In recent years, thoroughly grasping the Party's views on the two tasks of building and defending the Fatherland in the new situation, the Party Committee, authorities, ethnic groups and armed forces in Cao Bang province have proactively and synchronously implemented a lot of measures, maximizing the potential and advantages of the locality, building a strong province of economy,  national defence and security.

As a “sacred land” with a convergence of  “clement weather, favorable terrain and concord among people”, Cao Bang was chosen by our Party Central Committee and Uncle Ho as the starting point for base construction in the pre-revolutionary period.“Cao Bang base will open up great prospects for the revolution of our country. The province has had radical movements before, and it is adjacent to the border, thereby giving us a huge advantage.” Thanks to its rugged terrain, 75 years ago (on December 22^nd, 1944), Cao Bang was honored to become the birthplace of the Vietnam Armed Propaganda Unit for National Liberation, the forerunner of the heroic Vietnam People’s Army. This is one of the greatest events in the national history, opening a new era for the development of Vietnam revolutionary armed forces on the path to national liberation, independence, freedom and unification.

Promoting the revolutionary tradition, in the period of national renewal, the Party Committee, authorities, ethnic groups and armed forces in Cao Bang continue to uphold solidarity, industry and creativity, promoting internal resources, effectively exploiting potential, strengths, stimulating dynamism in economic, cultural and social activities, creating a favorable environment for investment, production and business, gradually developing the province's economy in a sustainable manner, upgrading facilities, and constantly developing socio-economic infrastructure, improving people's living standard and social welfare, especially in remote areas. The province’s economic structure continues to transform itself, in which the shrinkage of agriculture, forestry and fishery is accompanied by a gradual increase in the proportion of services, industry and construction. Particularly, in April 2018, Non Nuoc Cao Bang was officially recognized by the UNESCO Executive Board as a Global Geopark, turning this “smokeless industry” into a key one. According to statistics, in 2018, there were more than 1.2 million visitors to Cao Bang (up 68% compared to 2017); the revenue from tourism and services reached over 360 billion VND (up 90%). The construction of new-style rural areas in the province has achieved encouraging results. Resolutions and programs for hunger eradication, poverty reduction as well as ethnic policies have been implemented effectively in accordance with the regulations, which will help improve the material and spiritual life and create favorable conditions for the ethnic people to promote household economy, enhance economic development, and ensure social welfare in the locality.

Along with taking economic development and improving the people’s material and spiritual life as the central task, the Party Committee, authorities at all levels pay special attention to strengthening national defence and security, consider this as a important and regular mission of the entire political system and population, with the local armed forces playing the pivotal role. Accordingly, the province focuses on leading and directing units, branches and localities to thoroughly grasp the Party’s defence and security policies, regularly promote education and propaganda on defence and security knowledge, raise awareness and responsibility of cadres, party members as well as the people towards the task of defending the Fatherland. The Steering Board for Defensive Zone and the Supply Council at all levels are constantly strengthened; the mechanism for leading and directing the construction and operation of the defensive zone is maintained in an orderly fashion; the core role of the armed forces is promoted. Besides, it works with the people to effectively prevent the plot of “peaceful evolution,” riot and subversion by the hostile forces in order to maintain political stability, social order and safety. To guarantee the synchronization and sustainable development, the province has developed the overall planning of socio-economic development associated with strengthening national defence and security. Simultaneously, it directs functional agencies to survey and gradually invest in renovating valuable caves and terrains to build combat and rear bases as well as other key tactical constructions in the defensive zone. During the construction process, the province actively collaborates with the Command of the Military Region 1 in accordance with the unified plan, forming a close link between the provincial defensive posture and the Military Region’s posture to ensure continuity, depth, solidity with the aim of protecting the locality in all situations.

Moreover, the province often attaches importance to building comprehensively strong military, police and border agencies, powerful reserve force, as well as widespread militia and self-defence force. Annually, these forces are fully trained according to the prescribed program, participate in the rehearsals of provincial and district’s defensive zones, along with the communes’ defensive drills as planned. As a result, the advisory capacity of agencies, committees and branches in collaboration with the Party committees and local authorities at the same level has constantly improved, which helps direct and perform the military work and the national defence and security tasks. Forces are spontaneously mobilized to deal effectively with the complicated situations of national defence and security as well as maintain political environment, social order and safety. They also play an important role in preventing, fighting and overcoming consequences of natural disasters, epidemics and side effects of the socio-economic development.

It can be affirmed that in recent years, under the leadership and direction of the Provincial Party Committee, the People’s Council and the People’s Committee, with the full participation of units, branches, localities as well as with the high consensus of the people, the province has witnessed a constant development in its economy, stable politics and security as well as enhanced national defence. However, in comparison with other provinces and cities across the country, Cao Bang still remains a poor province with modest economic scale, low competitiveness of key economic sectors and slow speed of economic shift towards industrialization, etc. On the other hand, although the security and political situation, social order and safety are maintained, there still exist many complications, such as illegal preaching, criminal activities, natural disasters, epidemics, etc. The hostile forces continue to aggravate “peaceful evolution”, taking full advantage of the limited fighting power of some officials and local citizens so as to encourage “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” from within.

In order to maintain and promote the achieved results as well as build a thriving economy, strong national defence and security, the Province, in the coming time, needs to focus on successfully implementing some of the following major solutions.

Firstly, continue to promote education and propaganda on the Party’s guidelines, the State’s law and polices, with emphasis placed upon the Resolution of the 12^th National Congress of the Party, the Socio-economic Development Strategy 2011-2020, the National Protection Strategy in the new situation, the 2013 Constitution, the 2018 National Defence Law, resolutions of the Party, Government decrees on defensive zones, etc. in order to heighten the awareness of all-level cadres, branches, localities and the whole people about the position and importance of building all-people national defence, as well as the two strategic tasks of building and defending the Fatherland in the new situation. On that basis, the Party committees and authorities at all levels promptly develop a system of legal documents as the foundation for comprehensively strengthening the political system, fostering the socio-economic development  associated with strengthening national defence and security, constantly raising revolutionary vigilance, actively and effectively preventing the hostile forces’ conspiracy of “peaceful evolution.”

Secondly, proactively promote internal resources, effectively exploit local potential and strengths, and boost economic growth together with raising quality, efficiency and competitiveness, making dramatic changes in economic sectors. In particular, the centerpiece is to successfully carry out three breakthroughs. The first is to transform the tourism industry into a mountainous tourist brand, Ban Gioc waterfall into a key tourist area, a model of green, smart border tourism. The second is to develop the infrastructure of transport, tourism and border gate; to resolutely conduct investment procedures to build the highway linking Dong Dang (Lang Son) to Tra Linh (Cao Bang) in the shortest time; to form an economic cooperation zone across the border of Tra Linh (Vietnam) and Long Bang (China), promote the development of border trade. The third is to develop high-tech agriculture and apply technology to production, processing and export of forest products.

Thirdly, based on the results of the 10-year implementation of the Politburo’s Resolution 28-NQ/TW dated September 22^nd 2008 on the defensive zone and the 10-year preliminary review of building the all-people national defence (2009-2019 period), etc., Party committees and authorities from provincial and district levels to grass-roots level enhance their leadership and direction to build strong defensive zones in terms of potential, force and posture. Also, it is important to consolidate all-people national defence posture in association with the people’s security and all-people border defence postures. Another focal point is to regularly build the local armed forces with overall strength and high combat readiness; to ensure close coordination in accordance with the Decrees 03/2019/ND-CP and 133/2015/ND-CP by the government, guaranteeing timely and effective handling of national defence and security situations, firmly maintaining political stability, social order and safety in the locality.

Fourthly, well implement the policy on associating economic, cultural and social development with the enhancement of national defence, security and foreign affairs. In particular, emphasis is placed upon expanding the investment environment, attracting economic projects with high dual use, simultaneously, organizing the survey of business and production capacity of enterprises, firmly grasping the defence potential of all economic sectors in the task of building defensive zones, willingly encouraging the transformation towards security and defence mission in the event. Moreover, great importance is attached to combining the movement of building a new-style rural area, conducting ethnic policies, programs to eradicate hunger and reduce poverty, constructing villages for settlement in border areas so as to overcome migration and free movement of people, etc., together with increasing the construction of national defence and security in the defensive zones. Besides, it is of requirement to well implement foreign affairs, maintain relationships and collaboration with functional units and agencies of other countries; strengthen exchange activities, create a bond between residential areas on both sides of the border, etc. in order to continuously improve mutual understanding and trust and build the border line of peace, cooperation and development.

Being proud of the glorious tradition of over 520 years of construction, development and the birthplace of the Heroic Vietnam People’s Army, the Party Committee, authorities, ethnic groups and forces in Cao Bang are determined to successfully accomplish the goals and tasks of the Party Congress at all levels, with the aim of making the province rich, beautiful, civilized and worthy of its revolutionary roots.

Hoang Xuan Anh, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee