Da Nang is making an all-out effort to become an industrialised city by 2020, said a local official on the 35 th anniversary of the city’s liberation day on March 29.

Whilst making his address at the ceremony, Nguyen Ba Thanh, Secretary of the municipal Party Committee, recalled the historic victory that liberated the city on March 29, 1975.

After being a large enemy military base, Da Nang has since tackled various challenges to overcome the war’s aftermath and develop the city’s socio-economic and political life, he said.

The city has now become a first-class, industrial city under direct state administration. It is the centre of the region’s service centre and an important international gateway, Thanh added.

The city’s economy has swiftly been restructured to be mainly dependent on services, various industries and agriculture, growing at an average pace of more than 11 percent annually. Its annual per capita income is expected to hit 2,000 USD this year and its export revenues pass the one billion USD threshold.

Da Nang ’s competitiveness index has remained in the top position nationwide for the last two consecutive years.

Truong Tan Sang, Politburo member and permanent member of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, urged Da Nang ’s authorities to speed up the construction of hi-tech industrial facilities, especially those concerning IT.

The central government always provides Da Nang with significant support, yet the city needs to come up with its own initiatives to cooperate effectively with other localities and contribute more to the growth of the central economic zone and the whole nation, he said.

The event drew the participation of many party leaders including incumbent Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai, National Assembly Deputy Chairman Huynh Ngoc Son, former party General Secretary Le Kha Phieu, former NA Chairman Nguyen Van An and numerous army officials./.