Intellect, unity, innovation-foundation for Ho Chi Minh City’s new development stage

Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Tran Luu Quang released an article on the occasion of the on-going 14th National Party Congress.

The following is a full translation of the article:

The 14th National Party Congress is taking place at a particularly significant moment. The country has marked 40 years of steadfast pursuit of Doi moi policy with its international standing and prestige continuously rising. Meanwhile, rapid, complex, and unpredictable changes in the global and regional context are posing increasingly high demands on the Party's leadership and governance capacity.

In that context, Ho Chi Minh City's review of the past term (2020-2025 period) is not only to assess the results achieved, but more importantly, to clearly define the role, responsibilities, and modes of contribution as a major center toward the strategic objectives that the Party Congress is discussing and deciding.

Sound decisions – effective action

The past term unfolded under exceptionally difficult circumstances: the pandemic, the global economic slowdown, mounting pressure from rapid urbanization, and simultaneous escalation of challenges related to infrastructure, environment, population, and flooding, all creating unprecedented strain. In such conditions, the most commendable achievement was that the city did not falter and allow the momentum of development to be broken while steadfastly maintaining its role as the nation's leading growth engine.

What stands out is not only the growth figures, but the way Ho Chi Minh City overcame adversities by unwaveringly sticking to its objectives, unified in leadership, decisive in direction, and rigorous in organization and implementation. During the most challenging moments, the leadership role of the municipal Party Committee was clearly demonstrated through adherence to principles, discipline and order, and the accountability of every level and individual, especially those at leadership positions.

A significant transformation of Ho Chi Minh City during this term has been the renewal of leadership and governance. The city has not only focused on addressing immediate issues, but has gradually shifted toward a development-oriented mindset, becoming more proactive in designing development space, restructuring the economy, innovating the growth model, and enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of governance.

The Southern metropolis has strived to concretize the requirements set out in the Party's documents, including rapid yet sustainable development, growth coupled with improvements in the quality of life of the people and innovation that goes hand in hand with discipline and responsibility.

The spirit emphasized at the 13th National Party Congress—of being a center of intellect, unity, and innovation—has gradually been translated into the daily work of the entire political system and across every field of the city.

A major hallmark of this tenure is the National Assembly's issuance of Resolution No. 98/2023/QH15 and Resolution No. 260/2025/QH15 on special mechanisms and policies for the city, affirming that Ho Chi Minh City is not merely a large locality, but a national growth pole. Not asking for privileges or preferential treatment, the city only asks for mechanisms to contribute more to the national development.

It also sets out a clear requirement that the city must implement these mechanisms towards a serious, effective, and transparent manner, turning sound policies into concrete and measurable results in practice.

The city has clearly determined that mechanisms are only a necessary condition, the sufficient condition lies in the capacity for implementation. Bold thinking and bold action must go hand in hand with taking actions and taking full responsibility. Every policy decision must be tested by real effectiveness, via tangible improvements in people's lives and the competitiveness of the city's economy.

Throughout the tenure, the city has gradually shifted from a growth model heavily reliant on real estate and traditional services into one based on more sustainable drivers such as science and technology, digital economy, finance, logistics, and modern, environmentally friendly industry.

There has been a shift from isolated development into development within a regional economic space, with closer linkages to the Southeast Region and the Mekong Delta, in line with the Party's orientation towards balanced and harmonious regional development, leveraging comparative advantages, and creating synergistic strength for the national economy.

HCM City - a convergence of intellect, a growth engine

The achievements attained during the 13th National Party Congress tenure are not ultimate goals themselves, but a foundation for Ho Chi Minh City to enter a higher stage of development during the 14th National Party Congress tenure. On the journey to realizing the goals set for 2030, with a vision towards 2045, the City must strive to become a financial center, a center of innovation, a technology hub, and a center for regional and international connectivity.

Ho Chi Minh City has set the goal that by 2030, it will become a civilized and modern metropolis, a dynamic center of innovation with deep international integration, holding a prominent position in Southeast Asia. Looking toward 2045, the city aims to be among the world's top 100 cities in terms of quality of life, serving as an economic, financial, service, education, and healthcare hub of Asia, an attractive global destination and a distinctive and sustainable city with rich cultural identity.

To realize these goals, the key task of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee is to build the city into a center of intellect, unity, and innovation with sufficient leadership capacity to guide the city into a new stage of development that is faster, more effective, more sustainable, and capable of contributing even more to the country.

Intellect, unity, and innovation are not merely slogans, but a political commitment and a standard for action. Every cadre, Party member, and citizen of the city must join hands and act in unison—turning aspiration into action and objectives into results—so that Ho Chi Minh City is worthy of being a convergence of intellect and a growth engine for the entire country, with a view to building a civilized, modern, and compassionate city.

Besides, it is vital to maintain discipline and order in leadership and governance, enhance the quality of the cadres, speed up substantive administrative procedure reform, invest in strategic infrastructure, develop high-quality human resources and nurture a strong and growing business community. Above all, all guidelines and policies must steadfastly uphold the principle of placing the people at the center, so that all achievements of development must serve the lives of the people—making them ever better, more civilized, and happier.