HK ranks second among foreign investors in Vietnam in 2014

China's Hong Kong surpassed other major investors as Japan, Singapore and China's Taiwan to become the second biggest investor in Vietnam in 2014, local Saigon Times daily reported Monday, quoting sources from the Vietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI).

Accordingly, companies from Hong Kong had pledged over 3 billion U.S. dollars for 99 new and 23 operational projects in Vietnam in 2014, with huge investments in the property and textile- dyeing sectors.

Huafu planned 136 million U.S. dollars for a project at southern Long An province's Thuan Dao Industrial Park to dye 20, 000 tons of cotton and produce 30,000 tons of yarn annually. Meanwhile, Nam Phuong Textile Company has started construction on a 120-million dollars textile project at Viet Huong 2 Industrial Park in southern Binh Duong province.

Hong Kong investors have increased their investments in textile and dyeing projects in Vietnam in anticipation of cashing in on new opportunities when Vietnam joins the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

Infrastructure development also attracted much investment of Hong Kong enterprises. Dewan International's 1.25-billion U.S. dollars project to develop a major beach resort in coastal central Khanh Hoa province's Nha Trang City is a typical example.

Phase one of Texhong Hai Ha Industrial Park in northern Quang Ninh province was initiated in November 2014. The project is invested by Texhong Hai Ha Industrial Park Co. Ltd. under the Hong Kong group Texhong with a cost of 4.52 trillion VND (212.74 million U.S. dollars).

According to insiders, Vietnam has turned attractive to investors when there are more signs of recovery in the property market. The property market in Hong Kong is in decline and this is the reason why big names likes Sun Wah, Warburg Pincus and Texhong are pouring hundreds of millions of U.S. dollar into Vietnam's property market.

As of Dec. 15, 2014, Vietnam's property sector had attracted 2. 54 billion U.S. dollars, accounting for 12.6 percent of the total FDI pledges in Vietnam. In 2013, foreign investors committed only 951 million dollars to fresh and operational projects in the sector.

Statistics of the ministry showed that property was the second most attractive sector to foreign investors in Vietnam in 2014. Some big projects included the 2.5-billion dollars tourism complex of the U.S.-based Rose Rock in coastal central Phu Yen province's Vung Ro Bay and the 2-billion U.S. dollar hotel and office complex in Thu Thiem New Urban Area in southern HCM City.

Hong Kong investors currently have 869 valid projects in Vietnam with combined registered capital of 15.46 billion U.S. dollars, ranking sixth among 101 countries and territories investing in Vietnam.

A project of Hong Kong in Vietnam costs 17.8 million U.S. dollars on average while the average investment of a foreign project in Vietnam is 14.3 million U.S. dollars.

So far, Hong Kong has invested in 17 out of 21 sectors in Vietnam. Of which, processing and manufacturing made up the largest investments of Hong Kong investors with 409 projects having a combined capital of 7.06 billion dollars while the property sector has 45 projects worth 2.5 billion dollars, according to the ministry.