Military Region 5 has a particularly important strategic position in national defence posture. Therefore, building the solid defence of the Military Region and local areas is one of the focuses that has been conducted by the Party Committee of Military Region 5 with several synchronous contents and effective measures.

Thoroughly grasp and implement Resolution No. 28-NQ/TW, dated September 22, 2008 of the Politburo (10^th tenure) on continuing to build provinces and central-governed cities into solid defence areas in the new situation, over the years, the Party Committee and Command of Military Region 5 have focused on leading, directing and coordinating in building defence of the Military Region and local defence areas, resulting in important achievements. Notably, there has been a positive change in the awareness and responsibility of key officials at all levels, branches, localities and people in building defence areas. The coordination in directing and guiding among the Party Committee, the Military Region Command and the Party committees and authorities of the provinces and cities has been strengthened; the mechanism of leadership and direction in the construction and operation of the defence areas has been strictly implemented, creatively applied and smoothly operated at all levels. There has also an improvement in the leadership role of the Party Committee and the management capacity of the authority. Besides, the responsibility as well as the quality of consultation, coordination and command among military agencies, the police, local departments, branches and mass organisations has been enhanced. As a result, the potential and strength of the defence areas have been firmly built and consolidated, contributing to the effective struggle and prevention of counter-attacks by hostile forces, and maintaining socio-political stability, creating peaceful environment and favourable conditions for local socio-economic development.

However, the process of building the defence of the Military Region and local areas has faced many difficulties and challenges. The Military Region 5 has always been the focal point of the opposition of hostile forces with new conspiracies and tricks; the security situation on the border line, sea and islands is complicated with potential destabilisations; new and unpredictable developments in non-traditional security directly affect political security, social order and safety. In order to build a solid defence of the Military Region and local areas in the new period, the Party Committee and Command of the Military Region shall focus on leading and directing the effective implementation of the following main contents:

Firstly, strengthen the leadership of the Party Committees at all levels, the management of the authorities in building the defence of the Military Region and local areas. Thoroughly and strictly implement Conclusion No. 64-KL/TW, dated October 30, 2019 of the Politburo (12^th tenure) on continuing to implement Resolution No. 28-NQ/TW, party committees, local authorities, agencies, departments and branches must determine that building the defence of the Military Region and local areas is an important task in leadership activities. Since then, there should be an appropriate policy of leading and directing in each stage. In particular, the most important method, throughout the stage, is to strengthen the leadership of the Party Committees and the management of authorities at all levels, the advisory capacity of the Military, Public Security and Border Guard agencies, local departments, and mass organisations, especially the Military Party Committee's advisory capacity for this important task. Regularly consolidate and improve the leadership, command and management capacity of the Steering Committee of Defence of the Military Region and local areas; attach importance to building a contingent of cadres and party members, especially leading cadres at all levels with sufficient qualities and capacity to lead, direct, build and maintain the operation of local defence in association with Military Region’s Defence. Proactively coordinate with Party committees, local authorities, agencies and units of ministries and branches in the locality to develop the Regulation on coordination and propose leadership solutions to improve the quality and effectiveness of the construction and operation of the defence areas. At the same time, continue to promote propaganda and education to raise awareness and responsibility about the task of building defence of the Military Region and local areas at all levels in association with security and defence tasks in the new situation.

Secondly, build up defence potential of the Military Region and defence areas at all levels; closely combine socio-economic development with the enhancement of defence and security potentials, be well-prepared in all aspects for defence mobilisation. In order to successfully implement this content, it is necessary to promote the synergy of the whole political system, branches, forces and the entire people in building the potentials of the defence areas. Well implement socio-economic policies, policies on ethnicity, religion, rear of the Army, etc., aiming to solve pressing problems in people's life, especially in the areas of key defence and security. Strengthen national unity bloc, which is based on the people as the root to establish an increasingly firm "people’s heart and mind posture". In the new situation, the Party Committee of the Military Region should strengthen its leadership in the development of a master plan on defence arrangement in association with the planning strategy, plans and projects for economic, cultural and social development in the 2021 - 2030 period to meet the requirements of national construction and defence in peacetime and in different situations. Focus on effectively implementing projects on strengthening defence and security in combination with economic, cultural and social development on border lines, sea, islands, strategic and key areas, and the project to build a chain of islands near the shore into economic, science - technology, defence - security centres. Socio-economic development projects in the area must meet the requirements of both the need for defence mobilisation and the production capacity of the economy in the first year of the war. Localities, when planning for developments, must follow the direction of dual-use and flexible transition. In particular: industrial development must be associated with defence industry development; agriculture development must ensure food reserve for war needs; forestry development goes hand in hand with raising the rate of forest cover and in association with building a system of bases and military deployment in defence areas; fishery development in the direction of commerce is associated with logistics services on sea, island, etc. Along with that, investments and plans to develop information and transportation networks, etc. must ensure connections among areas, economic centres, strategic transport routes in the defence of the Military Region and local areas. At the same time, improve the level and quality of science and technology, step up military scientific research, review overall practices to supplement and develop the theory on the construction and operation of the defence areas in the new conditions.

Thirdly, build up strong armed forces, defence forces of the Military Region and local defence forces at all levels to meet requirements and tasks. In 2025, basically complete the adjustment of organisations and staffs in the direction of "elite, compact and strong"; from 2030, build the revolutionary, regular, elite and modern armed forces for the Military Region in order to meet the requirements and tasks in any situations. The Military Region should focus on building agencies in the direction of reducing intermediaries, overcoming overlaps and duplication of functions and tasks, and improving the advisory and leadership capacity based on particular fields and branches. Build up strong political, ideological and organisational key units which are revolutionary, regular, elite and modern; improve the level, the ability to be ready to fight and defeat the enemy in all situations. Bring into play the advisory and presiding role of military agencies at all levels in performing defence and military tasks, and in building local defence areas. The local army units must be strong enough to well accomplish the assigned tasks in both peacetime and wartime; focus on building a powerful mobilised reserve force which has strong politics, standardised military qualifications, and be ready for mobilisation. At the same time, build a strong and widespread militia and self-defence force with scales and forms suitable to each area, locality, economic sectors, types of enterprises and socio-economic organisations. Effectively carry out the Project on building a standing militia units to participate in the protection of sea and island in the new situation; build permanent militia fighting posts in border communes according to the plan and put them into effective operation. Coordinate with agencies and units of ministries and local branches to build forces, manage mobilised reserve, and support resources in defence construction of the Military Region local areas. Along with that, focus on renovating the content and methods of training and rehearsals that are close to reality, associated with new war forms, environments and types of combat. Actively and effectively participate in the activities of search and rescue as well as the prevention of natural disasters and environmental problems.

Fourthly, build a solid defensive posture of the Military Region and defence areas at all levels; link building the all-people defence posture with the people's security posture. Continue to perfect: provincial and district defence postures; fighting clusters at villages and communes; rear bases; infrastructure to ensure combat and establish a comprehensively solid defence posture of the Military Region. Thus, it is necessary to rationally allocate resources, ensure the budget for building, supplementing and completing the defence postures at provincial and district levels; the focus is on investment in building the postures in key areas, on strategic directions, borders, islands, coastal routes, high points and important traffic axes. Prioritising the construction of command posts and solid combat fortifications in a number of key defence areas on islands near the coast, terrain of strategic value on the border line. Continue to invest in building new works, actively improve the terrain, and consolidate the existing works, especially in the delta, coastal areas and urban areas. Closely combine the layout of the main units with the Border Guard, local troops, militia and self-defence forces to form a continuous, solid, interwoven defence posture to support and protect crucial defence areas and key targets. At the same time, continue to survey and firmly grasp the capabilities, potentials and actual conditions of the socio-economic sectors to develop a plan to ensure the defence needs in the first year of the war for the defence of the Military Region and defence areas. Bring into play synergy to build physical, logistical and technical bases; prepare reserves to fight in a basic and long-term direction, in line with socio-economic development planning and military and defence tasks of each locality. Building civil defence plan must be associated with the military posture, and meet the requirements of preventing, combating and overcoming the consequences of natural disasters, epidemics, environmental incidents, and the operations of search and rescue.

Faced with the increasing requirements of the cause of building and safeguarding the Nation, by the right guidelines and solutions of leadership, the construction of the defence of the Military Region and the defence areas at all levels of the Military Region 5 during the next time is expected to be successfully implemented.

Lieutenant General TRINH DINH THACH, Political Commissar of Military Region 5