Lao Cai must strive towards sustainable and inclusive tourism development, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc told the northern mountainous province’s trade, investment and tourism promotion conference, which took place on July 20.
It means Lao Cai must foster tourism growth while preserving local landscapes and natural biodiversity and protect unique cultures and environment, Phuc said. And, at the same time, all local people must be able to enjoy the fruitions of tourism development for what they have contributed, he added.
The PM urged the province to sustainably develop local traditional industries, like the making of steel billets, cement, kaolin, and yellow phosphorus, saying the government does not welcome investors in mining with a short-term vision, outdated technology and small-scale production that may hamper environmental sustainability and contribute very little to the economic growth.
He also underlined the need to intensify prevention of illegal mineral exports and revoke inefficient mining projects.
The leader moved on to talk about Lao Cai’s promising agriculture, highlighting seven crops set to grow on large-scale specialised farms, including high-quality rice, specialty rice, medicinal herbs, vegetables, high-quality tea, tropical fruits, temperate fruits and flowers. If advanced techniques and technologies are applied, average agricultural revenue can reach 120 – 150 million VND per hectare and even 200 – 300 million VND per hectare or more in the next few years, he said.
Phuc suggested Lao Cai develop agriculture on three pillars – organic and clean farming, use of high technology in production and processing, and linkages in value chains.
He asked the province to improve accessibility of land and information for businesses and enhance quality of business support services while investing more on vocational education and human resources quality.
He also sent a message to investors, saying all investors to Lao Cai in particular and the Northwest region in general are appreciated as, in spite of this land’s great potential, local people struggle to make ends meet and infrastructure is poor in many areas.
“Each penny from the investor, each livelihood or job created is valuable,” he said.
He wanted the investors to honour their commitments and make a worthy contribution to the local economy, not only helping create employments but also improve income, productivity and social welfare for the locals.
The event, themed “Lao Cai – A Destination of Success”, brought together over 500 delegates, many of whom were representatives from major groups and enterprises at home and overseas.
Later at the conference, Lao Cai signed cooperation agreements with 11 partners, worth over 124 trillion VND (5.3 billion USD) and presented decisions approving investment for eight projects, worth 22 trillion VND (1 billion USD). These projects are expected to start between 2019 and early 2020.
PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc also visited a war invalid and the family of a martyr in Lao Cai on the occasion of the 72th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs Day (July 27).
Prime Minister Le Minh Hung emphasised the need to further improve institutions and policy frameworks, develop digital infrastructure and data resources, and create the necessary conditions for science, technology, innovation and digital transformation to become new drivers of economic growth.
Prof. Huang Rihan of Huaqiao University in China’s Fujian province said the Vietnamese leader’s address highlighted three major crises currently facing the world - the crisis of the international order, the crisis of development models, and the crisis of strategic trust.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang said that alongside the robust growth of relations between the two countries, defence cooperation has continued to develop extensively and intensively, becoming increasingly practical and effective.
Adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 24, 2024, and opened for signature in Hanoi in October 2025, the convention is the first global multilateral treaty dedicated to combating cybercrime.
The visits also took place at a time when the Philippines is serving as ASEAN Chair in 2026, Singapore is preparing to assume the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2027, and Vietnam is set to host the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in 2027.
Ngo Phuong Ly, spouse of Party General Secretary and State President To Lam, expressed her emotion at seeing the children’s optimism despite difficult circumstances, noting that both Vietnam and the Philippines place children at the centre of their development policies, from education, health care to child protection.
Party General Secretary and State President To Lam, his spouse and a high-level Vietnamese delegation departed Manila on June 1, concluding a successful state visit to the Republic of the Philippines from May 31 to June 1 at the invitation of Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. and his spouse.
Participants reviewed rental housing demand in each area, considering different market segments and target groups. They also examined the gap between supply and demand, and pinpointed issues in policy frameworks.
Vietnam and the Philippines have agreed to elevate their relationship to an Enhanced Strategic Partnership, opening a new phase of cooperation in politics, defence and security, economic ties and other key areas.
Vietnam and the Philippines on June 1 issued a Joint Statement on the Enhanced Strategic Partnership during General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam’s state visit to the Philippines.
Economic cooperation between Vietnam and the Philippines should move to a new level, with greater emphasis on quality, depth and substance, as the two countries seek to maximise opportunities under their newly upgraded Enhanced Strategic Partnership.
Party General Secretary and State President To Lam and his spouse are paying state visit to the Philippines from May 31 to June 1 at the invitation of President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. and his spouse.
General Secretary and President To Lam encouraged the Vietnamese in the Philippines to remain united, abide by local laws, contribute practically to the homeland and continue fostering friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
By moving from crisis response to proactive risk reduction, Vietnam has positioned itself as a responsible and mature “architect” of regional peace, said a Malaysia-based expert.
The President Ho Chi Minh monument in the ASEAN Garden holds profound historical, cultural, and diplomatic significance, reflecting the friendship between Vietnam and the Philippines, as well as the solidarity within the ASEAN community.
The trip demonstrates Vietnam's high regard for its friendship and cooperation with the Philippines, as well as with ASEAN and the Southeast Asian region.
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam on May 30 met with leaders of major Singaporean corporations, technology companies, financial institutions and banks with long-standing investments and business operations in Vietnam.
General Secretary and President Lam expressed his hope that the community will remain united, preserve the Vietnamese language and cultural identity, and strengthen ties with the homeland.
The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in emerging and high-potential fields, including digital transformation, green economy, clean energy transition, new technologies, innovation, smart finance, supply chain resilience, financial centre development and food security.
At the A*STAR Model Factory, one of Singapore’s flagship research and application facilities for smart industry, innovation and digital transformation in production, General Secretary and President Lam expressed his impression of Singapore’s approach in creating conditions for enterprises to directly test technologies before making large-scale investments.