Unlocking potential together with Cao Bang

The image, potential, strengths, and opportunities for attracting investment, trade, and tourism in Cao Bang were promoted at the Cao Bang Introduction Conference themed "Cao Bang: A Destination - Connecting and Developing," held on October 3rd.

Delegates cut the ribbon to inaugurate the "Introducing Cao Bang " conference. (Photo: Tuan Viet)

The conference, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in coordination with Cao Bang province, reflects the province's determination to cooperate and develop even more strongly in achieving the goals set forth in the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress and the Resolution of the 19th Provincial Party Congress. The event is of great significance as it coincides with the 525th anniversary of the province's founding, attracting nearly 500 delegates including representatives from central ministries and agencies, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, leaders of Cao Bang province, representatives from departments, agencies, districts, and cities within Cao Bang province, embassies, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, associations, and domestic and foreign businesses. A strong "border bulwark": At the conference, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ha Kim Ngoc stated that Cao Bang has a crucial strategic position, serving as a "border bulwark" in the North of Vietnam. With its advantageous border stretching over 333 km with the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (China), the province boasts a network of important border crossings, including two international border gates, two bilateral border gates, two auxiliary border gates, and numerous border crossing points and trails. Furthermore, the province possesses abundant mineral resources, with many large-scale mines (iron, manganese, lead, zinc, construction materials, etc.) and is renowned for its unique agricultural products such as pears and black jelly (Dong Khe), chestnuts, Pi Pat sticky rice (Trung Khanh), Tra Linh tangerines, and Giao Co Lam tea. With its distinctive natural conditions in the northern mountainous region, Cao Bang has many ecological sub-regions and numerous magnificent landscapes, not only possessing unique biodiversity, geological and geomorphological heritage, but also home to many famous historical and archaeological sites. Deputy Minister Ha Kim Ngoc assessed that these favorable conditions give the province many potentials and strengths in implementing key breakthroughs. For example: making tourism a leading economic sector; developing smart agriculture, building brands, increasing the competitiveness of agricultural products, and aiming for export; developing border trade to build Cao Bang into a transshipment center for goods from Lach Huyen International Port (Hai Phong) to Chongqing - Urumqi (China) - Khorgos (Kazakhstan) to European countries and vice versa. Adding to the province's potential, Chairman of the Cao Bang Provincial People's Committee Hoang Xuan Anh informed that, throughout its development with several divisions and mergers, Cao Bang has always maintained its role as a strategically important administrative unit and a solid "bulwark" on the northern border of the Fatherland. Mr. Hoang Xuan Anh shared: “Throughout its glorious history, Cao Bang has the honor and pride of representing the people of the whole country in welcoming leader Nguyen Ai Quoc back to lead the Vietnamese revolution after more than 30 years of wandering in search of a way to save the country. The land of Cao Bang has been closely associated with many revolutionary activities of President Ho Chi Minh and the Vietnamese revolution. Therefore, when talking about Cao Bang, one is talking about the country's 'red addresses' such as: the Pac Bo National Special Historical Site; the Tran Hung Dao Forest National Special Historical Site; the 1950 Border Victory National Special Historical Site in Thach An district…”. Regarding attracting investment, Vice Chairman of the Cao Bang Provincial People's Committee Trinh Truong Huy said that with the goal of creating a transparent, open, attractive and safe investment and business environment for investors, the province has issued a key program “Building and reforming mechanisms and policies to improve the investment and business environment and attract strategic investors”; The province has issued and implemented investment incentive policies such as: specific policies to support businesses and cooperatives investing in agriculture and rural areas; policies to support the development of agriculture and forestry; policies to support the development of production, linkages, and product consumption… Regarding current central government policies, specifically the Investment Law of 2020 and Government Decree No. 31/2021/ND-CP dated March 26, 2021, detailing and guiding the implementation of some articles of the Investment Law, the province is located in an area with particularly difficult economic conditions. Therefore, investment projects in Cao Bang (except for certain types of investment projects: mineral exploitation, production and trading of goods and services subject to special consumption tax as stipulated by the Law on Special Consumption Tax, excluding automobile manufacturing) are currently enjoying the highest levels of incentives as prescribed by law.

Deputy Minister Ha Kim Ngoc visits the Cao Bang product exhibition booth at the conference. (Photo: Tuan Viet)

Turning Challenges into Distinctive Advantages: According to the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, throughout its long development journey, Cao Bang has always strived tirelessly. In recent years, Cao Bang has worked together in unity and made efforts to create fundamental and substantive changes in socio-economic development. For the 2020-2025 term, Cao Bang province aims to effectively exploit all its potential and strengths to develop its socio-economic sector, focusing on high-tech agriculture , tourism, and border trade. "The province will provide maximum support to investors, businesses, and domestic and foreign partners to survey and implement investment cooperation activities in the province; the focus will be on investing in tourism, border trade, and high-tech agriculture...", Mr. Hoang Xuan Anh emphasized. Deputy Minister Ha Kim Ngoc also stated that, with the determination to transform difficulties into distinct advantages for breakthroughs, Cao Bang has worked together, united in purpose, and made continuous efforts to create fundamental and substantive changes in economic development. The province is accelerating efforts to shorten geographical distances and further enhance trade capacity with administrative and economic centers in the North and across the country to match the province's potential. "I believe that with abundant development potential and the correct direction of the provincial leadership, Cao Bang can absolutely become a priority choice for international partners," Deputy Minister Ha Kim Ngoc expressed. Regarding the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Minister Ha Kim Ngoc said that economic diplomacy serving development is a key and ongoing task of the Ministry in implementing its foreign affairs activities. In the coming period, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to play a bridging role, creating more forums and spaces for Cao Bang, Vietnamese businesses, and international partners to meet, exchange ideas, connect, and move towards practical and effective cooperation. Deputy Minister Ha Kim Ngoc affirmed: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will strengthen maximum support for representative offices, international organizations, and investors… who wish to invest in Cao Bang; focusing on investment in areas where the province has needs such as: tourism, trade, high-tech agriculture, border gate economy, mining industry, transportation…”

“Cao Bang has the foundation to connect and cooperate with European countries, especially Central and Eastern Europe. The Association of Central and Eastern European Businesses in Vietnam will strengthen support to ensure effective bilateral cooperation, focusing on sustainable agricultural production, tourism, technology transfer, renewable energy, expert experience sharing, and research to help Cao Bang products penetrate the European market.”

Marko Moric, President of the Central and Eastern European Business Association in Vietnam

"ChildFund has been operating in Cao Bang since 2009 and has implemented 46 projects in three districts: Quang Hoa, Trung Khanh, and Thach An, with a total budget of nearly 300 billion VND, improving the lives of 20,000 households in the project communes. Since then, through the strong and effective cooperation between ChildFund and local partners, many positive changes have come to the project districts. During the cooperation process, we are truly grateful for the cooperative spirit, proactiveness, and increasingly improved capacity of the local officials. I hope that the Conference will open up new investment opportunities and commitments of support for the province. I believe that with the spirit of unity, determination, and solidarity, the people and authorities at all levels of Cao Bang province will always seize opportunities and cooperate more effectively." - Le Ngoc Bao, Program Coordinator, ChildFund, Australia

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