Participants included Mr. Ho Quoc Dung, Member of the Party Central Committee and Deputy Prime Minister; leaders of central Party commissions, ministries and agencies; leaders of several provinces and cities; a delegation from Honghe Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China; and representatives of diplomatic missions, international organizations, experts, business associations, the business community, and a large number of domestic and international investors.

A welcome art performance at the conference.

Representing Lao Cai Province were Mr. Duong Quoc Huy, Member of the Party Central Committee and Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee; Mr. Hoang Giang, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Council; Mr. Nguyen Tuan Anh, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Ms. Giang Thi Dung, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Head of the provincial National Assembly Delegation; members of the Standing Board of the Provincial Party Committee; standing members of the Provincial People's Council and Provincial People's Committee; representatives of the provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee and National Assembly Delegation; and leaders of provincial departments, agencies and localities.

Central and provincial leaders attended the conference.

Affirming Lao Cai's position, opening new development space after the merger

In his welcome address, Mr. Duong Quoc Huy, Member of the Party Central Committee and Secretary of the Lao Cai Provincial Party Committee, stressed that the 2026 Lao Cai Investment Promotion Conference was an event of particular importance. It was not only a forum for connecting investment opportunities and promoting development cooperation, he said, but also a milestone affirming the province's strong ambition to advance in its new post-merger development space.

The Provincial Party Secretary said Lao Cai now has many of the conditions needed for a breakthrough and is working toward becoming a growth pole of the Northern Midlands and Mountainous Region. Following the merger, the province covers more than 13,000 sq km, has a population of nearly 1.8 million and occupies a strategic position as an international trade gateway to Southwest China, while also serving as a hub on the Kunming - Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh Economic Corridor.

Mr. Duong Quoc Huy, Member of the Party Central Committee and Secretary of the Lao Cai Provincial Party Committee, delivered the conference's welcome address.

Alongside an increasingly coordinated planning system and steadily improving transport, logistics and industrial park and cluster infrastructure, Lao Cai has abundant natural resources, large raw-material zones and famous destinations such as Sa Pa, Bac Ha, Y Ty and Mu Cang Chai. These strengths give the province significant advantages for comprehensive development in industry, trade, services, logistics, agriculture and tourism.

The Provincial Party Secretary emphasized that, beyond its geographical and resource advantages, Lao Cai considers a transparent and open investment environment and a development-enabling administration that works alongside businesses to be its most important competitive advantage. The province has introduced a coordinated set of measures in recent years, including administrative reform, digital transformation, public disclosure of projects calling for investment, business-support policies, the "smart border gate" model and a "green channel" for administrative procedures. It has also assigned direct responsibility to agency heads for resolving difficulties faced by businesses.

Delegates attended the conference.

In particular, the Prime Minister's approval in principle for early implementation of a cross-border economic cooperation zone model is expected to create new development momentum, make more effective use of the province's border-gate advantages and strengthen links with global value chains.

Reiterating the guiding principle that "the success of businesses is the success of the locality", Provincial Party Secretary Duong Quoc Huy said Lao Cai is committed to creating a transparent, stable, safe and favourable investment environment so that every investor coming to the province can experience support through action, commitments measured by results and trust built on lasting value.

Lao Cai has what it takes to become a new growth pole

Delivering policy directions at the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung said Lao Cai possesses distinctive potential and competitive advantages, abundant resources and a strategic location, giving it all the conditions needed to become a growth pole of the Northern Midlands and Mountainous Region and a trade-connectivity hub linking Vietnam and other ASEAN countries with Southwest China.

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung said Lao Cai has all the conditions needed to become a growth pole of the Northern Midlands and Mountainous Region.

The Deputy Prime Minister recognized and highly valued the province's notable socio-economic development achievements. He said the completion of its planning framework had clearly shaped a development direction based on the philosophy of being "green, harmonious, distinctive and happy", with the development corridor along the Red River serving as the main growth axis. This, he noted, reflects a strong shift in governance thinking from "management" to "service".

To make effective use of Lao Cai's potential and advantages, the Deputy Prime Minister urged investors to focus on five priority areas: logistics and the border-gate economy; deep-processing industries linked to renewable energy; world-class tourism and cultural industries; high-tech ecological agriculture; and urban development and modern accommodation services linked to building culturally distinctive new-style rural areas.

He also called on central ministries and agencies to continue supporting Lao Cai and prioritize resources for strategic infrastructure projects such as the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway, Sa Pa Airport and the expansion of the Noi Bai - Lao Cai Expressway, while promptly addressing difficulties and bottlenecks related to mechanisms and policies.

For Lao Cai Province, the Deputy Prime Minister called for continued improvements in planning quality, coordinated infrastructure development and major enhancements to the investment environment; preparation of a cleared land bank; development of high-quality human resources; stronger promotion of science, technology, innovation and digital transformation; a service-oriented administration; and substantive dialogue to promptly resolve difficulties faced by businesses.

Delegates attend the conference.

Praising the vision and responsibility of businesses that have chosen Lao Cai as an investment destination, the Deputy Prime Minister stressed that investment in the province not only generates economic returns but also contributes to preserving cultural identity and improving living standards for highland communities.

He expressed confidence that, with its existing potential, the determination of the local administration and the support of the Government and business community, Lao Cai will remain an attractive investment destination and a "promising land" capable of drawing strong resources for rapid, green and sustainable development.

Three partnership commitments, five solutions to create a better investment environment

Affirming the province's determination to make Lao Cai an attractive, safe and efficient investment destination, Provincial People's Committee Chairman Nguyen Tuan Anh said the merger has given the province a larger development space, more abundant resources and new competitive advantages. However, he stressed that this potential can become a true growth driver only when translated into effective investment projects and the sustainable development of the business community.

Provincial People's Committee Chairman Nguyen Tuan Anh outlined commitments to businesses and investors at the conference.

The Chairman said that as investment flows become increasingly selective, the quality of public administration, a transparent business environment, coordinated infrastructure and a long-term development vision are decisive factors in a locality's attractiveness. Under the motto "Substantive Partnership - Enabling Development", Lao Cai commits to three forms of partnership with businesses and investors.

These are: sharing information and development orientations by publicly disclosing planning, mechanisms and policies so that businesses can proactively build long-term investment strategies; accompanying investors throughout project implementation, from investment research and dossier preparation to site clearance and project operation; and working with businesses to resolve difficulties. For matters within provincial authority, provincial leaders will directly direct their resolution; for issues beyond the province's authority, Lao Cai will proactively report them to central agencies and the Government for consideration and removal of obstacles.

Representatives of international organizations, business associations, corporations and investors discussed Lao Cai's potential, opportunities for cooperation and investment, and its investment and business environment.

To turn these commitments into action, Lao Cai will focus on five groups of key solutions: substantive administrative reform to cut investment-dossier processing times by 30-50%; transparent public disclosure of planning and policies; coordinated infrastructure extending to project sites; effective operation of the Provincial People's Committee hotline and a special task force to receive and address business recommendations; and creation of a safe and stable investment environment with security and public order guaranteed so businesses can invest, produce and operate with confidence over the long term.

Reaffirming that "the success of businesses is the success of Lao Cai Province", Chairman Nguyen Tuan Anh said that immediately after the conference the province would direct all levels and sectors to review every business recommendation and clearly assign responsibility and deadlines for handling each issue. He also expressed the hope that Lao Cai would continue to work with strategic, forward-looking investors to realize the goal of making the province a dynamic growth pole of the Northern Midlands and Mountainous Region.

At the conference, representatives of international organizations, business associations, corporations, and domestic and foreign investors offered positive assessments of Lao Cai's post-merger development potential. They also proposed solutions to improve the investment environment, develop infrastructure, logistics and human resources, promote the green transition and enhance the province's competitiveness.

Investment approvals presented, opening a new wave of cooperation

One of the conference's major highlights was a ceremony presenting investment policy approvals and Investment Registration Certificates for 24 projects with total registered capital of more than VND 24.16 trillion. The projects are concentrated in sectors prioritized by the province, including industrial park and cluster infrastructure, energy, processing industries, mining, commercial housing and services.

Provincial leaders presented flowers and investment policy approval decisions to businesses and investors.

At the conference, a number of businesses provided funding for social welfare programmes and contributed to the province's Rural Transport Development Fund. Investment cooperation memoranda of understanding were also signed, opening opportunities for a range of large-scale urban, industrial, commercial, service and logistics projects in the period ahead.

Businesses presented sponsorship plaques for social welfare works and projects, contributed to the Lao Cai Provincial Rural Transport Development Fund, and supported the organization of the 2026 Lao Cai Investment Promotion Conference.

Organized by the Lao Cai Provincial People's Committee, the Investment Promotion Conference was not only a forum to showcase the province's potential and strengths, but also a vivid demonstration of the provincial administration's willingness to listen and embrace innovation. Through the event, Lao Cai hopes to become a destination for strategic investors, opening the way for new projects, new ideas and new growth drivers for the province.

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