HO CHI MINH CITY, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has approved an adjustment plan to build Ho Chi Minh City into a major urban hub with dynamic and sustainable development, playing a crucial role in Southeast Asia's development.

Covering 30,404 square km, the region will include the whole administrative boundaries of Ho Chi Minh City and seven neighboring localities, namely Ba Ria Vung Tau, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Tay Ninh, Long An, Dong Nai and Tien Giang, Vietnam News Agency reported Wednesday.

Its population is forecast to reach about 24-25 million people by 2030, including 18-19 million in urban areas and 6-7 million in rural areas. It will have about 18-19 million workers.

The region is expected to become a center of economy, trade, finance, scientific research and services, hi-tech industry, agriculture, culture, education, training and healthcare in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.

It will be developed towards sustainability and climate change adaptation with modern technical infrastructure, with Ho Chi Minh City an economic hub.

The region is planned as an international trade center of Vietnam, particularly the south, as well as a gateway to key economic regions in the Mekong Delta, the Central Highlands and the south central coastal region.