Nowadays, the world and regional situation has witnessed peace, cooperation and development as the mainstreams. However, class and national struggle, local wars, armed conflicts, ethnic and religious conflicts, intervention, overthrowing, territorial and sea and island disputes, etc., are evolving complicatedly and unpredictably. In addition, Vietnam is also faced with the plot of “peaceful evolution” of hostile forces through the channels of diplomacy, tourism, international cooperation, trade, investment, etc. with the aim of infiltrating, bribing, intervening deeply into our internal affairs and fostering the “self evolution” and “self transformation” process and changing political regime in Vietnam, weakening its political – spiritual potentials. The right  to democracy, the freedom of religion, human rights matters are being abused by hostile forces to undermine the great national unity bloc, incite riots, separation in some regions of the country. To successfully realize the Party’s viewpoint and guideline of protecting the Homeland early and far, levels, branches, sectors and localities, including defense, security and diplomacy, must coordinate closely with each other to propose to the Party and State strategies for socio-economic development, defense and security consolidation, diplomatic broadening to maintain peaceful and stable environment and leverage external sources for the country’s development and early and far protection.

First, defense and security and diplomacy must coordinate closely in the anticipation of the world, regional and domestic situations and propose to the Party and State strategies for the early and far protection of the Homeland. Basing on their functions and missions, defense, security and diplomacy must coordinate and have the right and objective evaluation of the world, regional situation, focusing on major powers which have influence on the world peace and security; in the evaluation of chances and challenges, partners and opponents, risks to defense and security of the country, then have the right strategic anticipation for proposing to the Party and State strategies to protect the country early and far. Diplomacy being associated with defense and security in serve for the cause of building and safeguarding the Homeland represents a fine tradition, a valuable lesson which has been tested throughout the country’s revolutionary process, particularly over the past years of building and safeguarding the Homeland . Therefore, the Party's viewpoint of combining closely defense, security and diplomacy to protect the country early and far  is a sound and creative one, requiring levels branches, sectors and localities to seriously adhere to.

Second, coordinating defense, security and diplomacy in the struggle against wrongful and hostile viewpoints for protecting the Party, State and regime. In this complicated situation, defense, security and diplomacy must coordinate and actively struggle against all plots and acts of sabotage of hostile forces; prevent and refute wrongful and hostile arguments to protect the Party, State and the regime. To do this, defense, security and diplomacy must base on their functions and missions to carry out the pervasive struggle, both domestically and overseas, with a number of concrete, flexible and creative models and contents. To determinedly and persistently struggle to protect Marxism – Leninism, Ho Chi Minh thought, the Party’s viewpoints and guidelines; counter the call for “depoliticalization” of the Military and Police. Besides, actively and determinedly struggle against wrongful and hostile thinking and actions which defame, distort, and deny the leadership of the Party over the revolutionary cause, including defense, security and diplomacy fields. Together with the struggle against “peaceful evolution”, it is necessary to stay vigilant with “friendship evolution” means to make our country heavily dependent on and influenced by external “soft power”, badly affected by social management model and the out-of-date technology without consideration of the concrete features and conditions of the country. Defense and security must actively and opportunely prevent and defeat the all schemes of sabotage of hostile forces to maintain socio-political stability for the country, creating high status for diplomatic activities; besides, providing sufficient information about individuals, organizations, partners and opponents for diplomacy to be aware of the goals and impetus of partners in order to have appropriate and opportune settlement. In general, close coordination among defense, security and diplomacy contributes to stabilizing internal and external affairs, strengthening the country’s potentials and status, increasing friends and reducing opponents, maintaining peaceful environment and favorable conditions for constructing and defending the country; making favorable conditions for each branch and field to successfully accomplish their assigned tasks.

Third, coordinating defense, security and diplomacy to defend the independence, sovereignty unity and territorial integrity of the country. Our Party’s viewpoint is to determinedly and persistently struggle to defeat all plots and acts which deeply intervene the country’s internal affairs, violate independence, sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity, national security and political stability. Accordingly, defense must actively have good and soon settlement of internal and external activities in military, political, economic, cultural fields of the State and people to defend the country and maintain peace, prevent war. Security must actively build plans for internal protection, spy prevention; detect and timely settle cadres and party members breaking the laws. Pay attention to the protection of economic security for the country’s fast, stable, sustainable and socialist-oriented development. In addition, fostering the national program on criminal prevention and international cooperation, etc. Diplomacy must make foreign countries and progressive people in the world understand our Party and State’s guidelines and policies on defense and security. Furthermore, fostering defense and security diplomacy, proactive integration into the region and the world; exchanges, interactions, visits, conferences on defense and security between us and other countries through bilateral and multilateral relations to build and consolidate trust , promote mutual understanding, lessen mistrust, increase friends, reduce opponents, making favorable conditions for consolidating and strengthening defense and security, raising the country’s status.

Fourth, coordinating defense, security and diplomacy in the establishment of the comprehensive , interconnected and firm posture to protect the country early  and far. The strength for Homeland protection is a comprehensive  one, coming from the great national unity bloc, the whole political system under the leadership of the Party, from the combination between national strength with that of the time and between the strength of the all people’s defense force and posture and that of the people’s security force and posture. These make up aggregate forces and posture for Homeland protection cause. Therefore, right in peacetime, we should build the People’s Army and People’s Public Security revolutionary, regular, seasoned, and gradually modern with priority given to the modernization of some particular services and corps. These forces should be made politically steadfast with improved overall quality and combat strength, and absolutely loyal to the Party, State and people. In addition, we should also promote defense and security industries towards dual-use direction; provide more resources, material and modern facilities for the People’s Army and People’s Public Security. Strengthening the national unity bloc, the relationship between the Party and the people as well as their trust in the Party, State and regime is an important requirement and  measure to create firm “people’s heart and mind posture” for the  early and far protection of the Homeland.

The viewpoint on early and far protection of the Homeland manifests the strategic vision on defense, security and diplomacy in the new situation. This is a mission of the whole people, industries and levels in which defense, security and diplomacy play the crucial role, hence it is necessary to have a close coordination and unity among all activities of these forces for the firm protection of the Homeland in the new situation.

Major General, Assoc., Prof. Nguyen Hong Quan, PhD

The Institute for Defense Strategy