Building Hanoi into a livable global capital: Party Chief
In the new era, Hanoi should take every opportunity, overcome challenges, and put the two-tier local government model into practice to help build a stronger and more prosperous Vietnam.
THE HANOI TIMES — Hanoi must rise as the nation’s foremost political and cultural heart, embodying the stature of a thousand-year-old capital while pioneering the image of a green, smart and livable metropolis, said General Secretary To Lam.
Lam voiced this vision at a Politburo meeting on August 21 with leaders of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, where draft documents and personnel plans for the 2025–2030 Party Congresses were under review.
General Secretary To Lam during the meeting on August 21. Photo: VNA
“Alongside its goal of rapid and sustainable development, Hanoi must also focus on promoting the distinctive cultural values of a thousand-year-old capital of heritage and heroism, ‘the Capital of Conscience and Human Dignity’,” said the Party Chief.
“Alongside its goal of rapid and sustainable development, Hanoi must also highlight the distinctive cultural values of a thousand-year-old capital of heritage and heroism—‘the Capital of Conscience and Human Dignity’,” the Party Chief said.
He added that the city should cultivate a community of Hanoians who are graceful, cultured, modern, and deeply humanistic.
The meeting was aimed at ensuring the two cities’ documents and personnel plans align with long-term visions in a period marked by changing development space, resources, and driving forces, enabling them to fulfill their roles as Vietnam’s most important urban centers.
They also provided additional orientations on tasks, solutions, leadership methods, and new approaches for the 2025–2030 tenure with a vision to 2045.
Overview of the meeting.
General Secretary To Lam urged the Party Committees of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to fully recognize their special responsibilities, as the nation’s capital and its largest economic hub, and to make the most of policies, mechanisms, and resources in fulfilling their roles.
For Ho Chi Minh City, he called for a new growth model driven by science, technology, innovation and digital transformation. The southern metropolis, he said, must prioritize knowledge-based and high-value-added industries to evolve into a modern, dynamic hub of innovation and integration.
“Ho Chi Minh City should continue to serve as the country’s economic locomotive and secure a leading position in Southeast Asia,” said Lam.
By 2045, the city is expected to match major global centers, becoming an Asian hub for economics, finance, and tourism while standing out as a globally attractive destination with sustainable development, high quality of life, and deep international integration. It should also rank among the world’s top 100 cities for smart and sustainable growth, setting an example as a socialist city of Vietnam, he added.
General Secretary To Lam and members of the Politburo pose for a commemorative photo with the Hanoi Party Committee.
"It should also rank among the world’s top 100 cities for smart and sustainable growth, setting an example as a socialist city of Vietnam,” he noted.
For Hanoi, the General Secretary emphasized the importance of building a capital that is orderly, disciplined, safe, and healthy, one that stands as a secure and trusted destination on the global stage.
He requested the Party Committees of both cities to incorporate feedback from Politburo members and central ministries into their documents to ensure the successful organization of the 2025–2030 Party Congresses.
"Equally vital is translating Congress Resolutions into concrete action programs with clear tasks, practical roadmaps, and decisive measures," said Lam.
Both cities are expected to seize opportunities, overcome challenges, and fully implement the two-tier local government model, contributing to a prosperous and thriving Vietnam.
