Sín Chải is a mountainous commune where 100% of the population are Mông ethnic people. The lives of the residents still face many difficulties and hardships. Starting the new-style rural area building, the local infrastructure has gradually been invested in synchronously, the agricultural economy has developed in a commodity-oriented direction; the material and spiritual lives of the people have significantly improved, the rural landscape has flourished, and social security is ensured. However, after merging with the two communes of Lao Xả Phình and Tả Sìn Thàng to establish the new Sín Chải commune, a review showed that the commune only met 11/19 new-style rural area criteria and only 2/24 villages achieved new-style rural area status. Many criteria, such as Health, Culture, and Income, were not yet met.

Trần Văn Sơn, Chairman of the Sín Chải communal People’s Committee, said: Immediately after the merger, the commune quickly stabilized and consolidated its organizational structure to carry out political tasks, especially new-style rural area construction. The communal Steering Committee for the new-style rural area construction program developed an implementation plan for the following years. Accordingly, Sín Chải will maintain and improve the criteria that have been met in the area; striving to complete the unmet criteria to soon reach the new-style rural area building target before 2030.

With a low socio-economic starting point, the infrastructure in many communes across the province is currently underdeveloped; the high mountains, steep slopes, and fragmented terrain make it very difficult to develop production, trade goods, and apply science and technology. Meanwhile, the general education level of the population is uneven, production remains backward, and the poverty rate is high (the average income per capita in 2024 is approximately VND 27.6 million/year; of which the rural area reaches approximately VND 19.5 million/year). The majority of the province’s workforce is concentrated in rural areas, with a high proportion of ethnic minority laborers. The rate of trained labor in Điện Biên province is low compared to other provinces nationwide.

Before July 1, 2025 (prior to implementing the two-tier local government model), the entire province had 115 communes across 10 districts, towns, and cities implementing the National Target Program on new-style rural area construction. As a result, 2 district-level units (Mường Lay town, Điện Biên Phủ city) were eligible to propose recognition for completing the new-style rural area construction task. However, due to the process of rearranging commune-level administrative units, and the non-organization of the district level, the province has not yet completed the submission to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment for appraisal. Additionally, 2 communes met the model new-style rural area standard, 5 communes met the advanced new-style rural area standard; 26/115 communes met the new-style rural area standard, 33/115 communes achieved 15 - 18 criteria, 54/115 communes achieved 10 - 14 criteria, and 2/115 communes achieved less than 10 criteria, with an average of 14.74 criteria/commune; 267/650 villages were recognized as meeting new-style rural area and model new-style rural area standards. Furthermore, the entire province has 138 products certified as OCOP products of 3 stars or higher, including 5 products of 4 stars.

After the merger, the entire province reduced from 115 communes to 42 communes implementing the National Target Program on new-style rural area construction. To date, a review shows that the entire province has no communes meeting the model new-style rural area standard; no communes meeting the advanced new-style rural area standard; only 3/42 communes met all 19/19 criteria (eligible to complete the application for re-recognition as new-style rural area standard communes according to the National Set of Criteria for New-style Rural Area Construction for the 2021 - 2025 period); 7/42 communes achieved 15 - 18 criteria, 23/42 communes achieved 10 - 14 criteria, and 9/42 communes achieved less than 10 criteria.

To complete the unmet new-style rural area building criteria, local authorities need to develop plans with specific annual roadmaps and for the 2026 - 2030 period, ensuring suitability with the reality of each area. It is important to promote the leading role of the people through intensified communication and mobilization, creating consensus and collective strength within the community for new-style rural area construction. Focus must be placed on developing production, increasing income, exploiting the advantages of each locality, boosting the transformation of crop and livestock structures toward commodity production; linking with businesses and cooperatives to expand the market, and enhancing product value.

Concurrently, the province needs to prioritize allocating resources to invest in essential infrastructure for the merged communes that still face many difficulties, avoiding imbalances between regions, especially regarding transportation, schools, healthcare, and cultural facilities.