Vietnam prioritizes economic targets at National Party Congress: Official

Vietnam has mapped out the national development plans for the next five-year term and vision to 2045, which was the first and foremost debate at the recently-concluded National Party Congress.

Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Hoang Binh Quan at the press conference on February 3. Photo: Lao Dong

“We not only plan the national development path to 2025 but also a broader roadmap and vision to 2030 and 2045. This is a very important new point of the congress,” according to Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Hoang Binh Quan.

Mr. Quan made the statement at a press conference February 3 announcing the results of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV)’s 13th Congress that took place from January 25 to February 1.

Among other things, delegates at the congress approved a five-year economic blueprint that calls for more engagement of private sector in the economy by 2025, and to almost double per capita income to roughly US$5,000 by 2025, from US$2,750 in 2020 and US$1,331 in 2010.

Accordingly, Vietnam targets to become a developing country escaping the lower-middle income status by 2025, the year marking the 50th anniversary of the national reunification.

The country is expected to move to the level of an upper-middle income country with modernized industries by 2030, the year celebrating the 100th anniversary of the CPV’s establishment, and to be listed among high-income countries by 2045, the year commemorating the 100 years of the proclamation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam or the now Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

"To make the plans on the right track, Vietnam’s general development strategy will cover four pillars namely comprehensive renovation process; socio-economic development; Party building; cultural development; national defense and security," Mr. Quan said.

The Party reiterates the fundamentals of its Marxist-Leninist ideology and Ho Chi Minh City thought; independence and the rule of law.

Mr. Lye Liang Fook, Senior Fellow and Coordinator, Vietnam Studies Program at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, told Hanoitimes that this is a very important congress held once every five years to review Vietnam’s past achievements and to set Vietnam’s socio-economic development in the next five years and beyond. This congress is also important as it will decide on a leadership line-up to steer Vietnam’s socio-economic progress.

Vietnam’s anti-Covid measures has produced more successful results than many other countries. In addition, the Vietnamese economy grew 2.9% last year, a very commendable performance compared to many other countries, the expert added.

Talking about Vietnam’s diplomacy in the next five years, Mr. Lye Liang Fook emphasized “One of the key priorities is to navigate the US-China dynamics while safeguarding Vietnam’s interests. At the same time, Vietnam would also want to strengthen its ties with other key partners such as Japan and India as an integral part of its omni-directional foreign policy. Another priority is to re-build and strengthen Vietnam’s economic linkages with the rest of the world, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, in order for Vietnam to achieve its GDP growth target of 6.5% for 2021.”

Regarding the documents approved at the congress, Quan said it will be translated into seven languages and sent to foreign missions for reference.