A view of the forum. Photo: VNA  

Ho Ky Minh, Permanent Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, made the remarks at the opening of the Vietnam Financial Forum 2026 (VFF 2026) on July 9. The forum brought together more than 350 policymakers, international financial institutions, strategic consulting firms, fintech companies and stakeholders in global capital markets and financial infrastructure.

He said that the National Assembly’s adoption of special mechanisms and policies, together with the Government’s Decree No. 323/2025/ND-CP establishing the Vietnam International Financial Centre (VIFC), has created an important legal foundation for a financial centre operating in line with international practices.

The model is being developed in both Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang to leverage the unique strengths of each locality while enhancing Vietnam’s position on the global financial map and mobilising resources more effectively for national development.

  Delegates at the forum. Photo: VNA   

He stressed that Da Nang views the VIFC not merely as a financial zone, but as a new institutional space for testing advanced financial models and promoting innovation, digital transformation and green growth.

Under this strategy, the city is pursuing a next-generation IFC focused on innovation, fintech and sustainable finance, concentrating on high-value segments rather than a traditional fully integrated financial-centre model.

During the initial phase, Da Nang will prioritise five groups of financial products and services: tokenisation of real-world assets, carbon credits and carbon trading, investment funds and fund management companies, commodity exchanges, and bonds and other medium- and long-term capital-raising instruments. These areas are expected to form a modern financial ecosystem supporting capital mobilisation, green transition, infrastructure development, trade and logistics.

City leaders said an international financial centre must be built on trust, transparent institutions, high-quality human resources, advanced technology and global connectivity.

Da Nang pledged to continue improving institutions, developing infrastructure, enhancing workforce quality and expanding international cooperation to create a transparent, convenient and competitive investment environment for investors and long-term development partners at the VIFC.

Minh expressed confidence that the forum’s discussions would generate new initiatives, partnerships and projects, contributing to the development of the VIFC and strengthening Vietnam’s integration into the global financial system.

At the forum, Chris Vanloon, Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (AmCham) - Da Nang chapter, said Vietnam is moving decisively from setting a vision to implementing practical measures that enable capital to flow more efficiently. Just six months after its announcement, the VIFC has established two functional zones in two cities and built a network of founding institutional partners.

According to Vanloon, international investors are increasingly focusing on not only macroeconomic potential but also the development of both hard and soft infrastructure, including the legal framework, governance architecture, digital asset markets and sustainable finance. The rapid pace of implementation and strong reform commitments, he said, are creating an opportunity for the VIFC to become a key bridge connecting Vietnam’s financial market with global capital flows./.