receives Mr Roger Cook MLA, Deputy Premier of Western Australia. Photo: Dan Viet Newspaper
Over the years, cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and Western Australia has produced meaningful outcomes in trade, energy, education and training, and people-to-people exchanges. Since the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of friendly and cooperative relations, bilateral economic connectivity has continued to expand, creating favourable conditions for enterprises from both sides to strengthen market linkages and investment cooperation. Recent achievements include academic exchange programmes, high-quality workforce development initiatives and sustainable science and technology cooperation between leading Western Australian universities, including The University of Western Australia (UWA) and Curtin University, and reputable educational institutions in Vietnam.
Future Cooperation Priorities looking ahead, particularly as Ho Chi Minh City continues to expand its development space, the city seeks to strengthen strategic cooperation and attract investment from Western Australian partners in the following five priority areas:
Renewable Energy and Green Hydrogen: Promote research collaboration, technology transfer in green energy solutions, the development of clean energy systems and the adoption of sustainable carbon emission reduction models in support of the Net Zero goal.
Logistics and Port Infrastructure: Enhance international maritime transport infrastructure, strengthen cross-border logistics and supply chain connectivity, and share expertise in smart logistics systems and modern port management.
Mining Technology and Mining Engineering: Encourage cooperation with Western Australian enterprises in transferring advanced mining technologies and applying modern, safe and environmentally sustainable mining solutions.
High-quality Education and Human Resource Development: Expand international-standard education partnerships, promote academic exchanges, and strengthen research collaboration between educational institutions in both localities.
Digital Transformation and Smart Cities: Foster cooperation in digital urban governance, smart infrastructure solutions, circular economy models and sustainable resource management to enhance climate resilience.