Hanoi Mayor Nguyen Duc Chung ( fourth from right) presents medical supplies to the US side in an effort to help cope with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic (Photo:VNA)

Since 2014, Hanoi has dispatched plenty of working delegations to the US in an effort to exchange professional knowledge about agriculture, healthcare, e-government, and smart city development.

In return, senior US officials have also paid visits to the nation, including Hanoi. In September, 2019, Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung hosted a delegation from the US state of Nebraska.

Moreover, March saw Chung meet with officials from the US Department of Commerce, the US Embassy in Vietnam, the US Trade Development Agency, and five US enterprises to share experience and seek support in building a smart city and an emergency rescue centre in Hanoi.

In addition to these exchanges, both sides have also signed a number of bilateral co-operation agreements. In 2017, within the framework of an official visit to the nation by Utah Governor Gary Herbert, the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on establishing greater bilateral friendship and co-operation ties.

In September, 2019, the Hanoi People’s Committee and the US Embassy in Vietnam signed an agreement regarding leasing land in the Cau Giay new urban area to build a new embassy office.

With regard to professional collaboration, both sides have agreed upon and signed 69 memoranda of understanding and co-operation agreements since 2007, with a specific focus on non-governmental aid, agriculture, tourism promotion, and the environment.

According to figures released by the municipal People’s Committee, Hanoi’s export turnover to the US stands at US$3 billion, accounting for 17.9% of the capital’s total exports, with the majority of them coming through mechanical products, cattle feed, and materials.

Data released by the National Portal on Foreign Investment indicates that the US is currently running 156 projects throughout Hanoi worth a total of US$278.43 million.

With regard to tourism, US visitors to Hanoi last year exceeded 253,400, representing an annual rise of 3.3%.

Most notably, Hanoi has also presented 100,000 antibacterial face masks and 50,000 medical masks to authorities in New York to distribute to citizens in an effort to help cope with the novel coronavirus due to the US being one of the nations hardest hit by the global pandemic.