With its position of strategic importance, Tuyen Quang province was selected as the Liberation Zone’s Capital in the pre-uprising period and the “Resistance Capital” in the war against the French Colonialists. Nowadays, the province becomes a “perfect destination” of Vietnam’s heroic history for the Vietnamese people and international friend.

In the spring of 1941, leader Nguyen Ai Quoc returned to our country to take charge of leading the Vietnamese revolution. Together with his decision to pick Cao Bang as the revolutionary base, he also planned to build another one to satisfy the rapid development of our country’s struggle and provide a springboard for the General Uprising. According to Nguyen Ai Quoc, that place must be impenetrable to the enemy, sheltered and supported by the people, and favourable for developing the armed forces, local revolutionary governments and solid bases so that we could launch attacks in convenient times and remain defensive in times of hardship.

The communal house of Tan Trao (Son Duong, Tuyen Quang) where the National People’s Congress was organised to launch the August General Uprising of 1945

In late 1944 and early 1945, realising that the opportunity to gain national independence was almost coming, leader Ho Chi Minh left Pac Bo, Cao Bang for Tuyen Quang. After screening the area, he decided to stay and work at Na Nua, Tan Lap village, Tan Trao commune as the “revolutionary headquarters.” In a short time only, there were many historical events of importance to the country’s destiny taking place in this area, such as the Party’s National Convention to launch and lead the General Uprising, the National People’s Congress (the forerunner of the National Assembly of Vietnam) to ratify the policy on a general uprising and establish the National Liberation Committee (the forerunner of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam) headed by Ho Chi Minh, and adopt 10 major policies of the Viet Minh, national flag and national anthem as well. Also in Tan Trao commune, the launch of the Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army Team was organised; comrade Vo Nguyen Giap read the Military Order No.1 by the National Uprising Committee and commanded the Team to advance towards Hanoi and seize power.

In the war against the French, Tuyen Quang was the “Resistance Capital” where offices of the Party Central Committee, the National Assembly, the Government, the Fatherland Front and ministries were located and exercised leadership over the resistance war. The Second National Party Congress was held in Kim Binh commune, Chiem Hoa district, Tuyen Quang province as the first Congress in our country. That has been the only Congress organised outside Hanoi Capital so far.

In the resistance war against America, for national salvation, the Party Organisation and population of Tuyen Quang both constructed and defended their hometown, provided both human and material resources for the front line, both built socialism and defeated the U.S. war of destruction, thus greatly contributing to achieving the Spring Victory of 1975, completely liberating the South, reunifying the country.

In the period of renewal, bringing into their revolutionary tradition, the Party Organisation and people of Tuyen Quang have always proactively, creatively overcome difficulties and challenges, boosted socio-economic development, built a politically, ideologically, organisationally and morally strong Party Organisation, aligned the Party building and rectification with the streamlining of the political system and the building of a contingent of cadres, controlled powers over the personnel work, and fought against bribery for jobs and powers, thereby cementing the people’s faith in the Party’s leadership. Between 2015 and 2020, targets of socio-economic development have been all reached or exceeded. The average Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) has been 8.18% per annum. Services are taking a bigger share in the economy step by step. Due attention has been paid to managing, protecting and developing forests. Tuyen Quang’s rate of forest cover is among the highest in the country.

Besides, due regard has been paid to effectively executing projects on upgrading channels, concreting intra-paddy roads, and constructing cultural houses and sports grounds at hamlets, villages and residential areas in the period of 2016-2020 under the Resolution 15-NQ/TU, dated February 22^nd, 2016 by the Provincial Party Committee Standing Board. With the support from the State, the new-style countryside construction programme has been effectively implemented. Measures for improving the investment and business environment have been adopted flexibly to improve enterprises’ competitiveness and development. in 2019, Tuyen Quang ranked 32 out of 63 provinces and municipalities (going up 16 places compared to 2015) for the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) while it ranked 16 out of 63 (climbing 33 places in comparison with 2015) for the Public Administration Reform Index (PAR INDEX). As a result, the province has attracted investments from large businesses, such as Geleximco, Vingroup, Muong Thanh, VINATEX, DABACO, FLC, and Woodsland. At the same time, consideration has been given to maintaining and improving the quality of universal education. The rate of school-age children has been 33.27%, higher than other provinces in the Northern midland and mountainous region. The quality of medical examination and treatment for citizens has been increasingly raised. The rate of national health insurance has reached over 98%. The rate of poverty has decreased from 23.3% in 2016 to 11.8% in 2019. Besides, importance has been attached to preserving and promoting cultural and historical values and developing tourism. In 2019, the province attracted over 1.9 million tourists. It plans to receive more than 2 million tourists in 2020, a 56% increase compared to 2015.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc congratulates businesses on their investments in Tuyen Quang (photo: baodautu.vn)

In addition, the Provincial Party Committee of Tuyen Quang has always placed emphasis on leading the defence-security task. In this regard, the province has focused on grasping and seriously executing higher echelons’ documents on national defence and security, particularly the 11^th Party Central Committee’s Resolution No.8 on the Strategy for the Homeland defence in the new situation, the 10^th Politburo’s Resolution 28-NQ/TW, dated September 22^nd, 2008 on building provinces and municipalities into solid defensive zones in the new situation as well as the Party Central Committee’s resolutions and conclusions on the National Defence, Military, and National Security strategies. At the same time, the Provincial Military Party Organisation has concentrated its leadership on fulfilling the military-defence tasks and closely organising military training courses and exercises under the plan with the absolute safety. The province has mobilised resources to acquire equipment and construct facilities and national defence works within its defensive zone. Therefore, the provincial armed forces’ synergy and combat capacity have been improved. The militia and self-defence force has been made strong and extensive while the reserve force has been built appropriately to mobilisation when necessary.

Coordination between the Military and the Public Security has been maintained in an orderly fashion. They have regularly exchanged information with each other, grasped and anticipated the situation, and advised local party committees and authorities on resolutely, opportunely, effectively settling issues right at grass-roots level. The provincial armed forces have actively encouraged the people to conform with the Party’s guidelines and the State’s law and policy, while taking part in building political bases, fostering socio-economic development, and combating natural disasters and epidemics, thereby contributing to making the postures of all-people national defence and people’s security increasingly strong.

Those achievements mentioned above will facilitate the province’s development in the upcoming time. In order to well perform the two strategic tasks, the province will focus on several main measures as follows.

First, heighten a sense of responsibility and effectively combine national defence and security with economy and vice versa. Refresher courses will be held to improve cadres’ knowledge and capacity to perform the defence-security task amongst cadres. Due regard will be paid to reviewing, supplementing and perfecting projects/plans for socio-economic development associated with defence-security consolidation. Coordination in boosting socio-economic development and ensuring national defence and security between departments, committees, sectors and localities will be strictly maintained.

Second, enhance state management of national defence and security. The province will opportunely supplement and complete policies and legal normative documents on combining socio-economic development with defence-security consolidation in each development project/plan. Significance will be attached to implementing policies to attract high-quality human resources and investments, increase the province’s competitiveness, and combine national defence and security with economy and vice versa. Priority will be given to mobilising resources, distributing and using funds from the national target programme to facilitate socio-economic development and maintain national defence and security in the remote, isolated, key areas.

Third, smoothly, synchronously, effectively operate the mechanism for leadership over the building and operation of the provincial defensive zone. The building and operation of the provincial defensive zone will be placed under the focalised, uniformed leadership of the Provincial Party Committee while military offices will cooperate with public security offices, departments, and sectors in counselling the performance of this work. Moreover, the province will further raise the quality of Steering Boards on district and provincial level defensive zones and promote the role of departments, sectors, Fatherland Fronts and politico-social organisations in consolidating the all-people national defence.

Fourth, improve the quality and effectiveness of building the provincial defensive zone under the Politburo’s Resolution 28-NQ/TW, dated September 22^nd, 2008 and the Government’s Decree 21/2019/NĐ-CP, dated February 22^nd, 2019 to ensure that “hamlets, villages, communes, districts and province will be able to defend themselves.” The “posture of people’s hearts and minds” will be consolidated to provide a solid foundation for the all-people national defence and the people’s security. Emphasis will be placed on effectively executing socio-economic development programmes and projects and improving the people’s mental and material life. Due attention will be paid to building pure, strong political bases, especially in the key areas. Military and public security forces will closely cooperate with local party committee and authorities in helping the population with economic development, poverty reduction, new-style rural area construction, and natural disaster and epidemic prevention and combat.

Fifth, continue well implementing measures for maintaining political security and social order and safety within the province. Leadership and direction will be centred on ensuring economic, rural, religious, cultural, environmental, water resource, and food security. Due regard will paid to proactively effectively responding to traditional and non-traditional security challenges and ensuring the safety of key targets and traffic, telecommunication, hydroelectricity and irrigation facilities. The movement of “all people protecting national security” will be stepped up and combined with the work of law propagation, dissemination and education so as to raise the people’s law-abiding awareness. Competent offices will proactively grasp the situation and opportunely propose measures for effectively dealing with complex issues emerging from the province’s socio-economic development projects.

Well implementing the above-mentioned measures will enable Tuyen Quang to successfully perform the two strategic tasks in the new situation and deserve to be the “Resistance Capital.”

NGUYEN HONG THANG, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee of Tuyen Quang