According to the Platform for national construction in the transitional period towards socialism (supplemented and developed in 2011), the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and the Party’s current Charter approved by the 11^th National Party Congress, the Communist Party of Vietnam regards Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh’s ideology as its ideological foundation and the lodestar for its actions. Hence, defending the Party’s ideological foundation means protecting Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh’s ideology.

Over the past 90 years, since its inception, the Party’s Propaganda and Education Branch (PEB) as the vanguard has made significant contributions to the work of propagation and education aimed at defending the Party’s ideological foundation and protecting the Party, the State, the people, and the socialist regime. It has focused on studying, disseminating, supplementing, developing, and flexibly applying Marxism-Leninism as the proletariat’s ideology to the Vietnamese revolution, thereby creating a consensus within the Party, the Military, the people, and politico-social organisations, making contributions to realising the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies, refuting hostile viewpoints against our Party and people’s revolutionary cause.

Comrade Nguyen Trong Nghia addressing the conference to review the              propaganda and education work in the first half of 2021                        (photo: dangcongsan.vn)

It should be noted that in the renewal period, the PEB has proactively, actively advised the Party and the political system to effectively execute the Party’s resolutions and directives on the ideological and theoretical work. Its cadres have contributed to the fight against wrong, hostile viewpoints, while acting as a core force in the all-level Steering Boards on defending the Party’s ideological foundation, thus rendering cadres, party members, and citizens fully aware of the scientific, revolutionary nature of Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh’s ideology and transforming the Party’s guidelines and the State’s law and policy into the social life’s solid spiritual foundation. At the same time, they have improved their political zeal and flexibly applied Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh’s ideology to realising the goal of national independence and socialism as well as the guidelines on national renewal, construction, and protection for the sake of wealthy people, strong nation, democracy, equality, and civilisation. The 22^nd of October 2018 marked a milestone in the development of the defence of the Party’s ideological foundation when the 12^th Politburo issued the Resolution 35-NQ/TW on “enhancing the defence of the Party’s ideological foundation and the fight against wrong, hostile viewpoints in the new situation.” According to the Resolution, defending the Party’s ideological foundation is to protect the Party and its Political Platform and guidelines, the people, the Socialist Rule-of-Law State of Vietnam, the country’s renewal, industrialisation, modernisation and international integration, national benefits, and a peaceful, stable environment for development, while serving as a crucial part of the Party building and rectification, a central task of the entire Party, Military and people with the PEB playing a core role, and a routine mission of all party organisations, authorities, Fatherland Fronts of Vietnam, politico-social organisations, localities, offices, units, cadres, and party members, particularly the key ones. The Resolution has once again asserted the importance, value, and significance of the defence of the Party’s ideological foundation, overcome inconsistencies in leading, directing, and organising the fight against wrong, hostile viewpoints, clearly identified and heightened a sense of responsibility of forces, sectors, and the whole political system, thereby creating the synergy for safeguarding the Party’s ideological foundation against the hostile forces’ fierce sabotage strategy.

The Resolution 35-NQ/TW has helped create a consensus amongst party members and within the political system, while considering the defence of the Party’s ideological foundation as a central mission aimed at protecting the revolutionary goal and ideal, the Party, the State, the people, and the socialist regime. In the light of the Resolution, the work of practical review and theoretical study and the defence of the Party’s ideological foundation have been organised in a systematic, synchronous, comprehensive, drastic, gradually profound manner, achieved significant results, and provided many important scientific arguments for safeguarding the Party’s ideological foundation.

The PEB has given close directions and orientations to manage press, publishing, and propagation. It has also enhanced the fight against wrong, hostile viewpoints and remained steadfastness in Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, thus firmly protecting the Party’s ideological foundation. The Steering Boards on Defending the Party’s Ideological Foundation (hereafter the Steering Board 35 for short) from Central to local levels have been organised and consolidated regularly, with the Propaganda and Education Commissions at all levels acting as their standing agencies. Measures for ensuring cyber safety and security and eliminating evil information on the Internet and social networks have been implemented synchronously, effectively, while pieces of positive information has been disseminated widely via communication corps.

Nevertheless, there have been some weaknesses in the defence of the Party’s ideological foundation. The fight against wrong, hostile viewpoints in some place have yet to be timely, effective, combative, or convincing enough. The role of literature and art in defending the Party’s ideological foundation has yet to be promoted sufficiently. Several research offices have yet to place emphasis on practical review and theoretical study to provide scientific arguments for protecting the Party’s ideological foundation. Those shortcomings necessitate the PEB further promoting its core, vanguard role in the ideological field and the defence of the Party’s ideological foundation.

During the tenure of the 13^th National Party Congress, our country has considerable advantages but faces a lot of difficulties and challenges. On a global scale, we are confronted with many new issues, such as “global economy,” “multi-polar world,” “diverse culture” or “information society.” Besides, we have to deal with the rise of the Internet, social media, and populism in many places. Domestically, more seriously, a section of our cadres and party members have committed degradation in political ideology, ethics and lifestyle or showed the signs of “self-evolution” and “self-transformation.” Meanwhile, the hostile forces are stepping up their sabotage scheme to negatively impact on our political and social stability. Therefore, “special importance should be attached to building a really pure, strong Party,” “raising the quality of the ideological work to achieve a consensus within the Party and the society, fighting to protect the Party’s ideological foundation and refute hostile viewpoints, resolutely, persistently preventing and repelling the degradation in political ideology, ethics and lifestyle as well as the signs of ‘self-evolution’ and ‘self-transformation’ from within.”

Keeping promoting its role and advantages, with its determination and effort, in cooperation with authorities and sectors, the PEB will focus on well performing several task as follows.

First, achieve a consensus on the position and importance of the defence of the Party’s ideological foundation in the new period. It is vital to stick with the goal of national independence and socialism and continue building a socialist-oriented market economy, a socialist rule-of-law state of the people, by the people, and for the people, developing the Vietnamese people comprehensively and an advanced culture deeply imbued with national identity, protecting the Party’s renewal cause, and realising viewpoints, goals, directions, tasks, and measures set by the 13^th National Party Congress.

Second, promote the role and strength of the PEB’s forces and corps in researching and anticipating situations, supplementing and developing theories, improving the quality of theoretical education, and enhancing the work of theoretical propagation, press, publishing, literature, and art. It is necessary to closely combine “build” with “fight”. In this regard, “build” must be a fundamental, long-term strategy, while “fight” must be drastic and effective enough to effectuate resistance to distortions by the hostile forces and political opportunists, particularly in cyber space. Great value should be attached to performing the work of theoretical study and practical review, creatively applying and developing Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh’s ideology to Vietnam’s conditions. Besides, it is important to keep realising the Party Central Committee’s Resolution No.4 (11^th and 12^th tenure) and the 13^th Politburo’s Conclusion 01-KL/TW, dated May 18^th, 2021 on continuing to execute the 12^th Politburo’s Directive 05-CT/TW on “studying and following Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, ethics and lifestyle.” At the same time, due attention should be paid to more clearly identifying the nature of the hostile forces’ “peaceful evolution” strategy against Vietnam and resolutely fighting against those who hope to change our goal of socialism, deviate from Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, and deny our Party’s working-class nature. Furthermore, it is essential to actively renew the contents and methods of studying Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh’s ideology in a more practical, effective fashion. Due regard should be paid to stepping up the work of political theoretical propagation and education, disseminating the directions, central tasks, and breakthrough strategies in the Resolution of the 13^th National Party Congress, detecting and multiplying “good people, good deeds” examples and effective approaches in the study and following of Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, ethics and lifestyle within the entire society. There should be a reform in literature and art so that this field could create good works of ideological value and make contributions to encouraging the entire Party, Military and people to fulfil the aspirations for developing a prosperous, happy Vietnam. Hence, in the fight against wrong, hostile viewpoints, we should be more proactive in studying and anticipating situations and the hostile forces’ new plots and artifices to opportunely formulate remedial measures, particularly in the political theoretical work, the ideological - cultural work, and the literature - art work.

Third, there should be a new more positive and drastic change in recruiting, training and cultivating human resources. Significance should be attached to improving cadres, party members and citizens’ new knowledge of Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, and the Party’s guidelines. Senior officials shall heighten a sense of responsibility for studying and improving political theory. Party committee members and heads of political training offices and centres at Central, provincial, and district levels shall raise their responsibility for leading, directing, and effectively maintaining political theoretical training within the Party. In addition, greater importance should be attached to raising cadres, party members, and citizens’ awareness and improving their self-defence capacity against plots, artifices, and activities of sabotage of the hostile forces and political opportunists.

Fourth, bringing into play the PEB’s nature and fine tradition, all cadres, party members, and employees of the whole Branch should heighten a sense of unity, improve their political zeal, remain their absolute loyalty to the Party’s glorious revolutionary cause, set good examples in studying and cultivating political theory, strictly maintain disciplines in speech and writing, and actively participate in the defence of the Party’s ideological foundation and the fight against wrong, hostile viewpoints. They shall be regularly creative in performing their political mission and renewing their working method. Corps of the PEB shall maintain close coordination to share information and experience and proactively, opportunely handle contingencies. Due regard should be paid to effectively implementing the Decision 238-QĐ/TW, dated September 30^th, 2020 by the 12^th Party Central Committee’s Secretariat on the Statutes of Cooperation between Propaganda and Education Commissions and state agencies at the same level in law enforcement, realisation of socio-economic development plans, and settlement of critical issues. That should be considered as a task of urgency and importance to promoting the PEB’s role in defending the Party’s ideological foundation and contributing to realising goals and targets set by the 13^th National Party Congress.

Fifth, enhance measures to manage and develop the Internet, social networks and relevant means in accordance with the requirements set by the digital era and the 4^th industrial revolution. It is essential to closely, opportunely detect and supervise the hostile forces’ sabotage operations in cyber space, identify webs, blogs, and facebook and zalo accounts with wrong, hostile contents, monitor the hostile forces’ plots and artifices of propagation in cyber space, and prevent and handle organisations and individuals whose social networking sites release articles, images, and videos aimed at sabotaging the Vietnamese revolution. Great weight should be added to enhancing a link between Central and local webs, blogs, and fanpages, and promoting the strengths of the Internet and social networks as a supporting tool for offices in charge of the ideological work and press agencies to defend the Party’s ideological foundation.

Sixth, the PEB shall adhere to political missions, proactively renew its theoretical thinking, step up the work of practical review and theoretical development, improve the persuasiveness of the fight against evil information and wrong, hostile viewpoints in order to successfully implement the Party’s guidelines and the State’s law and policy, firmly protect the Party’s ideological foundation, realise the Resolution of the 13^th National Party Congress and the goal of transforming Vietnam into a high-income, developed nation, and obtain achievements on the Party’s 100^th founding anniversary (February 3^rd, 1930 - February 3^rd, 2030) and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam’s 100^th founding anniversary (September 2^nd, 1945 - September 2^nd, 2045).

NGUYEN TRONG NGHIA, Member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat

Head of the Central Propaganda and Education Commission