An Giang - the new locomotive of the Southwest region

Rare "sea - border - land" advantage

Regarding the sea, An Giang has Phu Quoc and Ha Tien as two national strategic areas. Phu Quoc has become an international tourism and service center, owning an international airport and a modern seaport. Ha Tien combines the marine economy with tourism and border trade, being a gateway for trade with ASEAN. According to the orientation, the province will implement a development project to become a strong national marine economic center, focusing on the "triangle" Rach Gia - Ha Tien - Phu Quoc, associated with wind energy, high-tech marine farming and deep seafood processing.

Ha Tien Ward has a coastline, lagoons..., convenient for exploiting aquatic products and sea tourism . Photo: DANH THANH

Regarding the border, An Giang has more than 148km of border with Cambodia, with many important border gates such as: Tinh Bien, Vinh Xuong, Ha Tien, Khanh Binh, Giang Thanh. Of which, Ha Tien, Tinh Bien and Vinh Xuong are international border gates, with a bustling flow of goods and passengers every day. The new planning aims to upgrade more border gates, expand Bac Dai, Nha Sap and form a multi-sector border gate economic zone.

On land, An Giang is located on the Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang expressway, National Highway 80, National Highway 91 and connecting routes Ha Tien - Rach Gia - Bac Lieu, coastal road Rach Gia - Hon Dat - Kien Luong. By 2026, phase 1 of the Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang expressway will be completed, opening up a new connecting space. Long Xuyen, with its central location, is oriented to become the core of modern logistics and agricultural processing.

Compared to other localities in the region, Can Tho is strong in services and logistics but has no international border. Dong Thap is prominent in high-tech agriculture but lacks both sea and border. Vinh Long is a fruit growing center but has no sea or border. Ca Mau has sea potential but has no land border. Clearly, An Giang is the only locality that has all three factors, at the same time owning a comprehensive and connected economy.

From "rice granary" to comprehensive economic center

According to national data, after the merger, An Giang has a population of nearly 5 million people. The province's GRDP in the period of 2021 - 2025 increased by an average of 5.68%/year. The economic structure shifted towards reducing the proportion of agriculture, forestry and fishery from 37.47% (in 2020) to 35.21% (in 2025); industry and construction increased from 16.81% to 18.77%; services increased from 40.99% to 41.76%.

In agriculture, An Giang is the "rice granary" of the country, leading the project of 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice. After the merger, the strengths were doubled: Kien Giang is strong in marine aquaculture, An Giang is strong in freshwater aquaculture, combining to form a "trio" of rice - fish - sea. The province is promoting high-tech, organic agriculture, linking value chains and exports.

In industry and services, Long Xuyen has emerged with the processing and logistics industries. Chau Doc has become a center of spiritual tourism and border trade, benefiting from the expressway connecting directly to Tran De seaport. Ha Tien is positioned as a center of sea, tourism, and border trade, while Phu Quoc plays the role of an international tourist special zone.

Culture and tourism are also important strengths. The Ba Chua Xu Temple on Sam Mountain, the Nguyen Trung Truc Festival, the Bay Nui bull racing, the Oc Eo - Ba The culture, and the festivals of the Cham and Khmer people... create "soft resources" to develop ecological, spiritual and cultural tourism. In particular, Phu Quoc hosting APEC 2027 promises to bring the province's brand to the world.

Challenges and messages

The great advantage comes with challenges. First of all, the infrastructure is not yet synchronized, especially the coastal and border routes and the intra-regional logistics are still weak. Second, the post-merger apparatus needs to be streamlined, efficient, and avoid overlap. Third, the risk of climate change such as saltwater intrusion, unusual floods, and coastal erosion threatens people's livelihoods. Finally, there is the problem of regional competition: If developed separately, An Giang will find it difficult to pull the entire Southwest region forward quickly and sustainably.

Scientists from the Vietnam Institute of Economics commented: The merger creates a rare entity, owning sea, islands, borders, and connecting infrastructure. But whether it becomes a "locomotive" or not depends on how it is organized, operated, and benefits are shared. Party Central Committee member and Provincial Party Secretary Nguyen Tien Hai emphasized that with the advantages of sea - border - land, An Giang has the conditions to become a new economic locomotive of the Southwest, contributing to ensuring food security, energy, and sustainable development. People have a simpler life: There are jobs, green rice fields, fish and shrimp sell for good prices, and many tourists. That is the most practical measure for all decisions.

From a purely agricultural province, An Giang after the merger has risen to become a comprehensive economic - cultural - tourist center of the region. With the advantage of "sea - border - land", a diverse economic foundation and a strategic location, An Giang has a great opportunity to play the role of "new locomotive" of the Southwest. We believe that with the organization and common aspirations, this "locomotive" will pull the West region faster and more sustainably on the development journey.

Dignity

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/an-giang-dau-tau-moi-cua-tay-nam-bo-a462753.html