Dong Nai ready to play role as a national growth pole: Standing Vice Chairman of City People’s Committee Nguyen Kim Long

Nguyen Kim Long, Member of the City Party Standing Committee and Standing Vice Chairman of the Dong Nai City People’s Committee.

Since April 30, 2026, Dong Nai has officially become Vietnam’s seventh city. The milestone carries special historical significance for the Party Committee, government and people of the entire city. The event not only opens a new chapter of development with a new position and stature, but also places higher demands on growth, regional connectivity and improving residents’ quality of life.

On the occasion of the ceremony announcing the National Assembly’s Resolution on the establishment of Dong Nai City, Nguyen Kim Long, Member of the City Party Standing Committee and Standing Vice Chairman of the Dong Nai City People’s Committee, shared achievements, commitments to action and development orientations during the initial phase of operating under the new governance model.

Renewing governance methods to suit the new context

Could you elaborate on the significance of Dong Nai officially becoming a city for the locality’s development process?

This is an event of particularly important significance, marking a turning point in the development journey of the Bien Hoa – Dong Nai region, a land with deep historical and cultural roots and regarded as the cradle of the country’s industrial sector.

The achievement is the result of persistent efforts and determination by the entire political system, generations of leaders and local residents. At the same time, it represents a recognition by the central government for Dong Nai’s contributions and sustained development over many years.

It can be affirmed that Dong Nai has fully met the conditions to become Vietnam’s seventh city, from economic scale, population and development space to an increasingly synchronized and modern infrastructure system. The economy has maintained a high growth rate, while its structure has shifted positively toward industry and services. Budget revenue ranks among the country’s leading localities, and the city’s self-balancing capacity and contributions to the central budget continue to expand.

Dong Nai City and its key foundations

Dong Nai has a population of nearly five million people, covers more than 12,700 square kilometers, ranking ninth nationwide, and includes 33 wards and 62 communes. By the end of 2025, GRDP had reached nearly VND678 trillion, per capita GRDP approached VND153 million, and budget revenue stood at nearly VND103 trillion. Dong Nai is among the few localities possessing all five major transport modes, with Long Thanh International Airport serving as an especially important strategic infrastructure project.

Notably, strategic infrastructure has received strong investment, highlighted by Long Thanh International Airport together with a network of expressways, ring roads and interregional railways. These are the foundations enabling Dong Nai to develop not only as a conventional urban center but gradually as a new growth pole and strategic connectivity hub for the Southeastern region and the nation.

The milestone has also created new momentum, strengthening the confidence and aspirations of officials, the business community and residents toward higher growth targets and improved living standards.

With its new status as a city, what key tasks and solutions will Dong Nai prioritize?

The city leadership believes the starting point must be renewing development thinking and state governance methods. Becoming a city marks a new stage for Dong Nai, bringing with it a new position and mindset. This, in turn, requires fresh thinking and more decisive, flexible and innovative action.

The first priority is to build a truly clean, strong, streamlined, effective and efficient political system; and to improve the quality of officials in a professional and responsible direction, encouraging officials who dare to think, dare to act and dare to take responsibility. Meanwhile, the city will continue accelerating administrative reform linked with digital transformation, developing digital government and digital public services toward a transparent and convenient administration.

In parallel, Dong Nai will continue prioritizing resources for strategic infrastructure development, particularly transportation, logistics, urban and digital infrastructure, in order to create a foundation for rapid and sustainable development.

Economically, Dong Nai will shift strongly toward a new growth model driven by science and technology, innovation and digital transformation, with enterprises placed at the center and the private sector more vigorously developed. Priority sectors include high-tech industry, supporting industries, logistics, aviation services, modern commerce and the digital economy.

Moreover, the city plans to reorganize its development space under a multi-center, multi-growth-pole model, closely linked with neighboring localities to create stronger spillover momentum.

The Aqua City ecological urban area project developed by Novaland in Long Hung Ward, Dong Nai City. Photo: Hoang Loc

Economic growth accompanied by social progress

How do you assess the role of major infrastructure projects in shaping the city’s future development?

Key infrastructure projects will play a decisive role in shaping the development space, identity and growth drivers of Dong Nai City in the coming period.

Long Thanh International Airport, together with the expressway, ring road and railway systems, not only strengthens connectivity capacity but also helps redefine the city’s economic structure. These projects create conditions for Dong Nai to continue attracting high-quality investment flows and strongly develop sectors in which it already holds advantages, including services, logistics and international trade.

On that basis, the city will focus on building an economic ecosystem around Long Thanh Airport, gradually forming an “airport city” model with logistics, financial, commercial and innovation centers.

More importantly, infrastructure will open up new development space, facilitating the formation of modern urban areas, economic corridors and new growth poles, thereby enhancing Dong Nai’s standing within regional and national connectivity networks.

In its future development orientation, what will Dong Nai do to ensure sustainable development and improve residents’ quality of life?

Dong Nai’s consistent viewpoint is that development must be rapid but sustainable, with economic growth accompanied by social progress, environmental protection and improved quality of life.

The city will focus on building green, smart and modern urban areas while preserving local identity; promoting the green economy and circular economy; strengthening resource management, pollution control and adaptation to climate change.

Special attention will be given to investment in social infrastructure, particularly worker housing, social housing, cultural institutions, healthcare, education and public spaces, ensuring that all residents — especially workers and laborers — fully benefit from development achievements. Through these efforts, the city aims to gradually create a more civilized, humane and livable environment, ensuring that transformations in development and governance models generate practical value. Entering a new phase of development, the city faces many opportunities and favorable conditions, alongside considerable difficulties and challenges. Nevertheless, with strong political determination, broad social consensus and a strong spirit of innovation, Dong Nai will successfully fulfill its goals and tasks, fully bring into play its role as a city, and gradually rise into a large, modern urban center and an important national growth pole.

By H.Loc – Translated by M.Nguyet, Thu Ha