Participation in production and economic development is a fundamental function of the Vietnam People’s Army. The Army’s significant achievements on the production front over the past nearly 80 years hold immense significance, further embodying the noble essence and admirable traditions of the “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” and playing a crucial role in the struggle for national liberation, as well as in the construction and protection of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Deeply aware of the glorious functions and tasks entrusted by the Party, State and People, since its very first days of establishment, regardless of any conditions or circumstances, along with performing the functions of “Fighting forces and working forces”, the Army has always upheld the spirit of self-reliance, self- strengthening, initiative, and active participation in production and economic developement through creative and appropriate forms and measures, making an important contribution to the nation’s great victories. Particularly, after the reunification of the country, the Army has proven to be a vanguard force, actively participating in healing the wounds of war, developing the socio-economic landscape, and building the socialist technical infrastructure, especially in vulnerable and strategic areas.

Entering the era of national renewal and construction and protection of the Fatherland, the entire Army has diligently implemented the resolutions and directives of the Party, the Central Military Commission, and the Ministry of National Defence regarding this crucial function. The involvement in production and economic development combining with national defence, has seen comprehensive and sustainable development under strict leadership and guidance, aligning with the strategic direction of socio-economic development and strengthening the defence and security of the Party, achieving numerous significant outcomes.

Sr. Lt. Gen. Vu Hai San and delegates listen to introduction of Viettel's products at the 2023 Vietnam - Cambodia Defence and Economic Exhibition

To date, the Army has established dozens of economic-defence zones in strategic, remote, border, coastal, and island areas. Economic-defence units have collaborated with local authorities in planning and organising resettlement, creating employment, and ensuring sustainable livelihoods for hundreds of thousands of households concentrated along the border and important areas. Simultaneously, they have actively supported and assisted the population in poverty reduction, production development, and community mobilisation, solidifying the people’s trust in the Party and the State, laying a solid foundation for early and distant protection of the Fatherland. Military enterprises have continually innovated, integrated, and energetically implemented numerous projects for socio-economic development combined with defence and security, particularly in difficult and complex regions. The enhanced production and business capabilities, coupled with the improved efficiency of defence missions, have further affirmed the Army’s credibility and position in the national economy, actively contributing to the stabilisation and development of the macroeconomy, industrialisation and modernisation of the country, ensuring social welfare, and strengthening the nation’s potentials.

The achievements mentioned above affirm the role of the Army in production and economic development combining it with national defence. Recognised and highly appreciated by the Party, the State, and the people, these accomplishments also vividly demonstrate the correct direction set by the Party and the State in mobilising the Army to participate in production and economic development, contributing significantly to the nation-building endeavour.

In the coming years, alongside the prevailing global trends of peace, cooperation, and development, the world and regional situations continue to undergo complex and unpredictable changes. The strategic competition among major nations, armed conflicts, regional wars, along with traditional and non-traditional security challenges, are increasingly adversely affecting global security and the ongoing restoration and development of the global economy. Vietnam continues to vigorously promote industrialisation, modernisation, and deep international integration, presenting numerous opportunities and advantages. However, it also faces various difficulties and challenges, particularly intense sabotage efforts from hostile forces, risks of economic lag, evolving military and defence requirements, and safeguarding the Fatherland. These demand the continuous development of the nation’s comprehensive and high-quality potentials. In this context, to successfully fulfil the tasks entrusted by the Party, the State, and the people and to enhance the quality of training and combat readiness, the entire Army needs to actively participate in production and economic development combining with national defence, making even greater contributions to socio-economic development, strengthening the nation’s potentials and power. This requires a coordinated and determined approach, focusing on several key aspects.

Firstly, there is a need to strengthen the leadership and direction of the Party committees and commanders at all levels regarding the task of production and economic development combining with national defence. This is the foremost and crucial content to ensure that the Army’s involvement in production and economic developement combining with national defence aligns with the correct orientation, has a clear focus, and achieves practical quality and effectiveness. Therefore, the entire Army, particularly the Party committees and commanders, must deeply adhere to the resolutions and directives of the Party, the Central Military Commission, and the Ministry of National Defence on the Army’s involvement in production and economic development combining with national defence in the new circumstances. The central focus should be on the Resolution of the 8^th Central Committee (the 13^th Tenure) on Strategy for Fatherland protection in the new situation, resolutions of the Politburo on the direction of socio-economic development and national defence and security assurance for regions until 2030, with a vision to 2045, and  Resolution No.820-NQ/QUTW, dated 17 December 2021, by the Central Military Commission on “Leading the Army’s tasks of production and economic construction combining with national defence until 2030”. On that basis, it is to promote responsibility in leadership and direction in the development of strategies, plans, programmes, projects, etc., to participate in economic development combining with national defence in each locality and the whole country, ensuring strictness, science, compliance with the law, and high feasibility.

In the process of implementation, it is crucial to adhere to and creatively apply the perspective of combining economic development with defence and defence with economic development, ensuring that all military production and economic development activities are closely aligned with military and defence tasks in peacetime and readiness for potential situations. Simultaneously, prioritising socio-economic development, maintaining political stability, and consolidating defence and security are the top objectives. Attention should be paid to efficiently exploiting resources, proactively integrating internationally, and fostering sustainable development.

To enhance effectiveness, the Economic Development Department should actively collaborate with relevant agencies in researching, supplementing, and providing recommendations to the Party, the State, the Central Military Commission, and the Ministry of National Defence for issuing leadership, guidance, and instructions regarding the Army’s involvement in production and economic development combining with national defence in the new situation, tailored to practical characteristics and conditions. In the immediate future, it is essential to promptly perfect and issue the “The Army involves in production and economic development in the new situation” project, serving as the foundation for a synchronised and unified implementation throughout the Army; continue to coordinate with central and local agencies in reviewing, developing, and completing strategies, plans, and projects for socio-economic development combining with national defence and security, ensuring the appropriateness and long-term vision; and strengthen close monitoring of ongoing investment projects, contributing to improving the effectiveness of production and economic construction combining with national defence.

Furthermore, it is necessary to intensify propaganda, dissemination, and education to ensure that cadres and soldiers have a deep and comprehensive understanding of involvement in production and economic development as a fundamental function and long-term crucial political revolutionary mission, underscoring admirable traditions of the Vietnam People’s Army and actively combat wrong viewpoints and distortions from hostile forces regarding this vital function.

Defence - Economic Corps No. 5 (Military Region 4) provides local people with young trees

Secondly, it is imperative to continually improve the efficiency of constructing economic-defence zones and the activities of economic-defence units, with a focus on maritime economic development combining with robust protection of maritime sovereignty and islands. Leveraging achieved results and experiences, relevant agencies of the Ministry of National Defence, military regions, and the Navy should continue to direct units to cooperate with localities in vigorously constructing economic-defence zones according to plans, aligning with the strategy for socio-economic development, national defence and security posture, and the Strategy for Vietnam sustainable maritime economic development until 2030, with a vision to 2045. Particularly, importance should be attached to prioritising the construction and development of economic-defence zones at sea, in strategic and vital areas, participating in building nearshore island chains to gradually become economic, scientific, technological, defence, security centres, enhancing the capability to protect maritime sovereignty and islands; and integrating and closely combining the construction of economic-defence zones with the implementation of national target programmes to make significant strides in economics, culture, society, defence, security, and foreign affairs in specific regions. Economic-defence units need to closely align with project goals, actively coordinate with local Party committees and authorities in effectively planning and implementing programmes and projects linked to building defensive areas, creating bright spots in the economy, culture, society, and defence on strategic, border, maritime, and island areas.

Thirdly, the organisational restructuring, deployment arrangements, and improvement of the efficiency of military enterprises in the new situation should be intensified. Building upon grasping and implementing Resolution No.425-NQ/QUTW, dated 18 May 2017, by the Central Military Commission, on restructuring, innovating, and improving the efficiency of military enterprises until 2020 and the Project on restructuring, innovating, and improving the efficiency of military enterprises for the period of 2021-2025, functional agencies should actively review, research, and advise the Ministry of National Defence to continue restructuring and effectively managing state-owned enterprises under the Ministry; enhance planning and deployment of enterprises to ensure harmony across regions, aligning with the socio-economic development strategy and the determination of defence on each direction and region; emphasise the establishment of defence-industrial conglomerates with international competitiveness and capable of producing modern weapons and military equipment, contributing to the modernisation of the military; and issue policies encouraging domestic enterprises to participate in researching, developing dual-use defence products, enhancing the capability to provide weapons and equipment for the military. In the short term, it is necessary to maintain and develop enterprises directly serving defence and security and those combining economic development with defence in a stable and sustainable manner; intensify trade promotion activities and international economic development; strengthen inspection, auditing, monitoring, and urging enterprises to thoroughly address existing financial issues, implement restructuring, privatisation, and complete divestment for economically ineffective, loss-making enterprises.

Fourthly, emphasis should be placed on the management of production and economic development combining with national defence of permanent and public service units. The Party committees and commanders of permanent units and those assigned with the task of commbing economic development with national defence should leverage existing resources to organise production and economic development and boost production, especially investing in the construction of concentrated production areas at all levels, contributing to improving the material and spiritual lives of the soldiers. For public service units, there is a need to enhance guidance and management and improve the effectiveness of activities focused on serving military and defence tasks while involving in production and economic development according to their assigned functions and tasks. Vigorous efforts should be made to achieve financial autonomy for hospitals, research institutes, guesthouses, etc., in accordance with the specific characteristics of the Army and utilise surplus capacities of factories, enterprises, stations, and workshops involving in production and economic development combining with national defence.

Finally, attention should be directed towards investing in the development of high-quality human resources and promoting the application of science and technology and digital transformation into production and economic devlopemnt activities. Agencies, units, and enterprises should continue to research, review, and formulate plans for training, fostering, arranging, using, and attracting high-quality human resources at all levels. There should be adequate mechanisms and policies for the development of high-quality human resources, including staff involved in advisory and directive roles, managers, and direct labourers, meeting the requirements for both immediate and long-term development. There should be a focus on closely combining the development of existing human resources with outsourcing to supplement the workforce for production and economic development activities in military units and enterprises.

In response to emerging development trends, based on functions, tasks, and production and business areas, military units and enterprises need to intensify the application of science and technology and undertake appropriate digital transformations; proactively absorb and apply achievements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to leadership and management tasks as well as various stages of production and business processes; and strengthen international cooperation in science and technology and select strategic partners with advanced scientific and technological capabilities, tightly integrating international cooperation in science and technology with international economic cooperation.

With honour and pride in the trust of the Party, State, and People, along with the achieved results, the entire Army continues to strive to excel in production and economic development combining with national defence, deserving to be the “fighting forces, working forces, and production forces” in the new era to contribute to the overall goals of the Party and the people in successfully implementing the course of building and protecting the Fatherland.

Senior Lieutenant General VU HAI SAN, Member of the Party Central Committee, Member of Central Military Commission, Deputy Minister of National Defence