Lai Châu: Steadfastly rising with the nation

With strong political will and the unity of the provincial Party Committee, authorities, and all ethnic groups, Lai Châu is entering a new era with a vision of green, rapid, and sustainable development.

Building on Important Achievements

The 2020–2025 term marked significant breakthroughs for Lai Châu across all fields, overcoming numerous difficulties and challenges, particularly the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Party building in politics, ideology, and ethics witnessed positive changes. Party committees at all levels upheld principles of organization and operation, improved the quality of Party activities, and enhanced political and ideological education throughout the provincial Party. Propaganda content and methods were strongly renewed; the study and dissemination of the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies and laws were implemented in a creative and effective manner, safeguarding the Party’s ideological foundation. The movement to study and follow the ideology, morality, and style of Hồ Chí Minh was linked with building a clean and strong Party, deployed comprehensively and with practical results.

In terms of organization, Lai Châu resolutely streamlined its apparatus in a synchronous and appropriate way, effectively implementing the two-tier local government model. Province-wide, 892 organizations and nearly 1,500 staff positions were reduced, improving operational efficiency and easing budget burdens. Party development was emphasized, with more than 5,300 new members admitted, bringing the total to 31,578. Inspection and supervision were strengthened and widely carried out, with 22,438 organizations and Party members reviewed, leading to strict handling of violations and consolidation of Party discipline. Mass mobilization was intensified, with the “Skillful Mass Mobilization” movement spreading broadly.

Internal affairs, anti-corruption efforts, judicial reform, administrative reform, and digital transformation were all advanced. The two-tier government apparatus began operating effectively, with notable improvements in administrative reform and competitiveness indices.

Economically, Lai Châu continued to recover and grow during this period, with Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) estimated at 5.4% per year—a remarkable figure amid widespread difficulties. The current GRDP scale was estimated at VND 32.595 trillion, while per capita GRDP rose significantly to VND 65 million, an increase of VND 21.3 million compared to 2020. The economic structure shifted in the right direction, with the proportion of agriculture declining and industry and services rising.

Agriculture developed toward concentrated commodity production, with value chain linkages from production to processing and consumption. Growth reached 5% per year. The province focused on developing key commodity production areas such as tea, fruit trees, medicinal plants, and large livestock husbandry. By June 30, 2025, the province had 39 communes recognized as meeting new rural standards (41.5% of the target) and 280 products certified OCOP with 3 stars or more, enhancing the value of local agricultural products.

Industry continued to expand, accounting for a large proportion of the provincial GRDP (about 40.5%), with average growth of 9.2% per year. This was a bright spot in Lai Châu’s economy. The province completed 46 hydropower projects with a total capacity of 913 MW and currently has 68 power projects with a total capacity of 3,196 MW. It also concentrated on planning and developing the Ma Lù Thàng Border Gate Economic Zone and investing in the technical infrastructure of the Than Uyên industrial cluster, creating new momentum for growth.

Trade, services, and tourism grew impressively, contributing significantly to overall economic growth. Total retail sales of goods and consumer services rose an average of 10.1% per year. Import-export turnover was estimated at USD 188.7 million. Tourism emerged as a bright spot, with more than 5 million visitors and revenue exceeding VND 3.8 trillion; the average annual growth rate of tourists reached 33.4%. This shows that Lai Châu has become an attractive destination on the tourism map of the Northwest. Budget revenues also grew by an average of 2.3% per year.

Parallel to economic development, Lai Châu also made notable achievements in the cultural and social fields. Education quality improved, with 73.5% of schools meeting national standards, 79.7% of classrooms being permanent, and universal primary education at level 3 recognized. Each year, the province provided vocational training for 8,100 people and created jobs for 9,400, raising the proportion of trained workers to 62.4%. Healthcare was strengthened, with 13.1 doctors per 10,000 people, 95% of the population covered by health insurance, and 70% managed by electronic health records.

Poverty reduction achieved remarkable results: the poverty rate decreased by an average of 3.9% annually, with poor districts reducing by 5.4% per year. The provincial poverty rate fell to about 16.3%. A notable achievement was the complete elimination of makeshift and dilapidated housing, bringing stability and better living conditions to many households.

In recent years, Lai Châu has strengthened its all-people national defense posture in association with a solid people’s security disposition. National border sovereignty was maintained, with creative and effective measures to build an all-people border defense. All communes have deployed professional police officers, contributing to maintaining political security and social order at the grassroots level.

Foreign affairs and international integration achieved positive results. External relations with Yunnan province (China) and northern provinces of Laos were maintained and developed. Relations with localities in South Korea made new progress, with many friendship cooperation agreements signed. Party diplomacy and people-to-people diplomacy were regularly and effectively carried out, contributing to promoting friendly cooperation between Lai Châu and international partners.

According to Mr. Lê Minh Ngân, Secretary of the Lai Châu Provincial Party Committee, the results were due to the solidarity and unity across the provincial Party; the decisive, proactive, and creative leadership of the Party Committee, authorities at all levels; and, most importantly, the trust, consensus, and active support of cadres, Party members, and the people. Leadership and direction were renewed, decisive, and close to reality, creatively applying the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies and laws in accordance with local conditions. These achievements serve as a solid foundation and great motivation for the provincial Party to confidently advance on the new path of development.

Focus on Three Strategic Breakthroughs

Despite these achievements, Lai Châu still faces many challenges. The province is far from major economic centers; it has the lowest economic scale and population in the country; its socio-economic infrastructure, especially transport, remains limited; investment resources and human capital are lacking; its competitiveness is low; and natural disasters and epidemics are unpredictable.

In this context, the 15th Provincial Party Congress set goals and a strategic vision for 2025–2030: building a clean and strong Party and political system; promoting economic growth; comprehensively developing culture, healthcare, and education; improving people’s living standards; and firmly ensuring national defense and security. The aim is that by 2030, Lai Châu will become a medium-developed province in the midland and northern mountainous region, and by 2045, a medium-developed province nationwide.

By 2030, the province targets an average GRDP growth rate of about 10% per year; per capita GRDP of VND 90 million; state budget revenue of over VND 4.5 trillion; average tourist arrivals increasing 10% annually; and the virtual elimination of poverty.

To achieve these, the province will concentrate on three strategic breakthroughs. First, a breakthrough in transport and logistics infrastructure, ensuring convenient connectivity between Lai Châu and key economic corridors and regions, as well as intra-provincial roads and border routes. Second, a breakthrough in commodity agriculture, medicinal plants, and the green economy—focusing on developing medicinal herbs and high-quality temperate fruits as key products, linking agriculture with tourism, OCOP, and the circular economy. Third, a breakthrough in improving human resources quality, developing science, technology, and digital transformation.

At the 15th Provincial Party Congress, 2025–2030 term, General Trịnh Văn Quyết—Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Member of the Central Military Commission’s Standing Committee, and Director of the General Political Department of the Vietnam People’s Army—praised Lai Châu as a province with rich cultural and historical traditions and strategic importance.

The General emphasized that Lai Châu needs to focus on rapid and sustainable economic development, fully exploiting its potential and advantages to achieve breakthroughs with a double-digit growth target. Agriculture should be restructured to enhance added value, focusing on safe and organic production, applying high technology, and prioritizing specialty products, rare medicinal herbs, and large livestock husbandry linked with deep processing. Clean energy industry, mining, and processing industries should be strongly developed, with early implementation of rare earth mining and processing projects.

At the same time, the province should invest in comprehensive and modern infrastructure, especially inter-regional transport. Early investment in the Bảo Hà–Lai Châu expressway, commencement of the Khau Co Tunnel project, and approval of the detailed plan for Lai Châu airport were recommended.

The province should continue to care for and improve people’s lives, combining economic development with social progress and equity, effectively implementing social security policies, ensuring sustainable poverty reduction, with special attention to remote, isolated, and ethnic minority areas. National defense, security, and foreign affairs should be strengthened to maintain political security and social order.

With the achievements gained, along with breakthrough thinking and strategic directions clearly defined by the 15th Provincial Party Congress for the new stage, Lai Châu has every reason to confidently rise, unlock its potential, and build a prosperous and sustainable future worthy of its position as the gateway to the Northwest of the nation.