In accordance with the strategic policy of the Party on combining economy with national defence and security, Economic - Defence Unit 327 has been actively executing various synchronised and appropriate solutions to foster economic growth while strengthening national defence and security in the Fatherland’s northeastern frontier region.

Economic - Defence Unit 327, under Military Region 3, is tasked with cooperating with local authorities to manage and realise Binh Lieu - Hai Ha - Mong Cai Economic - Defence Zone project. The project aims to consolidate the political system, develop socio-economic infrastructures, stabilise local communities, and assist the people in production, hunger eradication, and poverty reduction in tandem with mass mobilisation. It also seeks to reinforce all-people national defence and people’s security postures in the districts of Tien Yen, Binh Lieu, and Hai Ha and Mong Cai city, Quang Ninh province. The project area encompasses remote and mountainous terrain, sharing a 118.84 km-long land border and 13.2 km-long maritime border with China. Due to its challenging topography, the region struggles with underdeveloped infrastructures, a sparse population predominantly composed of ethnic minorities (over 96%) with varying educational levels and several latent factors that could destabilise political security, social order, and public safety. Issues, such as law violations, drug trafficking, uncontrolled migration, illegal border crossings, and unauthorised missionary activities have been still complex.

Cadres and employees of forestry enterprise 156 give planting instructions to locals

Over the years, the Party Committee and Command of the Unit have proactively implemented measures to lead and direct affiliated agencies and units to overcome challenges and fulfil all assigned tasks. The Unit has closely cooperated with local authorities in strengthening political bases in the project area. It has executed hundreds of transport, irrigation, and power projects, providing clean water, constructing schools, clinics, and other essential facilities. Besides, it has successfully encouraged nearly 1,900 households to relocate to the border area for settlement, cultivating over 5,000 hectares of new forest, transferring 7,028 hectares of border belt forest to local authorities. It has also organised hundreds of refresher courses on crop/animal husbandry and vocational skills for thousands of residents. Additionally, it has conducted surveys and involved 1,928 households in a poverty reduction program, providing production support funds totalling tens of billions of VND. Cadres and employees of the Unit have successfully developed and replicated numerous models for hunger eradication, poverty alleviation, and sustainable economic development. With high determination, the Unit has effectively achieved the project’s objectives, practically fostering socio-economic development, building a firm “posture of people’s hearts and minds”, and strengthening people’s trust in the Party and State. These accomplishments have laid a firm foundation for building all-people national defence and people’s security, cementing national great unity, contributing decisively to the protection of national sovereignty and border security in the northeastern frontier region of the country.

Currently and in the coming years, national defence consolidation and Fatherland protection will have new developments, amid complex, unpredictable changes on global and regional scales. Within the Unit’s stationed area, while economic, political, and social stability is maintained and the living standards of the people are gradually improving, there will be significant challenges. Hostile forces are stepping up their sabotage efforts aimed at undermining national great unity. To successfully complete its tasks, the Unit is determined to continue promoting internal strength and maximising local potentialities and resources to boost economic development in conjunction with national defence and security consolidation via several measures as follows.

First, continuing to foster economic development, eradicate hunger, alleviate poverty, and improve living conditions for residents in the project area. With the strengthened leadership of party committees and commands at all levels and by reinforcing a sense of responsibility among cadres, soldiers, and young volunteer intellectuals, the Unit will proactively cooperate with local party committees, authorities, and mass organisations in developing plans for running economic-defence projects in tandem with local economic, cultural, and social development projects. In the immediate future, emphasis will be placed on completing the construction of Binh Lieu - Hai Ha - Mong Cai Economic-Defence Zone (phase 3), surveying and formulating a socio-economic development project for the 2026 - 2030 period, and continuing to effectively execute the Sustainable Forestry and Agriculture Development Program for the 2021 - 2025 period and beyond. This will include building and replicating economic development models, such as planting pine, anise, cinnamon, plum, orange, dragon fruit, hybrid rice, corn and raising pigs, cows, and goats. To that end, the Unit will continue to organise refresher courses to improve production techniques and foster household economic growth. Additionally, attention will be paid to directing forestry enterprises and production teams to dispatch qualified and experienced staff to villages for guiding the populace on cultivation techniques and selecting key crops and livestock. Support will also be provided in the form of seedlings, breeding stock, construction materials for livestock shelters, fertilisers, agricultural tools, and veterinary medicines. In line with poverty reduction models that create high-value production areas and stable incomes for locals, the Unit will continue to encourage the adoption of scientific and technological advances, establish exemplary models for agriculture and forestry expansion, and introduce high-value crop and livestock. Emphasis will be placed on diversifying agricultural production, creating more job opportunities on the spot, raising incomes, and improving living standards as the basis for driving economic growth in the project area.

Forestry enterprise 103 helps the people with housing construction

Second, increasing the effectiveness of mass mobilisation and actively participating in building a strong grass-roots political system. This is an important task that drives economic development, strengthens national defence and security postures, and builds a firm “posture of people’s hearts and minds” across the region. Accordingly, the Unit will continue to collaborate with local authorities to develop plans aimed at enhancing the efficiency of party committees, government bodies, and mass organisations. Public awareness activities will be intensified, especially among ethnic minorities, to promote their adherence to the Party’s lines and the State’s policies on ethnicity, religion, national sovereignty, and border security. Additionally, the Unit will give advice on and take part in strengthening political bases, with a focus on enhancing the effectiveness of party committees, government bodies, and mass organisations in key areas. To this end, the Unit will require its forestry enterprises and production teams to cooperate with local authorities and relevant agencies in renewing content, forms, and methods of mass mobilisation. Emphasis will be placed on encouraging the proactive role of young volunteers in disseminating information, developing production models, and providing technical guidance for local residents. Communication methods will be regularly renovated, including radio broadcasts, film screenings, distributing multimedia materials in ethnic languages, establishing social media pages, and allocating leaflets to encourage communities to abandon depraved customs, negative cultural practices, and social evils. Furthermore, due attention will be paid to clearly identifying the plots and tactics of hostile forces that aim to sow discord. By speaking clearly to foster understanding, acting to earn trust, and guiding effectively to inspire action, the Unit will help the populace gradually change their perception, adopt modern agricultural practices, and apply scientific and technological advances, thereby promoting socio-economic development and promoting ethnic cultural identities.

Third, effectively performing military and defence tasks and safeguarding political security and social order. To provide reliable support for local authorities and people in addressing initial defence situations, the Unit will intensify the management and arrangement of its cadres and employees to meet task requirements. Priority will be given to regular grasping and stringently adhering to higher echelons’ directives on training and combat readiness, particularly in the border area. In close cooperation with local authorities, district-level military agencies, and border guard posts, the Unit will determine troop garrison and deployment based on its operational plans and construct fortification systems to strengthen military posture within defensive zones. Strict compliance with duty regulations will be maintained at all times, ensuring maximum troop readiness in combat affiliates. Concurrently, the Unit will regularly design its combat documents and work with local authorities to organise training courses and exercises, particular for the reserve force as required.

To tackle violations of law and social evils within the area of operation, the Unit will direct its forestry enterprises and production teams to enhance information sharing and cooperation with local forces. This aims to closely monitor the activities of hostile forces, dissidents, and criminal elements, especially violations of national security and defence. The Unit will advise local party committees and authorities on opportunely handling disputes and complaints, particularly land-related violations, illegal natural resource exploitation, and deforestation to prevent malicious elements from inciting divisions or undermining national great unity. Doing so will contribute significantly to safeguarding national border sovereignty, political security, social order and safety, creating a favourable environment for economic development and stable livelihoods. By grasping the Party’s strategic policy of accelerating economic growth in tandem with strengthening national defence and security, especially in strategic, border, and island areas, the Unit is committed to successfully fulfilling its assigned tasks, contributing to building the Northeastern frontier region of the Fatherland rich in economy and strong in defence and security.

Sr. Col. PHAM KHAC DUNG

Commander of the Unit