In 2026 and 2027, the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting will be held consecutively in Shenzhen, China, and Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam with China hosting in 2026 and Vietnam in 2027.
This is not merely a geographic coincidence but a potent strategic signal. Shenzhen stands as the "Silicon Valley" of China's new quality productive forces, while Phu Quoc is emerging as the "Pearl" of Vietnam's modern services and green development.
The relay between these two cities acts as a strategic anchor, signaling that Guangdong-Vietnam cooperation is shifting from volume-based trade, to value-chain symbiosis.
From physical connectivity to manufacturing "lifelines"
In the early stages, the Guangdong-Vietnam cooperation momentum was driven by a direct supply-demand misalignment: Vietnamese manufacturing needed mature supply chain support, while Guangdong sought high-efficiency outlets for its premium industrial capacity.
As noted by Dr. Pham Thi Thanh Loan, General Manager of Guangdong Sino-Vietnamese Business Travel Co., Ltd., this need gave birth to exemplars like the Dongguan-Haiphong shipping route. It is more than a logistics channel; it is a "lifeline" tailored for high-tech products like lithium batteries and integrated circuits.
The 58.1% growth in cargo value in early 2025 proves that when infrastructure connectivity is rooted in actual production transfer, the results are explosive. At this stage, cooperation completed its initial accumulation—moving from physical movement, to supply chain embedding.
Qualitative leap: from exporting goods to operating systems
As cooperation deepened, Vietnam encountered institutional costs and standardization bottlenecks during its industrial upgrade, whereas Guangdong possesses mature special economic zones and the "Qianhai Experience."
Dr. Pham points out that the focus of Vietnam has shifted from attracting isolated investments to replicating Guangdong's industrial park ecosystem and Qianhai-style service platforms.
This model transplant reflects a deep strategic match: Vietnam is no longer content with just factories; it craves a high-efficiency "Operating System"—including smart regulation and flexible legal frameworks. This institutional connectivity transforms physical links into genuine economic corridors, ensuring that trade is no longer hindered by red tape but empowered by shared rules.
Future symbiosis—from manufacturing synergy to joint R&D
Looking toward the 15th Five-Year Plan and the APEC dual-city era, the partnership will reach an even more advanced form: strategic symbiosis.
Vietnam's pursuit of technological autonomy and a 30% digital GDP target aligns perfectly with Guangdong's focus on new quality productive forces.
"I am most optimistic about the upgrade toward Joint R&D and innovation," Dr. Pham emphasizes. This is a complementarity based on innovation arbitrage: Guangdong provides venture capital and top-tier R&D facilities, while Vietnam offers a young IT talent dividend and diverse digital application scenarios. Under the APEC 2026-2027 framework, Shenzhen's algorithms and Guangzhou's financing will be strategically stitched with Phu Quoc's green, low-carbon scenarios.
A trend is emerging: the winner of the second half of Asia-Pacific trade will not be decided by breadth (or volume), but by the depth of value-chain integration. The back-to-back consecutive hosting of APEC 2026 and 2027 is essentially setting a template: when two economies move beyond settling for superficial complementarity to weave together their rules, technologies, and strategic imaginations, this deepened trade and economic relations will forge a more promising future.
From Shenzhen to Phu Quoc, from 2026 to 2027, Guangdong and Vietnam are now carving out a new regional path of innovative, sustainable, and win-win cooperation.
Reporter | Guo Chuhua
Poster | Lai Meiya
Video recording | Guo Chuhua
Video | Pan Jiajun, Guo Chuhua
Editor | Ouyang Yan, Hu Nan, Ou Xiaoming, James, Shen He
