Ha Noi’s 18th Party Congress opens, setting vision toward 2045

Addressing the opening session, Secretary of the Ha Noi Party Committee Bui Thi Minh Hoai said that the country is entering a new stage of development, prosperity, and national strength. She noted that Ha Noi faces both opportunities and challenges, calling on the city's Party Organization, authorities, and people to demonstrate unity, determination, and creativity to realize the capital's long-term development goals.

Culture, identity, creativity – pillars of Ha Noi's future growth

General Secretary To Lam urged the city's leadership to shift from a passive management mindset to a proactive, service-oriented, and innovative governance model through clear decentralization with defined responsibilities, accountability, and transparency at every administrative level. He stressed that local leaders must "say less, do more," act swiftly and decisively, and always put the people's interests first.

The Party chief identified building a clean, strong, and exemplary Party organization and political system as the first major breakthrough for Ha Noi, underscoring that the municipal Party Committee must become a model for the entire nation in leadership capacity, political integrity, and moral conduct.

To also emphasized the need for a multi-polar development model, noting that Ha Noi can no longer grow effectively under a mono-centric, overly centralized structure, particularly as the historic inner-city core is under increasing strain. He proposed restructuring the capital into multiple interconnected zones, each with distinct functions within an integrated urban system.

He suggested four strategic development poles: (1) The central core, serving as the political, cultural, and heritage conservation hub; (2) The Northwest pole, focusing on high-tech industry, education, and scientific research; (3) The South pole, developing modern industrial parks, logistics, and supporting industries; and (4) The East pole, envisioned as a commercial and service gateway built around port infrastructure.

The Party leader underscored that Culture – Identity – Innovation must form the core of all development strategies, serving not only as cultural foundations but also as strategic pillars for building a modern, civilized, and globally significant capital.

To Lam also outlined the creation of three innovation zones: a heritage-based zone, centered on the historical inner city, the Red River banks, and the Co Loa Citadel; a knowledge-based zone, built around Viet Nam National University and other leading research institutions; and a technology-based zone, focused on the Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park and associated innovation clusters, designed to drive scientific and technological advancement.

Taking place from October 15 to 17, the congress is reviewing the implementation of the 17th Congress's resolution (2020–2025), setting development directions for 2025–2030 with a vision toward 2045, electing the new municipal Party Committee, selecting delegates to the 14th National Party Congress, and contributing opinions to the draft documents of the upcoming national event.

The 18th Congress has set the target that by 2030, Ha Noi will become a civilized, cultured, and modern capital — a green and smart city that embodies cultural essence, integrates deeply into the global community, and achieves development levels comparable to the capitals of developed countries in the region. Looking ahead to 2045, Ha Noi aims to evolve into a globally connected metropolis with high living standards and quality of life.

To realize these goals, the city has identified 43 key targets grouped into four categories, including: admitting at least 11,000 new Party members annually; achieving an average GRDP growth rate of 11 percent or higher per year; raising per capita GRDP to over US$12,000; attaining a Human Development Index (HDI) of around 0.88; and fulfilling nine out of ten criteria of the Happiness Index (HPI)./.