Quang Ninh - a driving force for national growth.
After more than 40 years of reform, Vietnam's current goal is to become a developed, high-income country. The central task in this period is to promote growth, innovation, and deep integration through restructuring the national development space, forming strong growth poles capable of spreading and leading development. In this context, Quang Ninh is positioned as a strategic growth pole in the Northeast, functioning to connect, lead, and spread development. This is also the overarching principle in many major resolutions and plans of the Central Government on urban system development, regional economic development , and enhancing national competitiveness in recent years.
Specifically, according to the National Master Plan for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, Quang Ninh is assigned the role of a modern maritime economic center and an important international trade hub with the Northeast Asian region. This is not only a natural advantage but also a calculated choice in expanding the country's development space towards the sea and borders – two directions identified as new drivers of long-term growth. With its synchronized system of seaports, border gates, and transportation infrastructure, Quang Ninh becomes a convergence point for economic flows, thereby creating the potential for domestic and international connectivity.
Within the regional structure, Quang Ninh, along with Hanoi and Hai Phong, forms a "dynamic triangle" of development in the North. While Hanoi plays the role of a political , intellectual, and innovation center, and Hai Phong is an industrial hub and seaport, Quang Ninh assumes a strategic, supporting function as a maritime economic center, international tourism hub, and border trade gateway. This division of roles optimizes the advantages of each locality, creating a harmonious development whole, reducing pressure on core urban areas, and increasing the effectiveness of regional linkages.
What is noteworthy about Quang Ninh is not just its geographical location or economic structure, but also its development model. For many years, the province has been considered a "testing ground" for new approaches to governance, investment attraction, and growth model transformation. From shifting the economy from "brown" to "green," to pioneering public-private partnerships, administrative reform, and the development of integrated infrastructure, Quang Ninh, with its strong character and determination, has demonstrated its ability to generate growth through modern and sustainable methods. This means the province's role extends beyond simply creating economic value; it also shapes the development direction for other localities.
Therefore, in early April, having basically completed the standards for a centrally-governed city according to Resolution No. 112/2025/UBTVQH15 (dated December 24, 2025) of the National Assembly, Quang Ninh proposed and received approval from the Politburo to become a centrally-governed city (Conclusion No. 20-KL/TW, dated April 7, 2026). In this plan, Quang Ninh is oriented to become a green, civilized, modern city with rich identity, developing according to an integrated model of urban - coastal - island - border - heritage; while simultaneously using science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation as new growth drivers...
The Politburo's unanimous approval of the policy also signifies that the process of upgrading Quang Ninh has entered the concretization phase. According to the roadmap, central agencies will coordinate to finalize the dossier for submission to the National Assembly for consideration and decision in 2026. This policy acknowledges Quang Ninh's development achievements and clearly demonstrates the central government's strategic direction in expanding development space and forming a new growth center linked to the marine economy, border economy, and international integration. This is considered a strategic step to realize the requirement of reforming the development model, expanding the growth margin, and enhancing national competitiveness. Quang Ninh is envisioned as a growth pole playing a leading, connecting, and spreading role, contributing to reshaping the development structure of the Northern region and the entire country in the coming period.
Opportunity for a breakthrough
Entrusted with the confidence, expectations, and opportunities from the central government, becoming a centrally-governed city in the near future will not only open up a "new institutional framework," but also position Quang Ninh as a growth pole capable of strong breakthroughs and widespread development.
First and foremost, the most obvious opportunity lies in the expansion of development space. Upon becoming a centrally-governed city, Quang Ninh operates as a special urban area with the ability to integrate multiple spaces: urban, coastal, island, border, and heritage sites. This creates a rare advantage in multi-sectoral and multi-field development, while also allowing for the formation of inter-regional growth poles, closely linked to each other, forming a flexible and dynamic development whole.
This development potential is further expanded as Quang Ninh is situated within a crucial economic corridor connecting with Hanoi, Hai Phong, and China. As strategic transportation routes continue to be improved, particularly expressways, high-speed railways, and seaports, Quang Ninh will become a hub for the transshipment of goods, services, and investment capital. From here, the economy will be boosted, driving development in neighboring localities such as Bac Ninh and Lang Son, and even spreading to the entire Red River Delta and the Northern Midlands and Mountains region.
Another groundbreaking opportunity is the potential to attract large-scale and high-quality investment resources. With its new status, Quang Ninh has access to specific mechanisms and policies, increasing its proactive approach in attracting and allocating resources. This creates opportunities to attract capital, technology, knowledge, and high-quality human resources – key factors determining the quality of growth in the new phase. The province is well-positioned to accelerate its transition to a development model based on innovation, the digital economy, and the green economy. This is a necessary trend and requirement to enhance competitiveness in the context of globalization. With the foundation already built, Quang Ninh can absolutely become one of the leading localities nationwide in developing smart cities, digital governance, and new economic sectors.
For the maritime economy, one of the strategic pillars, the opportunities for development are becoming even clearer. Upgrading its administrative status will create conditions for Quang Ninh to invest more comprehensively in its port system, logistics, maritime services, and new maritime economic sectors. With the province now basically meeting the conditions to become a centrally-governed city, the Northeast Maritime Institute (NMI - USA) recently conducted research and proposed investment in the construction of the Con Ong - Hon Net port. This will be a core project in Quang Ninh's maritime economic development strategy, and also one of the important driving forces for the province to become a modern maritime economic center with regional competitiveness, making a significant contribution to Vietnam's maritime economic development strategy.
Furthermore, tourism – a key economic sector of Quang Ninh – also has the opportunity to be elevated. Becoming a centrally-governed city will help Quang Ninh attract more high-end tourism projects, develop new tourism products, improve service quality, and enhance the value of the tourist experience. Quang Ninh could become an international tourism hub, a place where world-class events, festivals, and cultural and entertainment products converge, thereby extending the length of stay and increasing spending by tourists...
Becoming a centrally-governed city is not only the beginning of a new phase of development, but Quang Ninh will also grow faster, playing a leading role in spreading and shaping a new development model for the region and the entire country.
Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/khoi-dau-cho-giai-doan-phat-trien-moi-3405973.html
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