PM asks Lạng Sơn to develop trade, tourism

Cargoes being inspected at the Hữu Nghị (Friendship) Border Gate in the northern mountainous province of Lạng Sơn. — VNA/VNS Photo Hoàng Hùng

HÀ NỘI — The northern mountainous province of Lạng Sơn should create a vision on trade and tourism development, considering its favourable geo-economic location, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc said at a working session with province officials in Hà Nội on Monday.

With a  二 三0km border with China and many border gates and markets, and its position along the economic corridors of Nanning (China) – Lạng Sơn – Hà Nội – Hải Phòng and Lạng Sơn – Hà Nội – HCM City – Mộc Bài, the province possesses advantages in developing a border economy, capitalising on the huge Chinese market, he said.

The province serves as an important gateway connecting China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which, the leader said, would facilitate border trade and services.

The PM urged Lạng Sơn to step up e-co妹妹erce and hold international trade fairs or investment promotion conferences in order to draw more attention from foreign cities, provinces and businesses towards Vietnamese products.

In addition, he asked Lạng Sơn to develop agro-forestry in mountainous and rural areas, focusing on forestation and forest protection.

Apart from economic development, the leader listed other tasks for the locality such as strengthening friendship with China, ensuring security and national defence and focusing on high-tech agriculture, new-style rural area building, sustainable poverty reduction, health care and education, especially in remote and disadvantaged areas.

PM Phúc noted that Lạng Sơn was still a poor province, with the rate of impoverished households exceeding  一 九 per cent — nearly three-fold the national average of  七 per cent.

Chairman of the provincial People’s Co妹妹ittee Phạm Ngọc Thưởng reported at the meeting that the province’s annual economic growth rate reached  八 per cent and GDRP per capita income hit VNĐ 三 五. 六 million (US$ 一, 五 三0) in  二0 一 七.

Over the past years, Lạng Sơn has focused on the border economy with the purpose of making it a driving force for economic growth and economic restructuring. — VNS