Organised by Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee in coordination with the Osaka Business Partner City Council, the event will be attended by high-level officials from the People’s Committee, Osaka City Government, Osaka Business Partner City Council, and representatives of city governments and trade promotion organisations from Osaka, Melbourne, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, and Hamburg.

35th Business Partner Cities conference to take place in Ho Chi Minh City. Ảnh: Lê Toàn

There will also be representatives of the Australian Industry Group, diplomatic missions, Vietnamese provinces and cities, municipal departments and agencies, business associations, and enterprises and experts.

This year’s conference marks the 35th edition of the roundtable and the third time Ho Chi Minh City has hosted the event, following the 2002 and 2016 conferences.

The 2026 conference builds on the outcomes of BPC 2025 in Osaka and the Joint Declaration on Decarbonisation and Sustainability, with a focus on translating shared commitments into concrete initiatives and cooperation among cities, partner organisations and the business community.

The BPC network was initiated by the Osaka City Government in 1988 to build an economic cooperation network among cities, initially with a focus on the Asia-Pacific region.

Unlike conventional city-to-city exchanges, BPC places particular emphasis on business-level economic engagement supported by local governments and trade promotion organisations.

Through this model, the network seeks to create business opportunities, help small and medium-sized enterprises expand internationally and strengthen mutual understanding among participating cities.

The conference has been held annually since 1990, rotating among member cities, and has developed into a forum where city governments, trade promotion organisations, business associations and companies exchange policy perspectives, urban development experience and cooperation opportunities. Ho Chi Minh City joined the network in 1997.

Over nearly three decades, BPC has provided the city with a practical channel for international cooperation in trade, investment, business support, innovation, and sustainable development.

The conference will include three main sessions. The first session will be covered on supporting innovative startups and small businesses, as well as international cooperation. Four presentations from Osaka, Ho Chi Minh City, the Australian Industry Group, and the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce will take place on stage.

The second session will be about sustainable industry, carbon emission reduction, and transit-oriented development. In this session, Ho Chi Minh City will present eight groups of solutions for transforming industrial growth towards greener, more circular and lower-emission models.

The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation will introduce programmes that help exporters meet environmental, social, and governance standards and adapt to sustainability requirements in international markets.

On urban development, Ho Chi Minh City will also present its orientation towards a green and polycentric urban model linked to transit-oriented development along urban railway corridors, while proposing BPC cooperation in expert exchange, project preparation, technology, operations, and investment connectivity.

The City of Melbourne will raise the issue of data centre infrastructure that also places significant pressure on electricity, water, and emissions, and propose measures including energy and water reuse, responsible planning, and reporting requirements for operators.

The last session will conclude discussion focused on progress in implementing the Joint Declaration on Decarbonisation and Sustainability adopted at the 2025 BPC Conference in Osaka, lessons learned during implementation, and concrete actions for the period ahead.