Viet Nam’s two largest cities -- Ha Noi and HCM City -- have been listed among the top emerging market cities in the world that are attractive for foreign direct investment (FDI).

According to FDI’s Global Cities of the Future 2016/17, HCM City and Ha Noi are at the 10th and 17th positions, respectively, among the 25 most FDI-friendly emerging market cities across the world, voted by the Financial Times.

Mainland Chinese cities dominate the list, with Shanghai and Beijing at the top spots and Tianjin, Guangzhou and Shenzhen at fourth, fifth and seventh positions.

In the Southeast Asian region, Thailand’s Bangkok ranks at ninth position on the list.

Singapore has retained its title of fDi’s Global City of the Future in the top 25 markets, with London holding strong in second place and Dublin edging out Hong Kong to claim the third spot.

According to the ASEAN Investment Report 2016, four countries -- Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Viet Nam (CLMV) -- witnessed the highest surge in FDI attraction in Southeast Asia, with the growth rate of 38 per cent last year.

Total FDI inflows into the four countries in 2015 increased from US$12.6 billion to $17.4 billion. The FDI portion of the countries rose from 10 per cent in 2014 to 14 per cent in 2015.

Viet Nam took the lead in the CLMV bloc, attracting FDI worth $11.8 billion in 2015, a surge of 28 per cent from the previous year.

Figures from the General Statistics Office showed FDI commitment in Viet Nam was $14.3 billion in the January-November period, representing a year-on-year decline of 10.5 per cent. However, FDI disbursement saw an increase of 8.3 per cent to $14.3 billion in the period.

Actual FDI in Viet Nam is expected to reach a record high of $15 billion in 2016, after rising 17.4 per cent to $14.5 billion last year, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said at the recent Viet Nam Development Forum, an annual dialogue between the Vietnamese Government and donors. — VNS