The Strategy to Safeguard the Fatherland in the new situation is the Party’s strategic Resolution. The comprehensive contents of the Resolution include the goals, viewpoints, guidelines, tasks, and measures for safeguarding the Fatherland in the new situation. After 10 years implementing the resolution, what has and has not been achieved can be seen as the foundation for further implementation in the coming time.

Ten years ago, through the results of the Resolution of the 8^th Plenum of the Party Central Committee (9^th tenure) on Strategy to Safeguard the Fatherland and the global and regional situation, the 8^th Plenum of the Party Central Committee (11^th tenure) determined to issue Resolution on “Strategy to Safeguard the Fatherland in the new situation”. The goals of the Strategy consist of common and specific goals in the coming time. After ten years, along with the achievements in all fields, the implementation of the Resolution has achieved satisfactory outcomes, in which, implementing the goals of the Strategy is the core content and incorporated in several fundamental contents as follows.

Regarding the common goals, despite the fast-paced, complex, and unpredictable global situation that has a direct influence on our country, with great determination and efforts of the whole Party, people, and Army, it can be affirmed that we, for the most part, have achieved the common goals of the Strategy; remarkably, some of which include firmly safeguarding the independence, sovereignty, territorial unity and integrity of the country, protecting the Party, State, People, and Socialism; protecting the cause of industrialisation and modernisation; protecting the national and ethnic interests; protecting the political security, social order and safety, and culture; maintaining the political stability and peaceful environment to build and develop a socialist-oriented country.

The above-mentioned overall outcomes that are of utmost significance are not only a firm cornerstone for strengthening the power to protect the Fatherland but also the pre-requisite for the country’s development in the forthcoming time. More significantly, the outcomes become valuable in the context that our country, in recent years, has encountered numerous difficulties and challenges including the hostile forces’ “Peaceful evolution” strategy, the impacts of non-traditional security, climate change, and epidemics, especially the Covid-19 pandemic, which seriously impact on all fields such as politics, economy, culture, society, national defence, security, foreign affair, and people’s lives. Thanks to the united efforts of the entire political system, Party, people, and Army, “we have synchronously and effectively implemented assigned goals, tasks, and measures, overcome difficulties and challenges, and achieved important and remarkable outcomes”. However, it is admitted that the results of the common goals of the Strategy to Safeguard the Fatherland still expose shortcomings. A minority of cadres, party members, party committees, authority, the Fatherland Front, and unions have not been fully aware of the tasks of protecting the Fatherland. They remain subjective and short of vigilance; therefore, they have not kept track of the situation and created numerous loopholes in protecting ideological, internal political security, information security, and economic security and security in some localities and fields. In addition to the risks indicated by the Party, the Resolution of the 4^th Plenum of the Party Central Committee (11^th tenure) continued to warn of unsolved problems. The shortcomings erode the people’s confidence in the Party and the State, which severely affects the power and capacity in safeguarding the Fatherland.

Concerning the specific goals in the coming time, the Resolution has determined five following goals.

Firstly, the goal of building the Party and the State, generally speaking, has created evident changes in building the Party and the State; consolidated unity, integration within the Party, the people’s confidence, and ensured socio-politico stability. Actively conducted, the Party and State building is concentrated on building politics, ideology, ethics, organisation, and cadres. In the 12^th National Party Congress, the Central Executive Committee issued four Resolutions and one Decision on Party building; the Politburo and Secretariat also issued numerous documents on this matter. As a result, it has laid a foundation for strict and effective implementation with the participation of socio-political organisations, unions, the Fatherland Front, and the People. The Party and State building are conducted in conjunction with preventing and driving back the degradation in political thoughts, ethics, and lifestyles, and the manifestation of “self-evolution and self-transformation” within contingents of cadres and party members. In particular, over the past ten years (from 2012 to 2022), since the Central Steering Committee on anti-corruption was established under the decision of the 5^th Plenum of the Central Party Congress (11^th tenure), anti-corruption has been drastically and effectively conducted. This manifests the Party’s determination in purifying the political system and consolidating people’s confidence in the Party and the regime.

Secondly, the goal of developing the economy and combining economic development with strengthening national defence and security, generally, has achieved encouraging outcomes. Remarkably, economic restructuring associated with renewing the growth model, and raising productivity, quality, effectiveness, and competitiveness has been effectively implemented. Although the country’s economy, in recent years, has been heavily hit by the Covid-19 pandemic and natural disasters, the average economic growth rate from 2016 to 2020 still achieved 6% per year and became one of the fastest-growing countries in the region and world. At present, the country’s economy is gradually regaining its growth momentum. Combining economic development with national defence and security and vice versa has created an enormous shift in awareness and action within ministries, branches, and localities. A wide range of national programmes and projects on socio-economic development has been effectively conducted in conjunction with strengthening national defence and security, especially in border areas, seas, and islands. This contributes to strengthening the all-people national defence posture associated with people’s security posture in these areas. Additionally, the cause of industrialisation and modernisation has been the foundation for the development of basic industries in conjunction with defence industry and national security.

Thirdly, proactively struggling to wreck the “peaceful evolution” strategy and effectively preventing the risks of conflicts and wars. It can be affirmed that this goal has been accomplished. The awareness of cadres, party members, and the people about hostile forces’ conspiracies and tricks has been heightened. Thanks to the close coordination of forces and the entire people, distorted allegations that are aimed to separate the country have been promptly detected and effectively prevented. The novelty shown in methods of struggle is initiative. Instead of being passive and pursuing sensitive cases and events to handle as before, we are now more proactive in forecasting, detecting, struggling, and orienting public opinions, which results in desired and encouraging outcomes. Additionally, strategic agencies specialising in defence, security, and foreign affairs have closely coordinated and proactively kept track of the situation, especially the people’s impacts on the cause of safeguarding the Fatherland so that the Party and State can map out appropriate guidelines, policies, and responses to sensitive and complex issues about international relations. Remarkably, the lack of vigilance has been step-by-step surmounted; the risks of wars and conflicts have been effectively prevented without causing riots, acts of terrorism, or forming opposing political organisations in the country; and initiative has been given great prominence in all circumstances to promptly safeguard the Fatherland from afar.

Fourthly, building the People’s armed forces revolutionary, regular, elite, and step-by-step modernised with increasing synergy and combat strength. This goal, basically, has been successfully implemented. As the regular forces in safeguarding the Fatherland, over the past ten years, the People’s armed forces, especially the Army and the Public Security have been paid much attention by the Party and State to building “revolutionary, regular, elite, and step-by-step modern forces with priority given to modernising several services and arms and “lean, strong, flexible, and effective” organisational apparatus”. This is manifested in the current building of the Army and the Public Security. As a result, the armed forces’ synergy and combat strength have been increasingly improved. However, it is necessary to attach importance to building reserve and self-defence forces to satisfy the task requirements. Accordingly, the goals of the Strategy to safeguard the Fatherland can be accomplished in the new situation.

Fifthly, maintaining a peaceful and stable environment to develop the country, strengthening foreign relationships, and heightening the position and prestige of Vietnam in the region and world. The goal of safeguarding the country is to maintain peace and create a stable environment for the country's development to firmly protect the Fatherland. In essence, this goal is a close and harmonious combination of two strategic tasks namely building and protecting the Fatherland. Therefore, the Resolution of the 8^th Plenum of the Party Central Committee (11^th tenure) determined that the above-mentioned goal is infallible. This is not only the specific goal in the coming years, but also the strategic and long-term goal of the Vietnamese revolution. The implementation of this goal, in fact, has been manifested over the past ten years; it is expected that new changes will be made in years to come. More importantly, the outcomes in safeguarding the Fatherland not only maintain a peaceful and stable environment for the country’s development but also generate premises to “actively participate in shared activities of the international community”. This has been evidenced by the participation of the engineering and medical forces of The Vietnam People’s Army in the UN Peacekeeping operations in several countries in Africa. Additionally, that foreign affairs and cooperation with partners, especially neighbouring countries, superpowers, and important partners have been constantly strengthened and expanded contributes to heightening our country’s position and prestige in the international arena.

In addition to the achieved outcomes, the implementation of the five goals in the Resolution of the 8^th Plenum of the Party Central Committee (11^th tenure) has also exposed some weaknesses and shortcomings. This partly affects the results of the Strategy to safeguard the Fatherland in the new situation, and requires an immediate remedy for effectively implementing the goals of the strategy in the coming time.

Major General NGUYEN MANH HUNG