Vietnam's Leader To Lam Calls for New Rural and Maritime Development Models

General Secretary and President To Lam chaired a meeting on a national development project that emphasizes a new growth model rooted in science, technology, innovation and digital transformation. He stressed that agriculture, the backbone of Vietnam’s economy, must shift from viewing farmers merely as raw material producers to treating them as central actors who can access market data, credit and modern farming tools such as smart irrigation and e‑commerce platforms.

In a separate session, To Lam reviewed the implementation of Resolution No. 36 on sustainable marine economic development and called for a new resolution that treats the sea as a strategic national development space. He urged a shift from a purely economic view of the maritime sector to one that integrates defence, security, science, technology and international cooperation, including digital ocean mapping, AI and data systems. Both initiatives aim to modernise Vietnam’s rural and maritime sectors and strengthen national self‑reliance.