Combining socio-economic development with national defence and security enhancement is a policy of great significance that is identified in various resolutions and directives of the Party, including the Resolution of the 8^th Central Committee (11^th tenure) on the Strategy for national defence in the new situation. By thoroughly grasping this policy, the Party Committee, authority, armed forces, and people of Hoa Binh province have taken synchronous measures to improve the efficiency of the combination of these two tasks.

Over the years, the implementation of the Party’s military and national defence guidelines has been reflected in the resolutions and directives of the Central Committee and the Central Military Commission, especially the Resolution of the 8^th Central Committee (11^th tenure) on the Strategy for national defence in the new situation, Hoa Binh has advocated the combination of socio-economic development and national defence and security enhancement by taking synchronous measures that are suitable to the characteristics of the province, which has resulted in positive outcomes. Notably, the awareness and responsibility of all cadres, branches, mass organisations, localities, and people about the combination of socio-economic development and national defence and security enhancement are increasingly raised. Moreover, the combination is relatively comprehensive, synchronous, and unified from plans to measures, which are in line with the plans for socio-economic development and national defence and security of the province, the Military Region 3, and the country. Regulations on coordination between different levels, branches, fields, etc. with the Military and Public Security have been gradually supplemented and perfected to make it scientific and highly feasible; the forms and methods of combination are gradually renewed; the advisory and coordination work of departments, branches, and forces, especially the armed forces have been effectively promoted, which contributes to the creation of economic resources that are reserved for national defence and security tasks to defend the province and the Fatherland. In the 2013-2022 period, the province’s economic sectors developed quite comprehensively and achieved impressive outcomes, notably the average GRDP growth rate reached 6.3% per year, and the economic scale in 2022 hit 57,684 billion VND, which was 2.1 times higher compared to that of 2013 - the first year of implementing the Resolution of the 8^th Central Committee (11^th tenure). The economic structure has shifted in the right direction with the revenue in 2022 reaching 5,274 billion VND, which was 2.5 times higher than that of 2013. Importance is attached to investing in socio-economic infrastructure promote socio-economic development and contribute to the common defence posture of the province and the Military Region 3, especially in strategic directions and areas. In recent years, the province has mobilised resources to complete the electricity, road, school, and station systems with a focus on key national defence and security areas. The province’s construction projects have to undergo a strict appraisal process to ensure that they can serve socio-economic development tasks and national defence and security tasks. Currently, the province has planned and invested in 8 industrial parks with an area of 1,433 ha and 3 logistic-technical bases at district and city levels with an area of 576 ha. Indeed, the province has created a favourable mechanism for more than 7,000 enterprises to operate; strictly managed defence land, defence works, and military zones in the province.

The model of cultural-defence and security village in Yen Thuy district (Photo credit: baohoabinh.com.vn)

To promote the results achieved, based on the summary of the 10-year implementation of the Resolution of the 8^th Central Committee (11^th tenure), the province continues to lead and direct the combination of socio-economic development and national defence and security enhancement to make Hoa Binh politically stable, prosperous, and strong in terms of national defence and security. To realise these goals, the Provincial Party Committee and Provincial People’s Committee have attached importance to a number of principle measures as follows:

Firstly, stepping up propaganda and education to raise awareness and responsibility of cadres at all levels, branches, mass organisations, localities, and the whole people about the task of combining socio-economic development with national defence and security enhancement. By continuing to thoroughly grasp and effectively implement the viewpoint of “Taking socio-economic development as a central task, party building as a key task, cultural development as the spiritual foundation, and national defence and security as a vital and regular task”, the Provincial Party Committee has focused on leading and directing the propaganda and education for different subjects and people so that they can firmly grasp the Party’s national defence and security viewpoints and guidelines in the new situation and can recognise the plots and tricks of hostile forces as well as the difficulties, consequences, and downsides of the market economy, etc. The contents of education and propaganda need to be comprehensive with a particular focus that is suitable to the subjects and localities, in which, importance is attached to clarifying the position, meaning, and importance of combining socio-economic development with national defence and security enhancement in light of the Resolution of the 13^th Party Congress, the Resolution of the 8^th Central Committee (11^th tenure) on the Strategy for national defence in the new situation; Decree No. 164/2018/NĐ-CP issued on December 21, 2018, by the Government on combining national defence with socio-economy and vice versa, and Resolution No. 11-NQ/TW issued on February 10, 2022, by the Politburo on the direction of socio-economic development, the assurance of national defence and security in the Northern Midlands and Mountains until 2030, with a vision to 2045, thus creating unity in awareness and action and promoting the synergy of the political system, all levels, branches, economic branches, and people in the close combination of socio-economic development and national defence and security enhancement.

Secondly, leading and directing to improve the efficiency of combining socio-economic development with national defence and security enhancement right from the master plans to the implementation in each branch, field, and locality. In the near future, focusing on completing the planning of Hoa Binh province in the 2021-2030 period with a vision to 2050 in association with promoting economic development in the Northern Midlands and Mountains. The province attaches importance to 5 breakthrough stages as follows: (1). Preserving and bolstering the cultural values of ethnic minorities, especially those of the Muong ethnic group and Hoa Binh culture; (2). Promoting institutional and administrative reforms and improving provincial competitiveness; (3). Developing and perfecting the infrastructure system, especially road infrastructure; (4). Encouraging digital transformation, building digital government, digital economy, and digital society in association with the Fourth Industrial Revolution; (5). Closely focusing on attracting and developing high-quality human resources to meet the requirements of industrialisation and modernisation of the province. Regarding the developmental space, the province orients socio-economic development along two corridors: the East - West economic corridor that is a part of the Hanoi - Hoa Binh - Son La - Dien Bien economic corridor and the Eastern economic corridor associated with Ho Chi Minh highway and expressway CT02 through Luong Son (bordering Hanoi) - Lac Thuy - Yen Thuy - Lac Son (bordering Thanh Hoa).

As a province possessing a large proportion of defence land, the process of implementing the province’s socio-economic development planning is likely to have a significant impact on national defence and security. Therefore, to promote the efficiency of the combination, the province puts focus on associating the master plan with building a military posture in the defensive area; strategic and public works should both serve socio-economic development and ensure national defence security when necessary. Additionally, continuing to develop the model of “Villages and hamlets of culture, national defence, and security” in extremely difficult areas in the province’s defensive area under the motto of “Prosperous villages and hamlets with no hunger exists; clean and beautiful roads and alleys with no epidemic; harmonious families, gentle children; happy villages and hamlets”. This model, which is imbued with Hoa Binh’s identity, aims at building strong communes, wards, and townships to serve as a firm basis for building increasingly solid district and provincial defensive areas; building new-style rural areas in association with promoting the movement entitled “All people join hands to set up cultural life”; creating a “people’s hearts and minds posture”, tightening the blood and flesh relationship between the military and the people as well as between the Party, Government, and Army with the people, etc., thus contributing to improving the material, spiritual, and cultural life of ethnic minorities in remote areas and extremely difficult areas.

Thirdly, bringing into play the advisory and organisational role of departments, branches, and mass mobilisations, notably the armed forces in combining socio-economic development with national defence and security enhancement. The province has directed the Military and Public Security agencies to actively coordinate with other departments, agencies, and mass organisations to advise the local party committees and authorities on measures to lead, direct, and implement the resolutions and directives of the Central Committee, the Resolution of 17^th Congress of the Party Committee of Hoa Binh province for the 2020-2025 term, thus ensuring the synchronisation, consistency, smoothness, and high efficiency in the combination of national defence and security and socio-economy. To achieve that goal, agencies, units, departments, branches, and mass organisations need to continue to consult the Provincial Party Committee and Provincial People’s Committee to perfect mechanisms and policies that create a favourable legal corridor that not only combines socio-economy with national defence and security but also strengthens the combination between these two factors. Military and Public Security agencies need to act as the core to coordinate with other departments, agencies, and branches to strictly appraise projects and successfully implement measures and mechanisms for exchanging and providing information right from the master plans of economic, cultural, and social works and projects. Military agencies should closely coordinate with local departments, agencies, and branches to appropriately mobilise and allocate resources for the construction of military works, especially those in combat bases and logistic-technical bases at all levels to make them increasingly solid. Moreover, strengthening measures to manage and use defence land for the right purposes, devising master plans for the general and periodic use of defence land, and integrating these master plans into infrastructure development plannings and projects on the economic, cultural, and social development of the province, ensuring a harmonious combination of socio-economic development and national defence and security enhancement, thus contributing to the successful implementation of the Strategy for national defence in the new situation.

NGUYEN PHI LONG, Alternate member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee