“Firm in objectives, flexible in tactics” is a core philosophy of President Ho Chi Minh, which has become a guiding principle for the Party in its struggle for national liberation and unification. Today, in the context of a rapidly evolving and unpredictable global and regional landscape, this principle holds even greater significance and must be thoroughly understood and effectively applied in the realms of national defence, security, and the safeguarding of the Fatherland.

Immediately after the foundation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, our nation faced immense difficulties and challenges, including the threats of famine, illiteracy, foreign invasion, and the fierce opposition of internal reactionary forces. When the country was hung by a thread, our Party, led by President Ho Chi Minh, devised numerous flexible and strategic policies based on the philosophy of “Firm in objectives, flexible in tactics.” This approach gradually isolated and eliminated each adversary, garnered widespread domestic and international support, and secured the achievements of the August Revolution of 1945. The philosophy of “Firm in objectives, flexible in tactics” became the Party’s guiding principle, steering the entire nation and Army through the struggle for national liberation and unification, and it continues to be a cornerstone in the ongoing efforts to build and protect the Fatherland. In today’s volatile world, the Party remains committed to this principle, further developing it to guide the nation’s defence, security, and the firm protection of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the new era. This necessitates that every cadre and Party member thoroughly grasp and flexibly apply this principle in their practical work, focusing on several key areas as follows:

Firstly, maintaining the goal of national independence and socialism - the inevitable path of the Vietnamese revolution. This is a fundamental principle of the Party, representing the only correct choice that meets the demands and aspirations of the Vietnamese nation and people, while aligning with the developmental trends of the era. The Party asserts that national independence and socialism are intrinsically linked in a dialectical relationship, each reinforcing the other. National independence is the essential condition for the successful construction of socialism, and socialism, in turn, provides a robust foundation for the enduring and sustainable independence of the nation. In the current global and regional context, where opportunities and challenges are intertwined, the Party has consistently affirmed that “Maintaining the goal of national independence and socialism” is an unwavering principle - an “unchanging” goal that underpins flexible, creative, and adaptable strategies in both domestic and foreign policies - aimed at strengthening national defence, security, and the steadfast protection of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the new era.

Secondly, ensuring and strengthening the absolute and comprehensive leadership of the party, the unified management and centralised administration of the state, and promoting the significant role of the people in national defence, security, and the protection of the Homeland. This is a fundamental and consistent viewpoint, which involves the integration and synergy of three key factors: the Party, the State, and the People. Each of these factors has its distinct role and function, yet they are closely interconnected and indispensable to the cause of national defence, security, and the protection of the Fatherland. Among these, the leadership of the Party is the decisive factor in shaping the revolutionary nature, the all-people and nationwide strength of Vietnam’s national defence and in ensuring the success of the national defence and security missions in protecting the socialist Fatherland. In the Party’s documents and resolutions, particularly the Resolution of the 8^th Plenum of the Central Party Committee (the 13^th Tenure) on the Strategy for protecting the Fatherland in the new situation, the Party has consistently emphasised the importance of maintaining and enhancing the absolute and comprehensive leadership of the Party, the unified management and centralised administration of the State, and the significant role of the People in the national defence, security, and protection of the Fatherland. The leadership of the Party, alongside the State’s management and administration, must be comprehensive, focusing on effectively building a robust national defence posture, a resilient people’s security, and strengthening defence and security efforts to protect the Fatherland proactively and from afar. It is essential to harness the immense role of the People, adhering to the principle of “relying on the people,” with the notion that “the people are the root,” in building a “people’s heart and mind posture.” This approach fosters the great unity of the entire nation under the Party’s leadership, realising the harmony between “the Party’s will and the People’s heart,” creating an impregnable fortress that no hostile or reactionary force can subdue. By combining national strength with the strength of the era, we create a comprehensive power to maintain internal stability and external harmony, achieving the goal of building a prosperous and strong Vietnam - where “the people are wealthy, the nation is powerful, and the society is democratic, just, and civilised.” This is the firm foundation for the cause of national defence, security, and the protection of the Fatherland.

Vietnam People's Army in the UN peacekeeping operations

Thirdly, clearly defining the objectives of national defence in the new era. The Party’s 13^th National Congress documents have firmly established the objectives of national defence, which include “protecting the independence, sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of the Fatherland; protecting the Party, the State, the People, and the socialist regime, as well as the national culture and the interests of the nation; and maintaining a peaceful environment, political stability, and national security... to advance the country towards socialism.” In line with this spirit, the Resolution of the 8^th Plenum of Party Central Committee (the 13^th Tenure) further refines and expands these objectives to encompass “…the protection of the cause of renovation, industrialisation, and modernisation…” Based on these national defence objectives, the primary and ongoing tasks of the Party, the State, the political system, and the entire population have been clearly defined. In this context, the People’s Army and the People’s Public Security forces play a pivotal role in enhancing national defence and security, with a primary focus on “proactive prevention.” This involves timely and effective responses to non-traditional security threats and developing flexible strategies to prevent the risks of war and conflict, thereby ensuring the steadfast protection of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam under any circumstances.

Fourthly, consistently implementing the policy of “peaceful and defensive” national defence. This is another “unchanging” principle that reflects the Party’s consistent stance on implementing Vietnam’s “four no’s” defence policy: “no military alliances; no alignment with one country against another; no foreign military bases on Vietnamese territory or the use of Vietnam’s territory against other countries; and no use of force or threat of force in international relations.” Simultaneously, the Party remains steadfast in its principles and objectives of national defence - the “unchanging” - while being flexible in its strategies - the “ever-changing.” The aim is to maintain internal stability and external harmony by combining national strength with the strength of the times, actively and positively engaging in comprehensive and deep international integration. Vietnam is committed to being a friend, a reliable partner, and a responsible member of the international community. This involves balancing and harmonising interests in relations with other countries, protecting national interests, and resolving disputes and disagreements peacefully based on international law. The approach is one of cooperation and struggle, avoiding passivity, isolation, dependence, or strategic conflicts with other nations. Vietnam actively seeks to prevent and mitigate the risks of armed conflict and invasion, adhering to the principle of protecting the Fatherland proactively and from afar and being prepared to win any defensive war in all circumstances. In the current complex global situation, Vietnam is strengthening its defence capabilities, with a focus on building a “seasoned, compact, strong, and modern” Army to enhance its “self-defence” capabilities. This is aimed at firmly safeguarding the nation’s independence, sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity, as well as protecting national interests - not to engage in an arms race or to threaten or use force against other nations. The ultimate goal is to pursue mutually beneficial cooperation for the common good of the region and the international community, thereby contributing to the protection of the Fatherland “proactively and from afar.”

Fifthly, building a strong people’s armed forces, worthy of being the core force in national defence, security, and protection of the Fatherland. The People’s Armed Forces were established, led, educated, and trained by the Communist Party of Vietnam and President Hồ Chí Minh. They are the core force of the people, for the people, and by the people, embodying the working-class nature, as well as profound national and popular characteristics. The Party’s “absolute, direct, and comprehensive” leadership over the People’s Armed Forces is an “unchanging” principle - consistent and pervasive throughout the Vietnamese revolutionary process. This leadership is the decisive factor for every victory and ensures that the armed forces continue to grow stronger, fulfilling their historic mission to the nation. President Ho Chi Minh emphasised, “We must firmly build and lead the revolutionary armed forces of the people to ensure victory over any enemy, under any circumstances.” Wherever the People’s Armed Forces are organised and operate, the Party’s leadership must be present. This is a practical summary and a theoretical development of the Party’s leadership role over the People’s Armed Forces, clearly illustrating the rules for the development and growth of the People’s Armed Forces, particularly the People’s Army, the Militia and Self-Defence Forces, and the People’s Public Security forces in the cause of national defence, security, and protection of the Fatherland.

Under the Party’s leadership, in each mission and revolutionary stage, and based on the country’s conditions and global trends, the People’s Armed Forces have been built to be strong, meeting the requirements of national defence, security, and the protection of the homeland. The 12^th Party Congress set forth the goal of “Building a revolutionary, regular, seasoned, and gradually modernised People’s Army and People’s Public Security, with priority given to the modernisation of certain services, branches, and forces.” Given the current situation and the tasks of national defence, security, and homeland protection in the new period, the 13^th Party Congress further developed and specified the objectives and roadmap for building the People’s Armed Forces: “By 2025, we will basically build a streamlined, strong, and effective People’s Army and People’s Public Security, laying a solid foundation, and striving to build a revolutionary, regular, elite, and modernised People’s Army and People’s Public Security by 2030, with strong political, ideological, moral, organisational, and personnel foundations.” Additionally, the congress expanded on the importance of “Building a robust reserve force and a strong, widespread militia and self-defence force across regions and at sea.” The Party is also actively and proactively working to defeat the “peaceful evolution” strategy and the schemes of “depoliticising” the Army and Public Security, as well as the internal threats of “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” posed by hostile forces. Maintaining the principle of absolute, direct, and comprehensive Party leadership over the People’s Armed Forces, we strive to build a strong People’s Armed Forces that can excel in the mission of building and firmly protecting the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the new era.

Finally, correctly applying the principles of identifying partners and adversaries in national defence, security, and protection of the Fatherland. In the past, during various stages of the national liberation revolution, the identification of partners and adversaries (friends and foes) was primarily based on ideological foundations, leading to somewhat rigid views that framed all relationships within the “enemy-us” dichotomy. Today, in the context of a complex global and regional situation, with evolving international relations, the identification of partners and adversaries is more complicated. It is essential to constantly monitor the situation, make accurate assessments and forecasts, and thoroughly understand the Party’s principles on partners and adversaries. The principle of “Firm in objective, flexible in tactics” must be applied correctly and flexibly in executing the Party’s views on partners and adversaries, maintaining the “unchanging” goal of protecting the Fatherland. At the same time, it is crucial to recognise the dialectical nature of the relationship between partners and adversaries and to address and manage this relationship flexibly and skillfully - the “ever-changing.” Particularly, it is necessary to acknowledge that within every partner, there may be areas of disagreement, differences, or even conflicts with national interests, requiring efforts to reduce disagreements, eliminate conflicts, and seize opportunities to develop cooperative relations. However, we must also remain vigilant and avoid complacency. Similarly, within every adversary, there may be aspects that can be leveraged for cooperation; flexibility and diplomacy must be employed to promote a “soft transformation” that reduces disagreements, conflicts, and the adversarial nature. By taking advantage of favourable aspects of the adversary and turning them into opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation, we can enhance the effectiveness of partnerships. It is also essential to strengthen internal capacity, resilience, independence, and self-reliance, and to decisively avoid being caught off guard, isolated, or forced into confrontation. The effective application of the principle “Firm in objectives, flexible in tactics” allows us to seize opportunities for cooperation, reduce conflicts, and transform adversaries into partners. At the same time, it is important to recognise differences in interests and develop strategies and solutions to address them, reduce disagreements, eliminate conflicts, and advance relationships. This approach aligns with Vietnam’s goal of being a friend, a reliable partner, and an active, responsible member of the international community.

President Ho Chi Minh’s philosophy of “Firm in objectives, flexible in tactics” has become a guiding principle for the Party, playing a crucial role throughout the leadership of the Vietnamese revolution in achieving victory. Today, as the global, regional, and domestic landscapes present both opportunities and challenges, the entire Party, people, and armed forces must deeply grasp and flexibly and creatively apply the principle of “Firm in objective, flexible in tactics” to meet the demands and tasks of national defence, security, and the steadfast protection of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Lieutenant General, Dr. DAO TUAN ANH, Deputy Director of the National Defence Academy