HÀ NỘI — Party General Secretary, President Nguyễn Phú Trọng asked the northern port city of Hải Phòng to develop a strong sea-based economy during a meeting between the Politburo and the municipal Party Committee in Hà Nội on Thursday.

The meeting focused on Resolution No 32-NQ/TW, issued in August 2003, on developing Hải Phòng in line with industrialisation and modernisation.

Politburo members agreed that over the past 15 years, the city’s Party organisation, administration and people have made efforts to develop sustainably.

Hải Phòng’s economic growth rate has been relatively high, at about 1.68 times higher than the national average. In 2017, the size of the economy was 4.27 times greater than 2003’s figure, while per capita GDP reached US$3,964, 1.54 times more than the national average and up 5.43 times from 2003.

Breakthroughs have been recorded in the industrial sector as many industrial parks and major projects, such as those of Nomura or Vinfast, have appeared, consolidating Hải Phòng’s role as one of Việt Nam’s key industrial hubs. Nearly VNĐ488 trillion ($21 billion) of investment capital was poured into the city by big Vietnamese and foreign businesses between 2003 and 2017, rising 16.6 per cent annually.

Hải Phòng has established itself as a gateway to the sea for northern localities. The seaport system has been modernised, while transport infrastructure has also enjoyed a facelift.

Meanwhile, local agriculture and rural areas have been geared towards industrialisation and modernisation. Eighty-nine of the 139 communes, or 64 per cent, have met the 19 new-style rural area standards so far.

At the meeting, Politburo members pointed out that current economic development has yet to match Hải Phòng’s full potential. The city has not fulfilled its role as a growth engine for the Hải Phòng-Hà Nội-Quảng Ninh economic triangle. Its connectivity in development with other regional localities is also still weak.

Party General Secretary, President Trọng emphasised that Hải Phòng is critically important in terms of politics, economy, culture, society, security-defence and external relations.

He shared other Politburo members’ view that the implementation of Resolution No 32-NQ/TW over the past 15 years has created an important driving force for local development.

He told municipal authorities to focus on developing the sea-based economy, marine and logistics services, industry, high-tech agriculture, culture and science-technology, while also ensuring defence-security is maintained.

The city should do more to bring into play its role as the centre of the northern lowland region, Trọng noted.

The leader also asked Hải Phòng to pay attention to Party building, carry out the Party Central Committee’s resolution on streamlining the political apparatus and step up its fight against corruption and wastefulness. — VNS