The ‘APEC Viet Nam 2017’ programme, which describes Viet Nam’s year-long hosting of APEC meetings, will culminate in the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week (AELW 2017) in Da Nang from 5 to 11 November. 

A prosperous corner of Da Nang

State President Tran Dai Quang announced this at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2016 Summit which was held recently in Lima, Peru.

AELW 2017 will mark a milestone in the city’s socio-economic progress and help shape the future of Da Nang.  By hosting this large-scale international event, the city will have a strategic opportunity to secure its position in the national and global arena.  AELW 2017 will be attended by leaders of the 21 Pacific Rim member economies, official delegates, heads of the world’s largest economic groups, and journalists from international media agencies.

To meet the strict criteria for hosting AELW 2017, the city is required to have a modern infrastructure, a convenient transport system, international-standard accommodation facilities and services, and assured security and high-quality human resources.

Being chosen to host AELW 2017 is seen as a very meaningful reward for the city’s great efforts during its recent progress.  Over the past 2 decades, the Da Nang authorities have focused on implementing guidelines and instructions from the national government in an effective and creative manner, fully tapping its development potential and strengths, and issuing numerous reasonable policies to accelerate the city’s industrialisation and modernisation progress.

Leaders of the APEC member countries at the recent 24th APEC Economic Leader’s Meeting in Lima, Peru

The city has also effectively shifted its economic structure more towards services, tourism, green growth, and hi-tech industry, and many urban infrastructure breakthroughs have also been recorded.  In particular, the city led Viet Nam's Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) rankings for the 3 consecutive years from 2013 to 2015.

Furthermore, numerous large-scale international events have been successfully held in Da Nang over recent years.

Most notably, in an attempt to make Da Nang very different from other Vietnamese localities, importance has been attached to securing Da Nang’s special brand names, namely ‘a liveable and environmentally-friendly city’, and ‘a city of festivals and events’.

To ensure the success of AELW 2017, Da Nang has been preparing for this event since 2014, with a focus on improving infrastructure, promoting urban refurbishment, widely publicising AELW 2017, training human resources, and ensuring security during the event.

The new Australian Ambassador to Viet Nam, Mr Craig Chittick OAM, remarked that global attention will be drawn to Da Nang when the state leaders, ministers and chief executive officers (CEOs) from the 21 Pacific Rim member economies attend.  The event will open up a big opportunity for Da Nang to justify its position as an important hub for tourism and investment.  The international guests, including those from Australia, will witness with their own eyes this dynamic and innovative city, admire the stunning natural scenery, and enjoy the delicious cuisine.  He also pledged that, as one of APEC’s founding members, Australia is willing to assist Da Nang and the Viet Nam APEC 2017 National Secretariat in making preparations for the APEC 2017 Summit.

It is hoped that the city authorities will issue incentive strategies for ensuring the success of AELW 2017.  This will help to open a new chapter in the history of the city’s development and lay a firm foundation for the city to achieve more success in the future.  It deserves its position as Viet Nam’s new economic dragon, as confirmed by French journalist Bruno Philip in his article published in 2013 in Le Monde, a French daily newspaper.