The northern mountainous province of Lang Son should create a vision on trade and tourism development, considering its favourable geo-economic location, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said at a working session with province officials in Ha Noi on Monday.

With a 230km border with China and many border gates and markets, and its position along the economic corridors of Nanning (China) – Lang Son – Ha Noi – Hai Phong and Lang Son – Ha Noi – HCM City – Moc Bai, the province possesses advantages in developing a border economy, capitalising on the huge Chinese market, he said.

The province serves as an important gateway connecting China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which, the leader said, would facilitate border trade and services.

The PM urged Lang Son to step up e-commerce and hold international trade fairs or investment promotion conferences in order to draw more attention from foreign cities, provinces and businesses towards Vietnamese products.

In addition, he asked Lang Son to develop agro-forestry in mountainous and rural areas, focusing on forestation and forest protection.

Apart from economic development, the leader listed other tasks for the locality such as strengthening friendship with China, ensuring security and national defence and focusing on high-tech agriculture, new-style rural area building, sustainable poverty reduction, health care and education, especially in remote and disadvantaged areas.

PM Phuc noted that Lang Son was still a poor province, with the rate of impoverished households exceeding 19 per cent — nearly three-fold the national average of 7 per cent.

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Pham Ngoc Thuong reported at the meeting that the province’s annual economic growth rate reached 8 per cent and GDRP per capita income hit VND35.6 million (US$1,530) in 2017.

Over the past years, Lang Son has focused on the border economy with the purpose of making it a driving force for economic growth and economic restructuring. — VNS