The 10^th Vietnam People’s Army (VPA’s) Party Congress takes place while peace and partnership for development in the world and the region remain the mainstream. However, there have been rapid, complex, and unpredictable changes and developments. Domestically, our people have achieved historic considerable achievements in the last  30-year reform; the country’s potential and synergy have been consolidated; its status in international arena has been raised. However, we are facing a lot of difficulties, particularly hostile forces’ tricked drastic sabotage  through their “Peaceful Evolution”, Self-Evolution”, “Self-Transformation” and “depoliticization” of our Army. The cause of Homeland construction and protection by our military and people is very tough and of high requirement, with the mixture of  opportunities, advantages, difficulties and challenges. In that context, the 10^th VPA’s Party Congress bears great significance. The success of the Congress would both directly determine the Army Party organization’s guideline and leadership over the whole army in the process of building a “revolutionary, regular, seasoned, gradually modern” Army and its military and defence-related task and Homeland protection in the next 5 years, and make practical contributions to the success of the 12^th National Party Congress slated for early 2016.

Delegates at the Congress

Basing on the results of the Congress, it is necessary to affirm that the 10^th VPA’s Party Congress was successful in all aspects. Especially, the Congress deeply demonstrated the spirit of solidarity, democracy, knowledge and innovation. There were 78 written opinions, 19 of which were delivered at the meeting, giving feedback on the Draft Political Report and Review Report of the Central Military Commission for its 2010-2015 tenure. There were 145 registered comments, 9 of which were presented at the Congress, giving feedback on the Party Central Committee’s Draft Report. All of those were enthusiastic comments, manifesting high responsibility of delegates towards the country and the Army’s matters of paramount importance; also, expressing their faith in victories of the revolutionary cause in the new period under the Party’s leadership.

Regarding the implementation of the Resolution from the 9^th VPA’s Party Congress, all delegates agreed that: over the past 5 years, while the world and the region have had complex changes directly impacting military and defence-related tasks and Homeland protection, under the Party’s leadership, the State’s management, the Army Party organization has proactively and flexibly led and directed the whole military to overcome all difficulties and challenges, successfully fulfiled aims and tasks set by the Resolution of the 9^th VPA’s Party Congress. Ideological and political situation in the whole military has remained stable with internal solidarity; the virtues of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” continue to be brought into play; defence diplomacy has been strengthened; the task of Party building has been attached great importance, leadership competence of Army Party organization and party committees at levels has seen positive changes. Synergy, power, and combat readiness level of the whole military have been raised; proactively and successfully dealing with difficult situations, making contributions to firmly protecting the Homeland’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.

To successfully implement military and defence-related guidelines, aims, and tasks of building Army Party organization in 2015-2020 tenure, the Congress affirmed that: the whole Army, with party committees and commanders first, should thoroughly grasp the situation, their tasks, and the Party’s guideline, particularly the Resolution of the 12^th National Party Congress, the 8^th Central Resolution (11^th tenure) on “Strategy to defend the Homeland in the new situation” and the 4^th Central Resolution on Party building. On that basis, intensifying responsibility, synchronously adopting measures with a focus on the following ones. First, effectively performing its function to advise the Party and State on military and defence-related matters; protecting the Party, the State, the people and the socialist regime. Second, actively promoting its key role of building an all-people defence and all-people defence posture associated with a firm all-people security; unceasingly increasing the country’s defence potential. Third, continuing to build a revolutionary, regular, seasoned, and gradually modernized People’s Army; particularly building it a politically strong one with high-level synergy and combat power, meeting the requirements of Homeland protection in the new situation. Fourth, promoting international integration and defence diplomacy, contributing to raising status of the country and the Army. Fifth, continuing to innovate and enhance the leadership and combat competence of the Army Party organization so that it would direct the whole army to successfully fulfil all tasks assigned by the Party and the people.

With the success of the 10^th VPA’s Party Congress and glorious traditions of the heroic Vietnam People’s Army over the past 70 years, we surely believe that cadres and soldiers in the whole military would spare no effort to successfully implement the Resolution of the 10^th VPA’s Party Congress (2015-2020 tenure), making contributions to firmly protecting the Homeland’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.  

National Defence Journal