The entire political system’s determination coupled with the people’s unity, consensus, material contributions, and brainpower have brought about significant socio-economic developments for Hanoi over the past five years. “A transformation that has never seen before,” remarked Hanoi Party Committee Secretary Pham Quang Nghi, several days ahead of the 16th Congress of the city’s Party Organisation. Over the past five years, Hanoi’s economy has been growing remarkably. The city’s gross domestic product (GDP) has increased 9.23 percent per year on average, 1.58 times higher than the country’s average. The city’s gross regional domestic product (GRDP) in 2015 was estimated to reach 27.6 billion USD and income per capita is approximately 3,600 USD, 1.8 times higher than that of 2010. The state budget collected over the five-year period was estimated to reach 714.5 trillion VND (32 billion USD), a yearly increase of 7.1 percent. Progress has been seen in urban planning and development. The city’s socio-economic development master planning scheme and strategy and a planning for the city’s general growth to 2030 with a vision to 2050 have been approved by the Prime Minister. The city has completed the planning of sectors, fields, and urban areas, the overall planning of districts, towns and satellite urban areas; comprehensively developed and gradually modernised technical infrastructure and social foundations. The urban management and law enforcement in the spheres of construction, traffic safety and social order and security have been reinforced. Due attention has been given to the management and use of natural resources, especially land. The building of new rural areas has achieved positive results and the life of Hanoi farmers and welfare services have been significantly improved. Party building and political system consolidation have been renovated and yielded important results. Politics and society have been kept stable while security and defence, external relations have been cemented. Since its administrative boundary expanded as allowed by the National Assembly in its Resolution 15, Hanoi has increasingly asserted its role as the national political-administrative nerve centre as well as a cultural, scientific, education, economic and international trading hub, contributing importantly to the country’s achievements. The capital city has so far been awarded with the Gold Star Order, three times, the first class Independence Order and the titles “Heroic Capital City” and “Hero of the People’s Armed Forces” by the Party and State. During the 60th anniversary of its Liberation Day, Hanoi was presented with the Ho Chi Minh Order. It is the only Asian-Pacific city that has earned the “City for Peace” title from the UNESCO.-VNA