As a "hedge" in the Northeast region of the country, Quang Ninh is located in a position of particularly strategic importance of Military Region 3 and the whole country, characterized by its sea and land borders with China; at the same time, it is a major service, tourism, commercial and industrial hub and an important international commercial gateway of the North. In recent years, Quang Ninh has enjoyed fast economic growth rates, which always puts it in the top 5 localities with the highest budget revenue of the country, with many new and innovative models highly appreciated by the Central Government. The above characteristics have created favourable conditions for the province’s fast and sustainable development, but also posed challenges and high requirements for its military and defence tasks, particularly the building of the all people's national defence and defence areas.

Being aware of that and on the basis of thoroughly grasping the lines and viewpoints of national defence and military, Fatherland protection, of the Party, the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defence, its Party Committee and the Provincial Military Command have actively advised the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council and Provincial People's Committee on many guidelines and comprehensive solutions in leadership, directing and improving the quality of building the all people's national defence, creating an important foundation for building a solid defence area on the basis of promoting the initiative, creativity, potential and strengths of the locality in order to focus on building the potentials in the defence area, especially political, spiritual, economic, military and sci-tech potentials with many new and effective models and ways in promoting political and spiritual factors, building a solid "people’s heart and mind posture".

Commandant of the Provincial Military Command meets and encourages new recruits

As the core in advising and directly organizing the implementation, the Provincial Military Command has actively advised the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People's Committee, the local party committee, the authorities at all levels to regularly nurture the political and spiritual potentials, considering it as one of the central contents of the defence area. First of all, it focuses on thoroughly educating and raising awareness and responsibilities of cadres and party members, especially key cadres at all levels and branches in the political system and the entire people for the task of Fatherland protection, building defence areas in the direction of in-depth, practicality and efficiency. Accordingly, the education and fostering of national defence and security knowledge for the subjects were conducted closely, drastically and synchronously. In addition, military agencies at all levels have also worked closely with other sectors to proactively grasp the situation, give advice to the Province to invest a large amount of resources in building infrastructure, and supporting people in difficult, border, mountainous, sea, islands areas to foster economic development and stabilise their life; at the same time, well solving social issues, especially pressing issues emerging from the grassroots. The Provincial Armed Forces have actively implemented the movement "The Army joins in building new countryside" with specific and meaningful works and projects. Annually, the Provincial Military Command organizes field surveys and develops plans to assign units in cities, towns and self-defence units to provide support for districts of disadvantages, border, sea, and islands. Thereby, they have not only mobilized the contribution of manpower and property of officers and soldiers of the standing forces but also the enthusiastic and responsible participation and of the militia and self-defence forces, the enterprises, and other military units operating in the area.

In the construction and operation of the defence area, the Military Command has actively advised the Province to carry out the construction of components and postures of the defence area, with the motto that each step of socio-economic development is associated with one step of defence and security consolidation. The province's socio-economic projects, schemes and master plans are always closely linked to defence requirements and tasks. Following the direction of the Provincial Party Committee on combining socio-economic development with strengthening national defence and security, the Provincial Military Command participated in the appraisal of 506 socio-economic development projects; proposed to the Ministry of National Defence and the Military Region to promptly remove difficulties and obstacles and create favorable conditions for the implementation of key projects and development dynamics of the Province. Accordingly, the Province has promulgated mechanisms and policies to associate economic development with the construction of the posture and defence potential, especially in border, sea, islands and ethnic minority areas. In particular, the Provincial Military Command advised the locality to allocate land and resources to build military components and postures in the defence area and "dual use" constructions in the border, sea and island areas, well meeting the requirements and tasks for combat situations in the event of war. The province focuses on effectively mobilizing all investment resources to create a breakthrough in the synchronous infrastructure system, especially some dual-use constructions, such as: the Hai Phong - Ha Long - Van expressway, Van Don International Airport, Hon Gai International Passenger Port, etc. Up to now, the planning and construction of bases at all levels have been implemented and completed as scheduled. It has directed the construction of 04 search and rescue centres in key localities, invested in military seaports in combination with civilian purposes in some islands and the Tonkin Gulf fishing logistics centre in Co To Island. In addition, the Provincial Military Command also advised and conducted surveys and renovation of a number of caves on the islands and coastal localities; built fighting posts fỏ the permanent militia in border areas; built and upgraded training grounds and houses for the militia, self-defence and reserve forces with a total budget of over VND 900 billion. The results of building the components and posture of the defence area of the province are an important basis so that in 2017, Quang Ninh was chosen by the Ministry of National Defence as the location to organize a rehearsal of a provincial defence area for the entire Army, with many breakthroughs in content, form and application of modern technology, modern information equipment, etc., which was highly appreciated by the Ministry of National Defence, the High Command of the Military Region and localities.

Militia force in combat readiness training

With the achievements in building the defence area in the 2008-2018 period, Quang Ninh was awarded the Certificate of Merit by the Prime Minister and selected as representative of the provinces and cities across the country to report to the Party’s General Secretary and State President on the result of 10 years of building the national defence in the meeting with the role models on the occasion of 30^th Anniversary of All People’s National Defence Day, and the 75^th Anniversary of the VPA’s foundation. The Provincial Military Party Committee excellently fulfilled its tasks and was the only typical Party Committee of the province to be honored and praised by the Central Party Committee in the program "Light of faith" held on the occasion of the 90^th Anniversary of the Party's foundation and many other noble rewards.

As a core force in the military and defence work, the Provincial armed forces always pay attention to building and improving its overall quality, the level of combat readiness to meet the operational requirements of the defence zone. Military commands at all levels regularly renovate and improve the quality of political education, ideology, training and drills relevant to actual combat reality, task requirements, payroll organization and areas of operation. The work of building and raising the quality of the militia and self-defence force and the reserve force has been synchronously implemented with many new, effective and practical ways. In recent years, the Provincial armed forces have always been a typical and exemplary unit, taking the lead in training, rehearsal, combat readiness tasks, natural disaster prevention and fighting, search and rescue, and in performing military and defence tasks.

Not only in the province-level defence area drills, but also in the district-level defence area exercises, and the defence combat drills of communes, agencies and businesses, the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, and People’s Committee have paid attention to leading and closely guiding the content, methods in light of the regulations and guidance of all levels, at the same time, innovations have also applied to make it relevant to reality and effective. By October 2019, the province has completed the task of rehearsing the defence area for the 2015-2020 period, thereby, drawing many valuable lessons in implementing the mechanism of the Party’s leadership, the government’s administration and management, and Military and Public Security and other sectors to grasp, advise, direct and implement the directives and resolutions of upper levels, contributing significantly to raising the responsibility of organisations and forces in building the defence area of the Province.

Senior Colonel LE VAN LONG, Member of the Provincial Party Committee’s Standing Office, Commander of the Provincial Military Command