Party General Secretary Tô Lâm chairs the working session. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

HẢI PHÒNG — Improving workforce quality, expanding social housing and raising living standards will be key priorities for Hải Phòng as the northern port city pushes towards becoming a major industrial and logistics hub, Party General Secretary Tô Lâm said during a working session with local authorities on Monday.

The meeting reviewed the city’s implementation of the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress, the Politburo’s resolutions and Hải Phòng’s socio-economic development performance.

General Secretary Lâm said he was pleased that in recent years, especially last year, Hải Phòng had achieved many commendable results, reflecting the efforts of the city Party Committee, the business community and local people.

Pointing out remaining limitations and challenges, he said the city must adopt a new development mindset, a long-term vision and breakthrough solutions.

The city must clearly define its role in the national and northern regional development structure, both as a dynamic locality and as a leading growth pole in the north, a high-tech industrial centre, an international-calibre logistics hub and a modern marine economy while serving as a nexus connecting domestic and international markets.

He emphasised the need to create breakthroughs in modern industrial development, focusing on high-tech industry, processing and manufacturing and high value-added supporting industries.

Hải Phòng should form an advanced industrial ecosystem by selecting quality investors, technologies and strategic supply chains.

The city planned to develop a modern national and international seaport, logistics and marine economy system. It would build an international logistics centre linked to a modern seaport system, multimodal transport, e-commerce, green ports and smart ports. The goal is to position Hải Phòng as the coordinating centre for trade flows, logistics and high-value services in the north.

Regarding planning mindset, regional connectivity and Hải Phòng's development goals to 2030, with a vision to 2045 and beyond, alongside building an action programme to implement the 14th National Congress Resolution, Party General Secretary Lâm required Hải Phòng to place special emphasis on development planning mindset.

"Planning is not merely spatial arrangement or land allocation but first and foremost a strategic vision of the city's position in the national and regional development structure," he said. 

The General Secretary noted that in the northern region's development structure, Hải Phòng must be positioned as the marine growth pole of the Red River Delta and the nation, forming a development triangle of momentum alongside Hà Nội and Quảng Ninh.

Industrial seaport city

In the context of increasingly fierce regional competition, Hải Phòng must position itself relative to Asia's and the world's major port cities to shape a vision of a modern port city and a competitive international logistics and marine economy centre.

Therefore, development planning must be built with a long-term vision, not only to 2030 or 2045 but further ahead, proactively preparing development space, strategic infrastructure and governance capacity to adapt to major global economic fluctuations, maritime trade, technology and climate change.

With a vision to 2030, Hải Phòng needs to shape a modern marine economic spatial structure, with seaports and logistics at the centre, according to the Party leader. The Lạch Huyện port system and Nam Đồ Sơn, along with the logistics network, industrial zones and free trade zones, must be planned synchronously to create value chains from production, transport, trade and services.

The goal is to make Hải Phòng the logistics and supply chain coordination centre for the north and the region.

At the same time, the city needs to expand and modernise regional connectivity, becoming the north's multimodal transport centre. Completing ring roads, coastal economic corridors, rail links from ports to the interior, developing brackish river-sea transport and upgrading Cát Bi International Airport will open up vast development space for the entire northern coastal region and strengthen connections to international trade routes.

With a vision to 2045, the General Secretary stressed that Hải Phòng needed to become a modern Asian-calibre industrial-service port city and the nation's marine economy, logistics, clean energy and marine science-technology centre.

Urban space must be organised in a multi-centre model, expanding seaward, developing modern port cities, coastal eco-cities and smart cities linked to innovation hubs while forming eco-industrial zones, high-tech zones and marine technology research centres for materials and new energy.

Hải Phòng must become a green, smart and liveable sea city, bringing together knowledge, technology and high-quality human resources.

The General Secretary also highlighted the need for special attention to the workforce, especially industrial zone workers, seaport workers, migrant labourers and vulnerable social groups.

Industrial development must go hand in hand with synchronous social infrastructure for workers, accelerate social housing programmes and worker dormitories and build cultural, educational, health care, nursery and public service facilities in or near industrial zones so workers can live stably, safely and humanely.

The city needs to effectively implement sustainable poverty reduction programmes, create livelihoods and job opportunities for residents, support vulnerable groups and expand the social welfare network while developing a modern, transparent and flexible labour market.

Party General Secretary Lâm said he was confident that with its resilient revolutionary tradition, dynamic and frank spirit and aspiration to reach out to the vast sea, the Hải Phòng Party Committee, administration and people would continue to unite, innovate and create, building the city into a modern industrial and seaport centre, an important growth pole of the north and the nation and a civilised, modern and liveable sea city. — VNS