Lạng Sơn Province must take advantage of Chinese border: PM

 

Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc speaks at the conference 'Lạng Sơn - A destination of success for investors' with 500 other local and international delegates, investors and enterprises in the northern province on Monday. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

HÀ NỘI Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc told Lạng Sơn Province to take advantage of its border with China to boost economic development when he visited the province on Monday.

PM Phúc attended the conference 'Lạng Sơn - A destination of success for investors' with 500 other local and international delegates, investors and enterprises in the northern province.

He said that being located next to the US$30 million gross regional domestic product (GRDP) market of Guangxi Province in China, which is home to 50 million people, Lạng Sơn had “an important position in the economic corridors” that many other localities did not have.

PM Phúc said the three pillars of development for the province are the border economy, sustainable tourism and smart agriculture.

Annual export-import turnover through Lạng Sơn’s border gates exceeded $5 billion, 3.8 times the economic scale of the province, he said, asking the province to ensure local product quality and origin through the borders to keep the prestige of Vietnamese trademarks.

At the conference, PM Phúc praised the province for its growth of 8.6 per cent in GRDP, economic policies and efforts to integrate society with the environment. He suggested the province pay attention to local green urban development by applying the Industrial Revolution 4.0 technology in payments and improve the business environment.

Regarding tourism, the leader said Mẫu Sơn Mountain has the development potential even “higher than the tourist spot of Sa Pa” in Lào Cai Province, adding that the mountains of Tam Thanh, Nhị Thanh and the Mạc Dynasty Citadel are also great tourist attractions, while Lạng Sơn was also rich in culture with diversified ethnic minorities.  

He urged the northern to create a brand and added value to its agricultural production, especially in its typical fruit of custard-apple, tangerine, persimmon as well as the well-known star anise, cinnamon and pine.

The same day, Lạng Sơn announced a list of 102 investment projects with total registered capital of VNĐ105 trillon (US$4.5 billion)

“Lạng Sơn becomes a gateway connecting major economic centers of Việt Nam to China and other ASEAN countries,” said Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Phạm Ngọc Thưởng.

Thưởng said with a border of more than 231km and two international border gates, Lạng Sơn is the first point of Viet Nam on the corridor of Nanning Economic Corridor (China) - Lạng Sơn – Hà Nội- Hải Phòng. Tt also connects ASEAN countries with the markets of Guangxi and Southern China in the ASEAN - China Free Trade Area (CAFTA).

PM Phúc stated that despite good development, Lạng Sơn was still a province with an unsustainable growth rate, people's income is still low, and budget revenue is limited. The province also does not have outstanding products participating in large value chains and has not made great changes in the border gate economy.

The PM also noted that authorities and people in the province should pay attention to security and national defence, and strengthen the fight against criminals in the border areas, asking the province to work with China in the fight against smuggling, human trafficking and drugs. — VNS