Party Central Committee identifies sea as strategic development space for Vietnam

Presenting the Resolution at a national conference in Hanoi on July 29 to study, grasp, and implement resolutions, conclusions, and regulations of the 3rd Plenum of the 14th Party Central Committee, Nguyen Thanh Nghi, Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, and Chairman of the Party Central Committee's Commission for Policies and Strategies, emphasized Vietnam’s exceptionally vital geo-strategic position.

With a sea area of over one million square kilometers, nearly three times its land territory, the sea represents Vietnam's sacred national sovereignty, a vital living space, a strategic development realm, and an essential component of overall national competitiveness. The issuance of this Resolution is an urgent imperative to institutionalize Party guidelines, expand national development space, modernize ocean governance, and leverage the strategic role of the sea in economic development, defence, security, and international integration.

The Resolution introduces groundbreaking mindsets, pivoting decisively from traditional marine economic development to building a strong maritime nation, and shifting from raw resource exploitation to the efficient governance of national marine space grounded in science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation.

Under this orientation, the sea is designated as a strategic development space focused on high-value, breakthrough-capable sectors to form dynamic growth poles.

Science, technology, and digital transformation serve as the primary drivers, while economic development is closely coupled with defense and security to protect the Fatherland early and from afar, ensuring national sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction while maintaining a peaceful and stable environment for sustainable growth.

Furthermore, the Resolution proposes a modern, unified, and data-driven ocean governance model based on national marine spatial planning. This framework ensures integrated management across the sea surface, seabed, subsoil, islands, coastal zones, and airspace, seamlessly connecting the mainland with island areas and harmonizing economic development with environmental protection.

To ensure practical results, action programs will strictly adhere to specific targets with rigorous inspection, monitoring, and evaluation mechanisms.

Looking ahead, the Resolution defines general goals through 2030 and a vision toward 2045, setting 32 specific targets across six key pillars: economics; spatial infrastructure; science and digital transformation; ocean governance and environmental protection; culture and society; and defense, security, and foreign affairs.

To achieve these objectives, the Resolution sets out nine major task groups. Key priorities include strengthening Party leadership and modernizing national ocean governance; fine-tuning institutions and national marine spatial planning to foster large-scale maritime enterprises; and promoting breakthroughs in modern, green, and smart marine sectors. Simultaneously, the country will develop synchronized infrastructure to form regional economic hubs, protect marine ecosystems while adapting to climate change, build a vibrant maritime culture, ensure maritime defence and security, and enhance international cooperation to elevate Vietnam's global standing.

Vietnam eyes to shape national maritime industrial ecosystem

With a coastline stretching nearly 3,300 km and maritime areas covering more than 1 million sq.km, Vietnam is strategically positioned along major international shipping routes linking East Asia with Europe, Africa and the Americas.

Vietnam plans new maritime strategy focused on innovation and national security

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