National defence and security as a field of paramount importance is a central, routine task of the entire Party, Military and people; therefore, it has always been clearly mentioned in the Documents of our Party’s Congresses. In each Congress, assessments of national defence and security and directions for this work are supplemented and developed.

The 13^th National Party Congress will take place when the situation in the region and the world is complex and unpredictable. Our country has many advantages and opportunities, while facing a lot of difficulties and hardships, together with a large number of issues which must be solved. Hence, our Party always develops directions and solutions for the defence-security field. In the Draft Political Report for submission to the 13^th National Party Congress, there are several new points concerning national defence and security as follows.

1. Layout for the defence-security field

In the Political Report of the 12^th National Party Congress, the defence-security section was presented in a single article including assessments of the performance of defence-security task in the previous term, strong points, weaknesses, and goals and directions for the defence-security task in the new situation. However, in the Draft Political Report submitted to the upcoming Congress, national defence and security is presented in a section shared with other fields, entitled “Evaluating the execution of the 12^th Party Congress Resolution, causes and experiences.” In the Article X entitled “Consolidating national defence and security, defending the Socialist Vietnamese Homeland,” the Draft Report mentions the defence-security guidelines and task for the upcoming term.

2. On situation evaluation

First, the Draft assesses the defence-security task both generally and specifically, with several new points. Evaluating the performance of defence-security task generally, the Document of the 12^th National Party Congress stated that “against the regional and global situation’s complex developments, we still maintain national independence, sovereignty, unification and territorial integrity, while ensuring national defence and security as well as social order and safety.” Meanwhile, according to the Draft Report, “against the regional and global situations’ very complex developments, we maintain and strengthen the Party’s absolute, direct leadership over and the State’s uniformed management of national defence and security and the armed forces. We resolutely, persistently fight to defend the country’s independence, sovereignty, unification, territorial integrity and benefits, protect the Party, the State, the people, and the socialist regime, ensure security and social order and safety, and maintain peace and stability for the country’s development.”

Second, the Draft Report confirms new results in the past term. It mentions a number of new good points in the defence-security field. (1). The ideology on national defence and security and the Homeland protection has been developed and increasingly complete, while national defence and security is effectively combined with economy, culture and external affairs. (2). We have issued and executed important strategies synchronously, such as the National Defence Strategy, the Military Strategy, the National Security Protection Strategy, the National Border Protection Strategy, and the Homeland Protection Strategy in Cyberspace. (3). There has been a positive change in the settlement of relationships between partners and opponents. (4) We have proactively, opportunely, effectively dealt with crimes of various types and non-traditional security threats.

Third, the Draft Report more deeply assesses the development of the People’s Army and the People’s Public Security. According to the Document of the 12^th National Party Congress, “the comprehensive strength of the People’s Army and the People’s Public Security has been increased.” Meanwhile, according to the Draft Report, “it is necessary to build revolutionary, regular, elite, gradually modern People’s Army and People’s Public Security, with some components quickly moving straight to modernity to better meet the requirements set by the Homeland defence in the new situation.”

The strength of the People’s Army and the People’s Public Security are most clearly demonstrated via their political qualities, political zeal and loyalty to the Party, the State, the Homeland, and the people. Over the years, the Army’s organisational structure has been adjusted more effectively, while the Public Security Force has been streamlined drastically. The armed forces have been provided with modern materiel. A number of forces have quickly mastered advanced weapons and technical equipment, thereby firmly protecting seas, islands and continental shelf, maintaining security and social order and safety. The People’s Army and the People’s Public Security have successfully fulfilled their mission in any situation, given sound advice to our Party and State, and played a core role in safeguarding the Homeland and ensuring national security. When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, the armed forces together with medical staff were in the vanguard of the fight against this epidemic. “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” patrolled the national border and whole-heartedly served citizens in quarantine zones, while soldiers of the Public Security Force conducted “house-to-house” propagation and epidemic investigation, which helped cement the people’s faith in the Party, the State and the socialist regime. The armed forces have made significant contributions to pushing back the pandemic, bolstering the noble value of the national great unity block and raising our country’s status and prestige in the international arena.

3. Defence-security guidelines and task

The Draft Report places greater emphasis on identifying defence-security guidelines and task, with a number of new points as follows.

First, it supplements central contents of national defence and security. When presenting the central goal of national defence and security, the Draft Report is basically in agreement with the contents of the Document of the 12^th National Party Congress, but it supplements new arising missions which are to maintain peace, political stability, national security, and human security and build a disciplined, safe society to develop the country towards socialism. At the same time, it emphasises that “there should be strategies to prevent conflicts and wars and settle all disputes by peaceful means in accordance with international law.”

Second, it presents the building of defence-security potential more clearly and comprehensively. In this regard, the Document of the 12^th National Party Congress advocated consolidating the defence-security potential and making the postures of all-people national defence and people’s security solid. The Draft Report mentions this matter more sufficiently as it advocates “increasing defence-security potential, building and strengthening the all-people national defence associated with the people’s security, and building the posture of people’s hearts and minds combined with the postures of all-people national defence and people’s security. We shall concretise and effectively manage the relationship between the Socialist Vietnamese Homeland construction and defence in the Socio-Economic Development Strategy, the Homeland Protection Strategy, national defence and security, and diplomacy, in the economic, cultural, social, defence-security fields in the strategic regions and areas as well as in each mission, programme and plan.”

Third, there are some new, more specific points regarding the force construction. In addition to “building revolutionary, regular, elite, gradually modern People’s Army and People’s Public Security” like the Document of the 12^th National Party Congress, the Draft Report supplements the task of “building a powerful reserve force and a strong, extensive militia and self-defence force in the country’s regions and seas. Due regard will be paid to making the grass-roots level security force strong enough to meet the new requirements of maintaining security and order at grass-roots level.” Besides, the Draft Report places emphasis on “renewing policies and raising the quality of attracting and training high-calibre human resources to satisfy the requirements set by the Homeland protection in the new situation.”

Fourth, the Draft Report touches on the building and perfection of strategies, mechanisms and policies for national defence and security. The Document of the 12^th National Party Congress underlined “the completion of legal documents, mechanisms and policies on national defence and security.” Up to now, as strategies on national defence and security have been perfected, the Draft Report supplements the task of “synchronously executing the National Defence Strategy, the Military Strategy, the National Security Protection Strategy, and the Homeland Protection Strategy in Cyberspace and other strategies relating to national defence and security.”

To well implement the defence-security guidelines and task, according to the Draft Report, it is essential to “maintain and enhance the Party’s absolute, direct leadership over and the State’s uniformed management of the People’s Army, the People’s Public Security and the defence-security cause. Due attention should be paid to raising the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of the party and political work within the People’s Army and the People’s Public Security so that the armed forces will be politically strong and capable of playing the core role in the defence-security cause and the Homeland protection in the new situation.”

Prof. VU VAN HIEN, PhD, Deputy Head of the Central Theoretical Council