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Dong Nai has become the seventh city in Vietnam, following Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Da Nang, Can Tho, and Hue. National Assembly Resolution No. 30/2026 on the establishment of Dong Nai City takes effect from April 30, 2026. Under the resolution, Dong Nai City is established on the basis of the full natural area and population size of Dong Nai Province. Dong Nai City borders Ho Chi Minh City, Lam Dong Province, Tay Ninh Province, and the Kingdom of Cambodia. Thus, as of today, Vietnam has seven cities: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Da Nang, Can Tho, Hue, and Dong Nai. The National Assembly assigned the Government, the People’s Council, and the People’s Committee of Dong Nai Province and relevant authorities to arrange and consolidate the local organizational apparatus in accordance with regulations; to stabilize the livelihoods of residents and ensure the requirements for economic and social development, as well as national defense and security in the area. Entities named after the Dong Nai locality will be renamed according to the new administrative unit. Documents issued before the effective date of the resolution remain valid until expiry or until amended or replaced. In addition to policies applicable to centrally administered cities, Dong Nai will continue to benefit from existing special mechanisms until their applicability ends or until new decisions are issued. After establishment, Dong Nai City covers an area of 12,737.18 km² and a population of 4,491,408, comprising 95 administrative units at the commune/ward level, including 33 wards and 62 communes. In terms of reorganizing the city machinery, the organization of the provincial political system will largely remain as is; new agencies will be established in accordance with the Party’s regulations and the law. Regarding staffing, per the government’s plan, the existing cadre, civil servant and public employee roster will be maintained initially; Dong Nai also has a plan and timetable for arranging personnel to fit the urban governance model. In 2025, Dong Nai’s GRDP grew 9.63%, exceeding the government target by 1.13 percentage points; the scale reached 677.932 trillion dong, an increase of 84.468 trillion dong; per-capita GRDP reached 150.86 million dong.
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