On April 28, as part of an official visit to Japan, a Hanoi high-level delegation met with Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko, attended the SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 high-tech exhibition, joined the Global Network of Sustainable Cities Summit (G-NETS) 2026 and held a bilateral meeting with representatives of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The delegation was led by Central Party Committee member, Vice Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee and Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Vu Dai Thang.

Strengthening political trust and expanding strategic cooperation

At the meeting in Tokyo, Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko welcomed the Hanoi delegation.

Governor Koike Yuriko expressed appreciation to Chairman Vu Dai Thang for attending and delivering remarks at the G-NETS 2026 Leaders Summit and participating in the dialogue on sustainable development between Tokyo and ASEAN capital cities.

She expressed hope that G-NETS 2026 and related dialogues would strengthen ties between Tokyo and other cities, especially Southeast Asian capitals, including Hanoi.

Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Vu Dai Thang thanked the Tokyo Governor for inviting Hanoi's leadership to participate in Tokyo's forum on sustainable technology development and artificial intelligence applications.

He noted that the event provides an opportunity for cities to exchange views on technology and digital transformation and highlighted that Tokyo has hosted G-NETS for three consecutive years, helping strengthen intercity connectivity.

G-NETS 2026 focuses on sustainable technology development and artificial intelligence applications, which are highly relevant to modern urban development.

Thang said Hanoi will present Vietnam's current situation in deploying AI-related applications, sustainable development initiatives and high-tech applications in the city.

He also expressed appreciation to Tokyo and Japan for their long-standing support in Hanoi's economic, industrial and environmental development.

He emphasized that the memorandum of understanding signed between the two cities in 2013 has been effective and the friendship between Hanoi and Tokyo reflects the strong development of Vietnam-Japan relations across all sectors.

Thang expressed hope that Hanoi and Tokyo will continue to build on the memorandum and expand cooperation in high technology, green transition and energy transition.

On this occasion, Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Vu Dai Thang invited Governor Koike Yuriko and her colleagues to visit Hanoi in the near future.

Using data and technology as pillars of modern urban governance

At the G-NETS 2026 Leaders Summit, Chairman Thang delivered a keynote presentation titled "Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technology."

He stated that Hanoi is implementing an "AI First" approach, using data and artificial intelligence as the foundation for building a digital government and improving governance efficiency.

According to him, AI has been widely applied across sectors, improving public services, reducing costs and enhancing citizen engagement, notably through the iHanoi platform.

Responding to concerns raised at the forum about AI potentially causing mass layoffs, Thang said AI must focus on people, citizens and businesses.

He affirmed that AI adoption will not lead to mass layoffs but will involve reviewing job positions to align with individual capabilities, along with appropriate policies to protect workers' rights.

He said that AI is not intended to reduce staffing levels but to restructure jobs toward higher-quality roles.

At the closing plenary session of the G-NETS Summit, the Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee, the Tokyo Governor and representatives from cities worldwide adopted the Joint Declaration of the conference.

Mobilizing international resources to promote infrastructure and innovation

On April 28, the Hanoi delegation attended the SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 exhibition at Tokyo Big Sight.

Chairman Vu Dai Thang visited exhibition areas showcasing Vietnamese digital transformation and technology enterprises and expressed satisfaction with the growth of Vietnam's tech startup ecosystem.

He also held a bilateral meeting with representatives of the Asian Development Bank.

At the meeting, Thang stated that Hanoi's ambitious growth targets require substantial resources.

In addition to domestic resources, Hanoi is seeking support from traditional investors and new financial sources to support development.

He said that bilateral and multilateral partners, especially the Asian Development Bank, are key partners with which Hanoi aims to collaborate.

Thang thanked ADB for its support for Hanoi's Metro Line 3 project, which has helped keep implementation largely on schedule.

Representing ADB, Winfried Wicklein, the Director General of the Southeast Asia Department, thanked Chairman Vu Dai Thang for the meeting.

He appreciated the positive update on the Metro Line 3 progress and affirmed that ADB's technical team will make every effort to complete the project.

He added that Hanoi and ADB can also explore future cooperation programs related to urban railways, science and technology and other transport systems.

Earlier, on April 27, the Hanoi delegation met with young Vietnamese scientists and experts in science, technology and digital transformation in Japan.

At the meeting held at the Embassy of Vietnam in Japan, participants presented proposals on technology application, digital transformation and urban planning for Hanoi.

After hearing the proposals, Chairman Vu Dai Thang noted that the meeting demonstrated the strong contributions of young Vietnamese experts in Japan and reaffirmed Hanoi's commitment to making science, technology and innovation key drivers of development and positioning the city as a major scientific hub in the future.

According to the plan, on April 29, the Hanoi delegation will continue working with Japanese ministries, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, Sumitomo Corporation and attend the Tokyo ASEAN capitals dialogue chaired by the Tokyo Governor.