Combining socio-economic development with national defence and security reinforcement in general, in industrial parks and export processing zones in particular plays an important role in building strong municipal and provincial defensive capacity and posture. Being fully aware of this, over the past few years, the Party Committee and Command of the Military Region 7 (hereafter the Military Region) have directed and cooperated with localities in successfully carrying out this important task via appropriate synchronous solutions.

The Military Region 7 is located in the pivotal South East Economic Zone with a political, socio-economic, national defence and security as well as diplomatic position of strategic importance to the South and the whole country. While speeding up the national industrialization and modernization, cities and provinces in the Military Region have formulated a variety of policies to attract investment and effectively operated 124 industrial parks, 31 industrial clusters, 4 export processing zones, with nearly 5 million laborers, playing a significant role in developing the economy, boosting the national budget, as well as raising the people’s material and spiritual life. Annually, the region’s economic growth rate always ranks among the top of the country, along with stable national defence and security, which greatly contribute to the development in the region and in the national economy. All of these factors have laid the foundation for building increasingly strong defensive potential and posture, successfully implementing military and national defence work in the locality.

Maj. Gen. Le Buu Tuan presents the Military Region-level Certificates of Merit to the persons with outstanding achievements in implementing the Resolution 28-NQ/TW

In spite of aforementioned results, there remains limited awareness of this task at some authority levels; as a result, their leadership hasn’t been consistent. Moreover, the State mechanisms and policies on this work in some units are still overlapping, inadequate and out of touch with the reality. Meanwhile, hostile forces have been intensifying their malicious activities, especially in industrial parks and export processing zones. Therefore, effectively combining socio-economic development with national defence and security reinforcement in the Military Region in general, in industrial parks and export processing zones in particular has become indispensable for the two strategic tasks of Motherland construction and protection. It requires the Military Region to closely cooperate with localities in taking synchronous measures. In particular, the task centers on the following issues.

Firstly, enhance awareness of officials, Party members, business owners, armed forces and citizens in the area towards this important task. This serves as the key to the unity of awareness and action for all cadres, Party members, organizations, forces and people in combining socio-economic development with national defence and security reinforcement in industrial parks and export processing zones. To this end, the Military Region has promoted education and propagation of the Party's viewpoints and guidelines on military and national defence in the new situation, the hostile forces’ conspiracies, the downside of the market economy and the need to further strengthen this combination. The content of education and propaganda must be comprehensive with a focus on combining socio-economic development with national defence and security reinforcement in accordance with the 12^th National Party Congress Resolution, the resolution of 11^th Party Central Committee’s 8^th plenum on "the strategy of Motherland protection in the new situation", the resolution 28-NQ/TW of the Politburo (10^th tenure) on "continuing to build provinces and municipalities into solid defensive zones in the new situation", etc. Effectively conducting this important task requires the Military Region’s armed forces to institute particular practical and effective measures in the coming time. Accordingly, 100% of cadres and people have been imbued with the content of the task as prescribed and its scale would be expanded together with suitable mechanisms and policies. Thereby, unity of awareness and action has been achieved to promote overall strength of the political system, levels, branches, economic sectors and people in the area. It also contributes to well performing the task of combining socio-economic development with national defence and security reinforcement in each industrial park and export processing zone, and transforming municipalities and provinces into solid defensive zones.

Secondly, strengthen the Party leadership and direction and the counselling role of military agencies at all levels on combining socio-economic development with national defence and security reinforcement in each industrial park and export processing zone. So far, on thoroughly grasping the resolutions and directives of the Party and the Central Military Commission on military and national defence, the combination of socio-economic development and national defence and security reinforcement in the Military Region, especially in industrial parks and export processing zones has made a lot of positive changes, contributing to localities’ sustainable development. However, inadequacies in leadership have been revealed in some places. Therefore, besides providing regulations on this task in the coming time, the Military Region should closely work with the localities to make plans for key national defence and security positions in each area. On that basis, particular schemes on combining socio-economic development with national defence and security reinforcement should be drawn up in industrial parks and export processing zones. At the same time, military offices should take initiative in advising the Party committees on national defence and security assurance under the plans for socio-economic development. Under the guidance of the Military Region, the consultancy of the military offices of the same levels, cities and provinces should properly conduct the combination throughout the process of socio-economic development of the localities while saying no to economic development at any cost. Concurrently, dual-use products should be encouraged together with inspection and settlement of violations during the task implementation.

Thirdly, continuously renew the planning work of combining socio-economic development with national defence and security reinforcement in industrial parks and export processing zones. The Military Region’s Party Committee and Command direct localities to build up their plans for speeding up industrialization and modernization, ensuring mutual promotion between the socio-economic sector and national defence and security. This creates the parallel between the development in socio-economy, science and technology, particularly the key economic sectors in industrial parks and export processing zones, and the advancement in science technology as well as production branches in national defence. To put it into practice, in the coming time, military agencies and units should cooperate with industrial parks and export processing zones in planning business establishments, civilian and national defence and security services, ensuring synchronization, modernity, smoothness and high flexibility in the event of a war. Meanwhile, land planning and population distribution especially in industrial parks and export processing zones must serve the objectives of socio-economic development and national defence and security reinforcement.

Fourthly, relentlessly perfect mechanisms and policies on combining socio-economic development with national defence and security reinforcement in industrial parks and export processing zones in city and provincial defensive areas. This urgent matter is difficult to be resolved in a short time due to asynchronous mechanisms and policies. Therefore, the Military Region, on the one hand, should closely direct the cities and provinces to actively consult the Government, the concerned ministries and branches on the elaboration of the Party’s as well as State’s undertakings and policies. The study and promulgation of legal documents should be promoted for the effective combination of socio-economic development with national defence and security reinforcement. Any Party’s as well as State’s guidelines and policies relating to this task must be specified in legal documents in accordance with each city and provincial reality. On the other hand, the work of inspection and supervision should be tightened to promptly sanction violations. Along with that, cities and provinces keep promoting mechanisms and policies on this task in line with local characteristics with the aim of encouraging patriotism, motivating enterprises’ political and legal responsibility and improving the efficiency of socio-economic development besides the potential and postures of national defence and security reinforcement.

Combining socio-economic development with national defence and security reinforcement in industrial parks and export processing zones is not only a task of fundamental long-term significance but also an urgent current issue in the new situation. This contributes to exploitation and promotion of on-the-spot potential and strengths for military, national defence as well as Motherland construction and protection.

Major General Le Buu Tuan, Vice Commander-in-chief, Chief of Staff of the Military Region 7