Professor Zhu Chenming speaks to Vietnam News Agency. — VNA/VNS Photo

BEIJING — The pilot rollout of socialist communes and wards in Hà Nội is an important step in concretising the development orientations set out at the Communist Party of Việt Nam’s 14th National Congress, helping to strengthen grassroots governance as Việt Nam implements a two-tier local administration model, according to a Chinese scholar.

Speaking to Vietnam News Agency correspondents in China, Professor Zhu Chenming, Honorary Director of the Institute of South and Southeast Asian Studies under the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences, said the direct attention and direction of Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm towards the pilot programme reflects the need to renew grassroots governance methods and provides an opportunity to draw lessons for future replication.

According to Zhu, the term 'socialist communes and wards' itself reflects the comprehensive nature of the model, which goes beyond economic development, tourism or cultural activities to encompass economic, political, social and cultural development as well as people’s living standards.

He highlighted the model’s relevance to Việt Nam’s two-tier local administration. With the district level no longer serving as an intermediate administrative tier, communes and wards will assume greater responsibilities, requiring stronger management capacity and better policy implementation at the local level.

Zhu said the pilot could therefore serve as a testing ground for appropriate grassroots governance approaches, with improving the capacity of local officials being a key factor.

A key feature of the model is that people must remain at the centre, with its success not measured solely by economic growth or infrastructure development, but more importantly by improvements in people’s quality of life, satisfaction and sense of well-being, Zhu said. He added that development should ensure that people can see and benefit from tangible improvements in their daily lives.

He recommended that Việt Nam treat the model as a comprehensive and systematic undertaking requiring coordination among different levels and sectors.

In the initial phase, priority could be given to improving infrastructure, the living environment and landscapes, as visible improvements could strengthen people’s confidence and encourage their participation in development.

The scholar also suggested that Việt Nam consider piloting the model in additional localities with diverse socio-economic and geographical conditions. While Hà Nội offers favourable conditions for the pilot, experience from mountainous, remote and disadvantaged areas will provide more diverse lessons for nationwide replication.

Poverty reduction, particularly sustainable poverty alleviation, should be a key priority, Zhu said. He noted that socialist-oriented development should aim for shared prosperity and ensure that development benefits are broadly distributed, with no group left behind.

With a comprehensive approach combining stronger grassroots governance, socio-economic development, improved living conditions, sustainable poverty reduction and a people-centred orientation, the 'socialist communes and wards' model could become a meaningful direction in Việt Nam’s development process, the scholar concluded. — VNA/VNS