Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng speaking at the conference. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng said the Red River Delta should take a leading role as the centre and engine for national development while chairing a hybrid conference on Tuesday.

The meeting was held to review the implementation of the 13th-tenure Politburo's new Resolution on socio-economic development and defence-security in the northern midland mountainous region by 2030.

Under the Resolution, by 2030 the northern midland and mountainous region will develop rapidly and sustainably with a modern economic structure, focusing on developing modern industries, services and a hi-end, organic and circular agriculture.

The Resolution also plans for the region to become a human resources training centre of the country; lead the country in science and technology, innovation, digital economy and digital society; and have a modern socio-economic infrastructure and smart urban system.

The Resolution sets the target that the region will achieve an average GRDP growth of 9 per cent annually from now to 2030.

The agro-forestry-fishery sector will account for 3.5 per cent of the region's GRDP. The industry-construction sector will make up 47 per cent, while the service sector will account for 41 per cent.

In the 2021-2030 period, labour productivity will increase to 7 per cent while the Total Factor Productivity (TFP) will contribute about 55 per cent of the region's GRDP.

The digital economy will make up 35 per cent of the GRDP.

The urbanisation rate will increase to at least 35 per cent. All the communes will meet new rural standards, half of which will be recognised as advanced new-style rural areas.

By 2045, it is expected to achieve modern ecological development; become the leading centre in education - training, science - technology, innovation, and health care in Việt Nam; and become a major economic and financial hub comparable to others in the world.

Speaking at the conference, Party General Secretary Trọng noted that the new Resolution, No 30-NQ/TW, continues to view the Red River Delta as a strategic region holding special importance in politics, economy, culture, society, environment, defence, security, and diplomacy. It identified that fast and sustainable development is the responsibility of regional localities and the entire political system.

Localities in the region should closely follow Party policies and guidelines to effectively exploit and use potential and outstanding advantages of the region as well as promote its role as a motivation for development, he said.

Developing the region must be made in line with the national socio-economic development strategy, the national master planning, the sustainable development strategy, green growth and climate change adaptation, he said.

He stressed that the Red River Delta region should take the lead in terms of scientific and technological application, innovation, digital economy and digital society and promote its historical tradition to ensure harmonious development between politics, economy, culture, society, natural resource protection, environment and climate change adaptation.

The Party leader said economic development must go hand in hand with ensuring social security, narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor, improving the living quality of local people and ensuring social equity.

Regarding solutions, he said the Resolution put forward a full set of comprehensive measures, including perfecting institutions and development policies and promoting regional linkages; promoting regional economic development; developing sustainable urban systems and modern socio-economic infrastructure; fostering science and technology development, innovation, digital transformation; enhancing education and training, improving the quality of human resources; developing culture-society, upgrading people's living standards; effective management and use of resources, environmental protection, adaptation to climate change; ensuring national defence and security, improving the efficiency of foreign affairs; and strengthening Party building, rectification and political system.

The Red River Delta region consists of 11 localities; Hà Nội, Hải Phòng, Quảng Ninh, Vĩnh Phúc, Bắc Ninh, Hải Dương, Hưng Yên, Thái Bình, Hà Nam, Nam Định and Ninh Bình.

Given the Delta's especially important position and role, the Politburo issued a resolution on September 14, 2005, and a conclusion on October 28, 2011, on orientations for socio-economic development and defence-security safeguarding in the Red River Delta by 2010 and 2011 - 2020.

Many significant achievements have been recorded over the last 17 years since the resolution and conclusion issuance.

For example, the region's contribution to the national GDP rose to 29.4 per cent in 2020 from 26.9 per cent in 2010, per capita income was 1.3 times higher than the national average, state budget revenue accounted for 32.7 per cent of the total nationwide.

Statistics show that total investment in society increased 19.7-fold from 2005, and made up 35.1 per cent of the total - ranking first in the country. The urbanisation rate stood at 41 per cent in 2021.

However, it still needs to improve. Local socio-economic development has yet to match the region's potential, outstanding advantages, and important position and role, according to the Politburo.

That reality required a new resolution be promulgated to help make strong and breakthrough improvements in the region's reform, socio-economic development, and defence-security safeguarding in the new development phase. — VNS