In the new era, with breakthrough thinking, Cao Bang is performing a historic transformation: Turning the borderland into an international trade "gateway," where national sovereignty is affirmed by the standing of an open economy.

When “resolutions” become “products”

Under the old administrative mindset, the efforts of public authorities were often measured by the number of documents issued or meetings held. In Cao Bang, however, those formal metrics have been set aside in favor of a modern governance approach: results-based management.

Addressing the provincial People’s Council, Chair of the Provincial People’s Committee Le Hai Hoa made a candid proposal: “I hope voters will evaluate provincial leaders, departments, and commune and ward chairpersons not by how many tasks we say we have completed, but by the final products: visible, measurable, and tangible.”

This is the concretization of Central directives on building a tectonic government.

The “final products” of 2025 in Cao Bang were telling figures: 19,067 solid houses replacing dilapidated ones, marking the completion of the largest social welfare program in the province’s history with funding of VND955 billion; the Dong Dang–Tra Linh expressway achieving technical connectivity, breaking a long-standing single-route bottleneck; and more specifically, the import–export turnover reaching $1.6 billion, a record high in the province’s history.

This mindset explains why Cao Bang focused all resources on eliminating temporary and dilapidated houses in a short time. Concretizing three very practical questions from Party General Secretary To Lam has become an action mandate for the entire local political system: "Where do the people live? Where do they cook? And where do they bathe and use the restroom?"

These three questions are identified by the locality as specific criteria for social welfare. Instead of superficial activities, Cao Bang considers meeting these essential needs as a mandatory "product" output of the apparatus, the most substantive measure of administrative efficiency.

To operate the "gateway" vision, right after the Secretariat issued Conclusion No226-KL/TW on rectifying working styles, the Party Committee of the Provincial People's Committee concretized it with regulations to avoid the situation of officials passing the buck.

Cao Bang focuses on handling the issue of citing "procedures" to delay work. In reality, the inter-disciplinary consultation process is often abused to diffuse responsibility and miss investment opportunities. In response, the head of the provincial administration required that “legal regulations must be followed, but in a way that fits local realities.”

This message aims to protect officials who dare to make decisive decisions for the common good. The consistent guiding view is: Matters exceeding authority must be reported for immediate resolution by superiors; and "correct procedures" must not be used as an excuse to delay procedures.

Asia - Europe gateway 

Eighty-five years ago, Pac Bo was chosen by leader Nguyen Ai Quoc as the place to ignite the flame of national liberation. 

Now, 85 years later, joining the country's rising spirit, Cao Bang is redefining its position. The province is transforming into a "gateway" in the economic corridor connecting Southwest China with ASEAN.

This aspiration is not just a political will but has been concretized by a practical linkage strategy. On January 9, 2026, this thinking was affirmed through strategic commitments at a conference between three provinces: Cao Bang - Lang Son - Thai Nguyen.

At the conference, the three localities agreed to establish specific roles for each province based on comparative advantages in the regional value chain. Accordingly, Thai Nguyen establishes its role as a processing, distribution, and domestic market connection center; Lang Son plays the role of a logistics and key import-export center; and Cao Bang is the new transit point for the economic corridor to the sea and deep into the mainland.

With this division, Cao Bang becomes a link in the supply chain. Goods from northern industrial parks can pass through the Tra Linh gateway to connect with the international intermodal rail network. 

The "Three Clears" principle (clear task - clear progress - clear person in charge) has been set by Cao Bang Provincial Party Secretary Phan Thang An as a mandatory requirement for the executive apparatus in this linkage.

Doan Bong