The 14th National Party Congress has set major orientations for the country’s new development phase. For Cao Bang, what are the core viewpoints and goals that the province is determined to concretize to create clear changes in the speed, quality, and sustainability of growth?

The consistent requirement is to strongly innovate the growth model, improve productivity, quality, efficiency, and competitiveness of the economy on the basis of rapid and sustainable development.

This development approach is consistently concretized according to five major orientations. First, the province will develop strategic infrastructure and strengthen regional linkages as growth levers, with a focus on key transport corridors such as the Dong Dang - Tra Linh Expressway, the Bac Kan - Cao Bang Expressway, border-gate infrastructure, logistics, and urban infrastructure. These efforts aim to expand development space and deepen connectivity between Cao Bang and the northern midland and mountainous region, the Red River Delta, the Chinese market, and further to ASEAN countries.

Second, Cao Bang will strongly restructure the economy toward a green and sustainable deverlopment with key growth drivers including: developing tourism associated with the UNESCO Global Geopark, cross-border tourism, and local historical-cultural heritage; developing the border gate economy, step-by-step turning Cao Bang into a hub for goods transit, logistics services, and international trade on the Vietnam - China border; developing the forest economy and endemic products, building raw material areas associated with deep processing and consumption markets; and developing controlled mining industries and deep processing of agricultural and forestry products.

Third, the province will create a breakthrough improvement in the investment and business environment and develop the private economic sector, considering businesses and people as the center and the subjects of growth; stepping up administrative reform and removing bottlenecks in land, administrative procedures and resource accessibility. In addition, investment promotion, searching for and attracting strategic investors, and implementing large projects will be intensified, creating a strong spillover effect.

Fourth, the province will develop human resources associated with digital transformation and innovation, improving the quality of the contingent of officials and technical workers, and linking training with market needs and the province's key economic sectors.

Fifth, Cao Bang always ensures harmony between economic growth and social progress, justice, and environmental protection, improving the people's lives.

As a mountainous, border province facing many difficulties, which breakthrough areas are identified as pivotal for Cao Bang to become a dynamic locality that effectively leverages its potential advantages while ensuring national defense and security and social welfare?

The province's socio-economic starting point is low, with complex and divided terrain; the infrastructure structure, especially transport, urban areas, and the environment, is still weak; investment resources and human resource quality have not met development requirements. The enterprises in the province are small and micro-sized, with low competitiveness. These limitations increase production and circulation costs, narrow development space, and directly affect the effective exploitation of potential and advantages in border gate economy, tourism, resources, and the province's regional connectivity position.

The 20th Cao Bang Provincial Party Congress identified three strategic breakthroughs of decisive importance to create fundamental changes in the province’s development.

First, improving the quality of the cadre contingent and high-quality human resources, with a focus on building leadership and management teams at all levels, especially at the strategic level, to meet the requirements of the new development phase. The province will prioritize training and upskilling high-quality, skilled, technical, and technological human resources to meet the needs of key business fields.

Second, making breakthroughs in transport, urban, and environmental infrastructure development, focusing on completing expressways such as Dong Dang - Tra Linh and Bac Kan - Cao Bang, connectors linking expressways to international border gates and tourist areas, while developing an integrated, green, clean, and modern urban system.

Third, strongly promoting science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation, applying science and technology to production, business, and governance; fostering startups and innovation; and developing digital government, digital citizens, and the digital economy.

These three breakthroughs are identified as both urgent and long-term, serving as critical “levers” to help Cao Bang remove bottlenecks, effectively tap its potential and advantages, create momentum for fast and sustainable development, and firmly ensure national defense, security, and social welfare, thereby improving people’s living standards.

Thanh Hue