Veterans of Regiment 567 contribute money to build a monument to commemorate their comrades in Hong Dinh commune, Cao Bang province’s Quang Hoa district. — VNA/VNS Photo

CAO BẰNG — The 1979 northern border defence war ended a long time ago but the memory of this event has never faded in the minds of locals and veterans who fought to protect the northern border in Cao Bang province.

During the war, Cao Bằng's economic infrastructure was severely damaged. However, the officers, soldiers and people of Cao Bằng have overcome difficulties and united to build a province of peace and prosperity.

Thanks to the attention and investment of the Party and the State, Cao Bang has got a facelift. The provincial authorities have made efforts to promote socio-economic development and improve people’s living standards. The locality has effectively implemented national target programmes, focusing on agro-forestry development, promoting economic restructuring and poverty reduction.

Cao Bằng aims for the development of the border economy and the tourism economy as spearheads. The province's foreign trade reached nearly US$700 million in 2023, up 10 per cent year-on-year. The number of tourists coming to Cao Bằng was estimated at 1.9 million, 12% higher than its annual plan and an increase of 23 per cent from pre-COVID-19 period in 2019. Among them, 34,000 were foreign tourists.

According to Hoàng Xuân Anh, chairman of the provincial People's Committee, Cao Bang has focused on improving its transport infrastructure to accelerate its socio-economic development and facilitate its exchanges with other localities in the region.

He said that attention has also been paid to the development of the border economy. Since 2021, it has granted licences to nine projects in the border economic zone with a total registered capital of more than VNĐ437 billion ($1.78 million).

Now the province has 64 domestic and foreign investment projects capitalised at VNĐ9.6 trillion, of which 43 are operational. — VNS