Combining economic development with strengthening defence and security is the strategic policy of the Party and the State in the cause of constructing and safeguarding the Fatherland. The Party Committee and People’s Committee of Quang Yen town have regularly paid much attention to this vital content by leading and directing the implementation of synchronous policies and measures that fit the conditions and characteristics of the town.

Located in the centre of the Northern economic growth triangle of Hanoi, Hai Phong, and Quang Ninh, Quang Yen town (Quang Ninh province) neighbours three urban and tourist hubs namely Hai Phong city, Uong Bi city and Ha Long city in Quang Ninh. Thanks to its favourable system of water, land and air transport, the town has integral significance in socio-economy, defence, and security of the Province and Military Region 3. Thoroughly grasping and concretising the Party’s viewpoints on two strategic tasks of constructing and safeguarding the Fatherland, the Party and People’s Committee of Quang Yen town always attach importance to developing economy in combination with strengthening defence and security, especially, planning the development of industrial zones and seaports associated with strengthening capacities and posture in the locality. The implementation process is institutionalised by resolutions and directives with specific contents and measures. As a result, despite the difficulties, the town’s annual economic growth rate is on the constant rise. In 2021, the local economic growth rate reached over 36.2%, which was much higher than the average rate of the Province and the country. It should be mentioned that the proportion of industry accounted for 71.2%, that of construction made up 19.2%, and 9.6% is for agriculture. This proved the correctness, promptness, and effectiveness of economic solutions. Meanwhile, other fields such as culture, society, education, health, sport, etc. have been paid much attention and attained encouraging results. The town, so far, has completed the national target programme on building new style rural areas; over 80% of villages and hamlets have met cultural standards; no more poor households according to the multi-dimensional poverty standard in the 2016 - 2020 period have been found, etc. Defence and military work has been regularly consolidated, and the local political security, social order and safety remain stable.

However, besides the outcomes, the combination of socio-economic development with defence-security consolidation in several sectors has still left much to be desired; due attention has been paid to investing in infrastructure but still, there have been weaknesses. Although the life of a majority of the people has been improved in multiple respects, it is still below average level of the Province. Meanwhile, taking advantage of the inadequacies in socio-economic management, especially land management, compensation and clearance, hostile forces and political opportunists have stepped up their misrepresentation, incitement, and sabotage. Thus, it is important to accelerate socio-economic in combination with strengthening defence and security in the long and short term. This issue should be thoroughly grasped and synchronously implemented with multiple measures and steps.

Leaders of the town encourage participants of a local military contest

To implement the Resolution of the 21^st Party Congress of the town for the 2020 – 2025 period on building and developing Quang Yen town into city before 2025, an industrial hub with seaport service and logistics and class-two urban area before 2030, the Party and People’s Committee of the town focus on leading and directing the comprehensive implementation with multiple synchronous and drastic measures; at the same time, putting into full play the spirit of solidarity, effort and creativity of the entire political system, cadres, soldier and the mass, fully exploiting the potentials and advantages to renew the growth model and accelerate sustainable socio-economic development. Additionally, it is also necessary to couple economic development with cultural development to well handle social issues, improve the people’s material and spiritual lives and ensure defence-security work in order not to be passive in any circumstances.

To realise those targets, in the coming time, along with well performing Party building tasks, the town should actively mobilise resources, promote the application of science and technology, develop cutting-edge economic sectors to enhance business and production effectiveness and generate resources for defence and security. In the industrial sector, the town should prioritise the development of high-tech industries, ship repair and shipbuilding industry, information technology, electronics, automotive industry, materials industry, and eco-friendly manufacturing to boost labour restructuring, create jobs, increase income, alleviate poverty, stabilise population, and well manage human resources in the locality to maintain political stability and facilitate the good accomplishment of defence and security tasks. The town, in the immediate future, should mobilise resources to build infrastructures for industrial zones namely Dong Mai, Song Khoai, Nam Tien Phong, Bac Tien Phong, and Banh Dang to attract secondary investors. It is necessary to closely coordinate with the Provincial Management Board of industrial zones, departments, and branches to step up Project on establishing Quang Yen Coastal Economic Zone. In line with promoting cooperation with top strategic investors and economic groups to develop agro-processing and wood processing industries, the town should strengthen the state management of the industrial zones in the locality to ensure that the project is developed on the right track as well as create resources for defence-security consolidation.

Concerning agriculture, fishery, and rural development, the town should accelerate the orientation of comprehensive, modern, and stable development, and closely attach service and industrial development to agricultural and rural development. Branches and localities should actively apply leading-edge technology and food hygiene and safety standards in producing, processing, and preserving certified products, etc. to raise the value of OCOP products. The town should encourage and support fishermen in technical aspects and capital to develop means of exploiting aquatic products in association with preserving and developing aquatic resources. At the same time, it is necessary to promote the application of science and technology in farming, preserving, and processing aquatic species that bring high economic value in association with protecting natural forests, special-use forests, and mangrove forests. This issue is of paramount importance because it improves the products’ quality and value, ensures food security, and enhances the capability to accumulate logistics on the spot for defensive areas.

Along with boosting the development of key economic sectors, the town should pay attention to planning and the management of planning and continue to complete the economic infrastructure systems. Emphasis should be placed on transport infrastructure, economic zones, industrial zones, urban areas, etc. to generate driving force, speed up socio-economic development and create a firm shore-sea-continental shelf posture. In the immediate future, the town should step up the completion of amending the master planning and local planning of industrial zones like Nam Tien Phong, Bac Tien Phong, etc., and land-use planning until 2030 to attract investment in logistics port service and logistics, etc. It is also required to mobilise all resources, diversify forms of investment and cooperate with departments and branches to complete the transport systems connecting regions and the town’s traffic to facilitate socio-economic development and ensure defence and security work in case of emergency.

Furthermore, the town should continue to synchronously implement supportive measures for mechanisms to attract non-budgetary capital investment for logistics and logistics port services, tourism, and commercial services so that they will promptly become the key economic sectors. On closely following ratified plans, the town should accelerate to attract strategic investors possessing potential, popular brand name, and advanced technologies to build and develop a logistics centre at Nha Mac Multi-sectors Industrial Zone; develop systems of warehouses and port services to facilitate transshipment, supply materials, and store products of industrial zones. Cultural-historical-spiritual tourism should be expanded at the Relic site of Bach Dang victory, Thac Mo Eco-tourism, and Hoang Tan island.

To ensure that each step of economic development is a step to strengthen national defense and security potentialities, the town should strengthen education and propagation at all levels. In particular, focus should be put on educating and fostering all-level contingents of cadres to make them fully aware of the organic relationship between socio-economic development and defence-security consolidation, between protection and self-protection, especially in foreign-invested enterprises. At the same time,  thoughts of solely focusing on economic benefits or economic development at all costs but disregarding the defence and security factors must be eradicated.

On the foundation of the common perception, the town should focus on leading and directing military and public security forces to check and propose to appraise, supplement and adjust the planning of industrial zones, urban and rural areas to fit the Master Planning of national defence and socio-economic development until 2030. All of the economic sectors and activities should be carefully considered and combined well with defence and security consolidation, especially in the regional and inter-regional planning in Quang Yen, Uong Bi, Dong Trieu, and the planning of Quang Yen coastal economic zone. During the implementation, the town should focus on improving the effectiveness and efficiency of state management of national defence and security of the Party committees and local authorities at all levels to approve plans, targets, and measures for the organisation. Besides, focus should also be placed on leading and directing the construction of strong local armed forces in all respects, building comprehensively strong military and public security agencies so that they can bring into play their core role in advising and performing defence and security tasks. And the town should actively mobilise its resources to perform Project on building defensive areas in the town in the 2020-2025 period.

Along with the aforementioned measures, the town should continue to step up administrative reforms in combination with building e-government; manage and effectively use land and natural resources and protect the environment; proactively prevent and combat natural disasters, climate change, etc. It is also required to constantly improve the people’s material and spiritual lives, develop Quang Yen town with political stability, rich economy, firm defence and security and strive to become a city in Quang Ninh province before 2025 to deserve a new growth pole of the West and of Quang Ninh province

TRAN DUC THANG, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of People’s Committee of Quang Yen town