Tradition is the driving force towards future aspirations

DANG XUAN PHONG

Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation

In the past, Lao Cai province was identified as "Lao Nhai", meaning the old town, referring to the land with vibrant and bustling commercial exchanges, favorable geographical position "over the wharf under the boat". During the Nguyen Dynasty, Lao Cai belonged to Hung Hoa province, including Chau Van Ban and Thuy Vy, when the French colonists invaded our country, they named Lao Cai as Dao Quan Binh No. 4. 115 years ago, July 12, In 1907, the Governor-General of Indochina, Paul Beau (Pon Bau) issued the Decree to abolish Quan Binh No. 4 Lao Kay, to change the area to civilian rule to establish Lao Kay province. On July 23, 1907, the Governor General of Indochina issued the decision to appoint Pierre Emerrich as the Governor of Lao Kay (Lao Nhai). At that time, the province had 2 continents, Thuy Vy and Van Ban, with 4 administrative centers: Muong Khuong, Pa Kha, Phong To, Ba Xat and Cha Pa special area.

Scientific planning helps Lao Cai become regional connection center.

After the success of the August Revolution, on March 5, 1947, the Lao Cai Provincial Party Committee was established, under the leadership of the Central Government and the Resistance Government, directly the Provincial Party Committee, on November 11, 1950, Lao Cai province was completely liberated. At that time, Lao Cai province was the provincial administrative unit of the Viet Bac Interregion, including 6 districts (Bat Xat, Bao Thang, Muong Khuong, Phong Tho, Sa Pa, Bac Ha) and Lao Cai town. On December 27, 1975, at the 2nd session, the 5th National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam issued the Resolution to split and merge a number of provinces, in which the provinces of Lao Cai, Yen Bai and Nghia Lo into Hoang Lien Son province. In 1991, the VIII National Assembly issued the resolution to split Hoang Lien Son province into Lao Cai and Yen Bai provinces. On October 1, 1991, Lao Cai province was re-established, with a population of about 470,000 people, including 9 districts and 1 town, with 180 communes, wards and townships. After the adjustments, separations and mergers to suit the development practice at each time, up to now, Lao Cai province has 9 administrative units, including 1 city, 1 town and 7 districts, with 152 administrative communes, wards and townships, with a population of nearly 762 thousand people, belonging to 25 ethnic groups living together, in which ethnic minorities account for 66.2%.

Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee Dang Xuan Phong attended online conference between the Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee of 4 Northwest border provinces including Lao Cai, Ha Giang, Lai Chau and Dien Bien (Vietnam) and the Secretary of the Yunnan Provincial Party Committee (China).

In the historical line of 115 years of establishment of the province, 75 years of establishment of the Provincial Party Committee and more than 30 years since the re-establishment of the province, under the leadership of the Party Central Committee, the National Assembly, the Government, with the support of ministries, Central committees, branches, localities throughout the country, Party committees, authorities, military and people of ethnic groups in Lao Cai province have promoted traditions, inspired aspirations, overcome difficulties, creatively rose up, and achieved great achievements in all fields.

Economically, after the war to protect the northern border of the country, Lao Cai is the desolate and ruined area, one of the six poorest provinces of the country, belonging to the "lowland" area, the "poor core" of the country. But, with the will and aspiration to rise up, so far Lao Cai has become the most developed province in the Northwest, good province of the Northern Midlands and Mountains. Economic growth rate maintains at a high level, the average in 30 years (from 1991 to 2021) reaching over 10%/year. In 2021, the GRDP per capita of Lao Cai reached nearly 83 million dong; rapid economic restructuring, the proportion of the agricultural economy has decreased sharply (from 70.5% in 1991 to 14.14% in 2021); State budget revenue in the area in 2021 reached 9,939 billion dong (478 times higher than in 1991). In the structure of the economy, local agricultural production maintain at good growth rate, high-tech application has been increasingly popular, and concentrated commodity production areas have developed strongly. The construction of new rural areas and the creation of worth-living rural areas have flourished. Up to now, 62/127 communes have met the new rural construction standards; 2 district-level units have met new rural standards; 100% of communes and 98% of villages have car roads to the center; over 95% of households have access to telecommunications infrastructure, national electricity grid and hygienic water. Industrial production maintains at high growth rate; Lao Cai is gradually becoming a major center of metallurgy, chemical and fertilizer production in the country. Trade, services, advantages of border gates and tourism are effectively exploited; In 2019 (when not yet affected by the Covid-19 pandemic), import-export turnover through the province's border gates reached over $3.8 billion, welcoming 5.1 million visitors to visit and relax.

Great solidarity creates synergy for Lao Cai province.

The socio-economic infrastructure of Lao Cai province has been gradually invested in a synchronous and increasingly modern manner. The new administrative area of the province, the Border Gate Economic Zone and the Sa Pa National Tourist Area are the examples of success in urban infrastructure planning and investment. Lao Cai also actively participates in the development of strategic infrastructure, works and projects with great impact such as the Noi Bai - Lao Cai expressway. Currently, this traffic route is being compared to the "backbone" of the Northwest region and part of the Northeast provinces. The construction project of Sa Pa airport will also be the similarly influential work, not only in Lao Cai, but also serving the general development of the region and the whole country.

The cultural and social fields have also achieved many important results. After many years of caring for the development of human cultivation, Lao Cai is achieving many good results. The quality of education, both mass education and spearhead education, has grown tremendously. Lao Cai has many students who have won high prizes in national and international competitions; People's health protection and care are taken care, currently 100% of communes, wards and townships meet the national standards for health; the rate of people participating in health insurance reaches nearly 89%; The number of doctors and the number of hospital beds per ten thousand people is higher than the national average. Poverty reduction has achieved remarkable success, by the end of 2021, the poverty rate of the province was only 5.2% (according to the former criteria); Lao Cai is also the locality evaluated for successful implementation of the Millennium Development Goals. National defense and security work, ensuring that national border sovereignty is maintained; Foreign affairs are expanding and deepening, international cooperation is strengthened.

Industrial production is one of the four pillars of Lao Cai's development.

Under the leadership of the Provincial Party Committee, the Party building work has been carried out comprehensively, synchronously, clearly and decisively, the number and quality of party members has been increasingly improved, thanks to that, the people's faith in the Party's guidelines and directions, and the State's policies and laws has been strengthened and consolidated. The strength of national unity is promoted, the democracy regime is guaranteed, the People's right of ownership is expanded; Governments at all levels operate more effectively and efficiently.

Looking back on the 115 years of establishment of the province, nearly 40 years of innovation country and more than 30 years of re-establishing the province, the Party Committee, Government and People of Lao Cai ethnic groups have the right to be proud of the great achievements and at the same time learn valuable lessons from the revolutionary period. It is the lesson in solidarity and unity within the Party, political system and people of all ethnic groups, striving to successfully achieve socio-economic goals. Lessons on promoting potential, endogenous strength, initiative and creativity in directing, operating and taking advantage of effectively exploiting the help and support of the Central Government and neighboring provinces. Lao Cai has creatively applied guidelines and policies of the Party and the State to build development mechanisms and policies suitable to local realities in each period. From there, promoting initiative, dare to think, dare to do, dare to innovate, strong decentralization, selection of areas of strength as a breakthrough for strategic growth.

The 115th anniversary of the province's establishment is also the time when Lao Cai enters a new stage of development, in the context of intertwined opportunities and challenges. The Resolution of the 16th Provincial Party Congress, the period of 2020 - 2025 sets the goal: "Building Lao Cai comprehensive development to become a growth pole, a center for trade connection between Vietnam and ASEAN countries with Southwest region - China; By 2025, Lao Cai will continue to be a developed province of the Northern Midlands and Mountains, by 2030 Lao Cai will become a good province of the whole country, in 2045, a developed province of the whole country. Along with that, implementing the Resolution 11-NQ/TW dated February 10, 2022 of the Politburo on the direction of socio-economic development, ensuring national defense and security in the Northern Midlands and Mountains to 2030, with a vision to 2045, the Provincial Party Committee has determined the viewpoint, orientation and development space to 2050: "Development of one driving force, two development poles, three economic zones, four growth pillars and 5 key tasks”. The Provincial Party Committee has agreed on the will and development orientation based on 7 key areas, including: Mobilizing general resources, effectively exploiting potentials and advantages for rapid and sustainable economic development; Strengthening land management, improving the efficiency of land exploitation and use, creating sustainable resources for investment and development; Human resource development; Planning and arrangement of rural population; Actively consolidating national defense and maintaining political security; Continuing to build clean and strong Party and political system, considering this as key task; Continuing to promote the strength of national unity, the people's right to ownership, and promoting the role of the Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations in building the Party and administration at all levels. The provincial Party Committee has also selected two breakthrough tasks: developing synchronous and modern infrastructure, in which priority is given to the development of key traffic works, large urban infrastructure, and information technology infrastructure, telecommunication. The second breakthrough task is to develop tourism and services, in which to focus resources for Sa Pa tourist area, Lao Cai city, Bac Ha district, Y Ty tourist area (Bat Xat district); promoting the growth of export - import and trade. In order to actualize the goals, the Provincial Party Committee, term XVI, has issued 18 key projects; Provincial Party Committee, Provincial Standing Committee  have issued dozens of thematic resolutions; direct the implementation of decentralization and renewal of fields in order to clear bottlenecks and maximize resources from society.

Tourism continues to be the leading sector of Lao Cai.

With great ambition, aspiration to develop, promoting the tradition of solidarity, creativity, overcoming difficulties, the Party Committee, Government and people of Lao Cai ethnic groups have been writing an epic with victories and new achievement. The position and power of the province is growing stronger, clearly affirming the role and position of the connection center on the Kunming - Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh economic corridor and connecting the East - West between the northern border provinces. Lao Cai will continue to develop rapidly, worthy of a "Golden Pole" and a "Center connecting the southwestern provinces of China and ASEAN countries", the bright spot of the Northern Midlands and Mountains region, contributing to opening up a large development space for the region and the whole country.