Xiengkhouang Province and Ho Chi Minh City boast a long-standing tradition of mutual support and cooperation. Since 2010, the bilateral ties between the two localities have grown increasingly close and well-established and was officially signed into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the establishment of friendly and cooperative relations in 2023, the subnational strategic partnership between Ho Chi Minh City and Xiengkhouang Province (Lao People's Democratic Republic) officially entered a completely new and historic stage of development. This sister-province agreement, which is based on the unique and intimate solidarity between the two countries, creates a strong legal framework to support political interactions, commercial and investment connections, and significant social welfare programs. As the primary economic locomotive of Vietnam, the government of Ho Chi Minh City has consistently encouraged and created the most favorable conditions to attract city corporations and enterprises to bring technological resources and management expertise for long-term cooperation and sustainable development with Xiengkhouang Province.
Located in the northern highlands of Laos, Xiengkhouang Province boasts a highly strategic location, a wide hilly topography, and a year-round moderate temperature. The province is well known around the world for being the location of the "Plain of Jars" cultural heritage complex, a singular archeological marvel that has been designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Xiengkhouang Province has a population of 299,413 (as of 2025) people and has a natural land area of 15,992 square kilometers (according to field survey data from the XiengKhouang local tourism and economic information portal) After overcoming the long-lasting effects of conflict, Xiengkhouang is quickly evolving into a model eco-economic center that successfully balances the development of sustainable green livelihoods for the local population with the preservation of human heritage values.
More than 80% of the population depends on agriculture as their primary source of income, and the province's competitive advantages are centered in high-export-value industrial crops like sticky rice called (Kao Kai Noi), maize, cassava and Cold-climate fruits and vegetables. Concurrently, the province's service industry is growing quickly thanks to heritage tourism, which creates a strong basis for the expansion of transportation, traditional handicrafts commerce, and supporting infrastructure. The strategic infrastructure project to upgrade and expand Phonsavan/Thong Hai Airport has significantly increased the province's competitiveness in luring investment, creating a seamless aviation network and providing a wide gateway for foreign investment flows.
Xiangkhouang Province currently seeks investment in key areas, including:
(1) Transportation and Infrastructure: Upgrading Route 7 to connect with Vietnam’s North-South Expressway and the Vietnamese seaports of Cua Lo, Vung Ang, and Nghi Son Port; and Feasibility Study Project investing in an expressway from Phonsavanh Town to Vangvieng District, Vientiane Province, to connect with the Laos-China Expressway and High-Speed Railway;
(2) Agricultural Development Project: Livestock farming, Cold-climate fruits and vegetables, agricultural processing, and medicinal plants for export;
(3) Projects to harness the potential of tourism services in heritage, historical monuments, culture, history, and eco-nature, integrated with high-end hotel and resort services.
(4) High-quality mineral development projects.
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Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Tat Thanh Cang holds talks with the Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Governor of Xieng Khouang Province (Laos), Mr. Somkot Mangnomek - Photo: Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee
The exceptional friendly cooperative accomplishments between Xieng Khouang Province and Ho Chi Minh City over time have grown to be a significant emblem of the unique and enduring solidarity between the two nations. The significant infrastructure and educational welfare projects that Ho Chi Minh City sponsored and built in Xieng Khouang, such as the Xieng Khouang-Ho Chi Minh City Friendship High School, healthcare facilities, and urban clean water supply systems, are the most significant and extensive highlight of the bilateral relationship. In parallel, human resource training and education have been executed sustainably, and Ho Chi Minh City has consistently welcomed and awarded full scholarships to generations of Xieng Khouang students to pursue specialized courses.Periodic cultural exchanges, voluntary medical missions, and technical support in livestock breeding and cultivation have further tightened solidarity, creating a solid foundation to elevate the economic linkages between the two localities to a more strategic new chapter.
With an eye toward the future, Ho Chi Minh City is growing its networks of partnerships with partners from Xieng Khouang Province in five important sectors, building on the Memorandum of Understanding agreed in 2023:
Heritage Tourism Infrastructure and Travel Services: Forming joint ventures to invest in and construct high-end hotel chains and eco-resorts around the Plain of Jars area, and collaborating on designing cross-border tourism routes connecting Ho Chi Minh City to Northern Laotian provinces.
High-Tech Agriculture and Export Processing: Transferring modern organic agricultural technical processes and cooperating on building factories for the deep processing of agricultural products and non-timber forest products (medicinal herbs, plant resins) to meet international consumer standards.
Handicrafts Support and Trade Promotion: Connecting and integrating unique traditional handmade silk weaving, embroidery, and ironwork products from Xieng Khouang's traditional craft villages into major commercial centers and exhibition fairs in Ho Chi Minh City.
Urban Transport Infrastructure and Energy: Sharing experience and attracting construction enterprises from Ho Chi Minh City to bid on and invest in inter-district transportation systems, rural power grids, and local renewable energy projects.
High-Tech Healthcare and Human Resource Training: Deploying aid packages for specialized medical equipment, providing advanced professional training for the province's medical staff, and continuing to maintain full scholarship funds for Xieng Khouang students to study at premier universities in Ho Chi Minh City.