HANOI, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City is currently seeking more than 53 billion U.S. dollars in investment for 210 projects in transport infrastructure, education, healthcare, tourism, trade and services, and sport and tourism, local daily newspaper Vietnam News reported on Thursday.

Of the 210 projects, the Ho Chi Minh City Real Estate Association and related businesses are interested in urban transport infrastructure, urban embellishment, and trade and services projects, said the association's chairman Le Hoang Chau.

Nguyen Thien Nhan, secretary of Ho Chi Minh City's Party Committee, urged the municipal authorities to continue to ensure that enough land is available to attract investment. In addition to expanding existing industrial parks, the city will build new industrial zones which will cater to enterprises using high technology.

Le Thi Huynh Mai, director of the city's Department of Planning and Investment, described four ways to select investors for land-use projects: delivery of land via collection of land-use fees, lease of land after auction of land-use rights, land use through bids, and public-private partnerships.

To maintain sustainable growth and raise living standards, Ho Chi Minh City is also calling for investment in smart city development.

As of the end of 2018, more than 100 countries and regions had invested in the city with 8,112 projects.

Last year, foreign direct investment in the city was nearly 7.1 billion U.S. dollars, accounting for 22 percent of the total amount in Vietnam.