The 10^th Military Party Congress (2015 – 2020 tenure) was convened in Hanoi from 21^st to 24^th September 2015. The National Defence Journal would like to introduce the extract from the speech of His Excellency Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and Secretary of the Central Military Commission to the Congress.

Party Chief delivering speech at the Congress

In the coming years, it is anticipated that there will be complicated and unpredictable evolutions in the world and regional situation. Our country is facing both favourabilities, opportunities and difficulties, challenges. Though the world economy has shown signs of recovery, there remain factors of instability. Peace, cooperation and development are the mainstream, world war is unlikely to happen, but armed conflict as well as the conflicts among ethnic races, religions, territorial disputes, terrorist threats are likely on the rise. The economies and politics of some Asian and Southeast Asian countries develop new complications, etc.

As for our country, consistent and unchanged aims of hostile forces are to remove the leadership of the CPV and change the political regime in the country and steer Vietnam into their orbit. They continue to strengthen their strategy of “peaceful evolution”, use “soft attack” and focus on making political, ideological change and facilitate “self-evolution”, “self-transformation” within our Party; incite and separate to depoliticizing the VPA; defame and deny the role and credibility of the Party as well as our aim, idea and path to socialism.

The above mentioned situation has deep and direct impact on the accomplishment of the military and defence mission, requires us to stay vigilant and alert; pay attention to, consolidate and strengthen defence capability; build the people armed forces and the VPA; combine the two strategic missions of building socialism and protecting firmly Vietnam socialist Fatherland.

In the field of defence and security, our Party advocates promoting the power of the whole nation and political system to protect firmly national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity; protect the Party, the State, people and socialist regime; protect the renovation cause, industrialization and modernization; protect national interests and culture; strengthen the national defence, maintain peaceful environment, national security and political stability, social safety and order. This is the basic, main and regular mission of the Party, the State and the whole political system and people with the VPA and the People’s public security  being the key forces.

Those guidelines and viewpoints have been grasped and concretized by the CMCP  with 6 missions and 5 guidelines and main solutions proposed in the Political Report to the Congress. I hereby underline some main issues:

First, the Military  Party Committee and the whole military need to grasp thoroughly and successfully implement the guidelines, viewpoints of the Party, the policies and laws of the State on the defence and military mission, especially the Central Resolution 8 (XI tenure) on “Strategy to safeguard the Fatherland in the new situation”. Right after this Congress and the 12^th National Congress of the Party, the CMC need to promptly build plans for implementing Congress Resolution. Attention should be paid to strategic studies for proposing to the Party, State guidelines, mechanisms, policies and laws on military and defence work. Study to build defence and military strategy and some projects on strengthening defence in focal areas of Northwestern, Central Highland, and Southwestern  and borders and islands. Enhancing the quality of anticipating and appreciating the situation; opportunely advise and coordinate with other sectors, forces and localities in preventing and resolutely and cleverly dealing with complicated situations; avoid being made passive and surprised.

Second, implementing synchronously measures for building the VPA revolutionary, regular, seasoned and gradually modernized. Focus on building the VPA politically strong, steadfast with Marxism– Leninism and national independence and socialism; be loyal to the Party, State, People and socialist regime in any circumstances. Firmly maintain and strengthen the Party’s resolute, direct and comprehensive leadership and the State’s centralized and unified management over the VPA; consolidate and develop the fresh and bone relation between the VPA and the People. Actively and sensitively counter and defeat the scheme of “peaceful evolution” of hostile forces; prevent and counter effectively the risk of “self-evolution”, “self-transformation” and “depoliticize” the VPA.

Promptly build and implement the project of “Adjustments to the VPA’s organization to 2021” towards compact, powerful, mobile and flexible direction meeting the requirements of protecting the Homeland in the new situation and the Project of “Supplying weapons and equipment for ground forces until 2020 and beyond” toward modernization. Continue to modernize the Navy, Air Defence and Air Force, Telecommunications, Electronic Combat, Technical Reconnaissance and the Coast Guard. Strengthen capability for all forces to successfully accomplish their assigned  tasks in all conditions. Attach importance on renewing and enhancing the quality of education and training; fostering the study and development of military art and science; consolidate military regularity and disciplining; enhance the synergy and combativeness of the VPA.

Third,  actively collaborate with other sectors and agencies at central level and party committees and authorities of localities to consolidate the all people defence posture and its connection with the people security posture in each region and each strategic direction; pay attention to seas and islands, border areas to stay prepared in any situations. Focus on building firm provincial and municipal defence zones; combine economy with defence and security, defence and security with economy in each strategy, plan, and policy of  socio-economic development; combine closely defence with security and diplomacy. Renew the education of defence and security study; pay attention to the training of military cadres for grassroots level and building the militia and self-defence force. Promote the role of the VPA, contribute to consolidating the national solidarity; pay attention to socio-economic and cultural development in remote areas, areas with revolution base and areas with ethnic minorities; build firm “people’s heart and mind posture”, especially in strategic and focal areas.

Fourth, continue to implement the Resolution 06 of the Politburo (XI tenure) on “Building and Developing defence industry to 2020 and beyond”; focus on focal programs and projects; gradually build an independent, self-reliant and modern defence industry; build an increasingly strong defence industry potentiality, meeting the requirements of modernizing weapons and equipment for the requirements of defence and combat activities in the new situation.

Actively and proactively integrate into the world arena; enhance the quality of defence diplomacy in compliance with the Party guidelines and viewpoints. This is also considered one of top priorities of the VPA in the Party strategy of international integration. Implement thoroughly bilateral and multilateral diplomatic activities to create an intertwining of interest; prioritize the comprehensive, stable, steady cooperative relation with Laos, Cambodia, China, ASEAN countries, with major powers and traditional friends. Participate in the UN peacekeeping operations  in accordance with the conditions of the country and the VPA. Promote the effectiveness of the collaboration between the VPA, Public Security and Diplomacy.

Fifth, continue to build the Military  Party Committee strong politically, ideologically, organizationally and morally; stay firm to the democratic centralization principle; attach importance to self-criticism and criticisms, the maintain of solidarity and unity in the committee and throughout the VPA. Enhance the quality and effectiveness of the implementation of the Central Resolution 4 (XI tenure) on party building in association with the drive of studying and following Ho Chi Minh moral example. Attach importance to building party organizations in the VPA, particularly at grassroots level, really pure and strong in politics, ideology and organization; promote the role of leaders; build comprehensively strong agencies and units, successfully accomplishing the assigned tasks.

Grasping thoroughly the Party’s guidelines and viewpoints on leading cadre work and building cadre staff. Focus on building a staff of cadre with reasonable quantity and sound structure, high quality of politics, comprehensive knowledge and ability; make careful plan of leading, commanding and managing cadres at all levels ensuring inheritance and steady development; make preferential policies to discover, attract and employ talents to work for the VPA meeting the requirements of building the VPA in the new situation. Enhance the efficacy of the  inspecting  supervising, checking, and internal safeguarding work to maintain the Party’s disciplines.

Nguyen Phu Trong

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam