“Proactively preventing the risks of war and conflict from afar” represents a method of protecting the Homeland and has become the country’s fine tradition. That spirit has been inherited and applied via various strategic, synchronous, and comprehensive measures by the 13^th National Party Congress.

“Preventing the risks of war and conflict from afar” was first mentioned by the Communist Party of Vietnam in the official Documents of the 12^th National Party Congress: “strategies to prevent the risks of war and conflict from afar should be developed.” The 13^th National Party Congress has continued to confirm that spirit when adding that it is important to “proactively prevent the risks of war and conflict from afar, soon identify and opportunely deal with adverse factors, particularly the risks of upheaval,” and develop “strategies for preventing the risks of war and conflict from afar.” Such a confirmation of that spirit for twice has expressed our Party’s determination and uniformed guidelines on resolutely and persistently firmly protecting the socialist Vietnamese Homeland proactively without conducting a war to defend the country.

It is worth noting that at the 13^th National Party Congress, not purely reaffirming that viewpoint from the 12^th National Party Congress, our Party has interpreted it via specific arguments, with emphasis placed on the spirit of “proactiveness.” More specifically, it is essential to “proactively prevent the risks of war and conflict from afar,” consider “proactive prevention” as the key solution,” “strive to prevent wars and conflicts, settle all disputes by peaceful means in accordance with international law,” “proactively make all necessary preparations and develop strategies to readily safeguard the national independence, sovereignty, unification, and territorial integrity as well as maintain national security and social order and safety in any situation.” At the 12^th National Party Congress, our Party underlined internal factors that could lead to upheavals. However, at its 13^th National Congress, the Party has included the external factors when stating that both “internal and external factors” could bring about upheavals. That has proved the development of our Party’s theories on proactively firmly protecting the Homeland amidst a lot of unpredictable changes in the world situation. Our country has more widely and deeply integrated into the world; therefore, it will have favourable opportunities for development but face serious challenges and especially “external factors” that could lead to upheavals or conflicts or wars.

The 13^th National Party Congress’ confirmation of its viewpoint on “proactively preventing the risks of war and conflict from afar” is of practical significance, delivers a message of peace, and demonstrates the aspirations for peace from the Vietnamese people, a nation which had experienced a lot of pains and losses to gain the present-day independence. That nation does not need a war; it needs a peaceful, stable environment for development. That viewpoint will direct the entire Party, Military and people to raise a sense of revolutionary vigilance and realise the strategy to maintain peace both inside and outside the country and defend the Homeland from afar, with a focus on the comprehensive, synchronous measures as follows.

First, concentrate on building a comprehensively strong country. To that end, it is important to foster economic development, strengthen national defence, build a firm “posture of people’s hearts and minds,” and maintain politico-social stability, while the whole country must be a monolithic block. Doing so will enable us to build the internal strength as the basis for preventing and pushing back the risks of war and conflict from afar. Thus, the 13^th National Party Congress has continued to stress that “socio-economic development must be a central task, the Party building must be a key step, culture must be developed as the spiritual foundation of the society, and national defence and security must be ensured as an important, routine task. According to the 13^th National Party Congress, by 2025 Vietnam shall be a developing country with a modern-oriented industry base and graduate from lower-middle income status; by 2030, Vietnam shall be a developing country with a modern industry base and upper-middle income; by 2045, Vietnam shall be a socialist-oriented, high-income developed country. Due attention should be paid to building and rectifying a really pure, strong Party and political system, enhancing the Party’s leadership capacity and combativeness, resolutely, persistently fighting and pushing back the degradation in political ideology, ethics and lifestyle and the signs of “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” from within, maintaining the Party’s absolute, direct leadership over the Homeland defence, and unceasingly cementing the national great unity block as a solid foundation for firmly protecting the Socialist Homeland.

Second, due regard should be paid to building the national defence and security potential and postures capable of protecting the Homeland in any situation. The 13^th National Party Congress has continued emphasising “the building of a revolutionary, regular, elite, gradually modern People’s Army and People’s Public Security.” At its 12^th National Congress, the Party stated that it would give priority to “modernising several services, corps and forces.” However, at the 13^th National Congress, the Party has set out the guidelines on building a number of services, corps and forces straight to modernity in the period of 2021-2030; from 2030, we will build a modern Army. That step is completely in accordance with the requirements set by the Homeland protection under the conditions of the 4^th industrial revolution and the country’s economic potential in the new period. Besides, the 13^th National Party Congress has advocated “building and developing modern, dual-purpose national defence and security industries to serve the Homeland defence, greatly contribute to socio-economic development,” and self-provide a substantial part of weapons and technical equipment for the Military and the Public Security. According to the 13^th National Party Congress, emphasis should be placed on consolidating the all-people national defence posture associated with the people’s security posture and promoting the “posture of people’s hearts and minds.” Besides, it is vital to effectively combine national construction with national defence in socio-economic development and Homeland protection strategies as well as in each sector, region, strategic area, mission, programme and plan. To that end, consideration should be given to closely combining socio-economic and cultural development with defence-security consolidation and diplomacy and vice versa during the building of the all-people national defence and the people’s security. Due attention should be paid to “building and consolidating defensive lines in the border, sea, and island areas.”

Third, synchronously, creatively, effectively implement diplomatic missions and adhere to the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development with the diversification and multilateralisation of diplomatic ties in order to add more partners and reduce opponents for the Vietnamese revolution. This is also a method of proactively preventing the risks of war and conflict from afar. In fact, diplomatic work has played an increasingly significant role in the defence of the Socialist Vietnamese Homeland. Via diplomatic activities, we could render friends all over the world more fully aware of our nation’s aspirations for peace and our policy on building the all-people national defence as a defensive solution. Doing so will also allow us to gain support from the international community for our Party and State’s guidelines and policy relating to the defence of our independence, sovereignty, unification and territorial integrity. Moreover, the diplomatic work will help us to opportunely settle intense situations possibly leading to conflicts or wars. Via diplomatic activities under the motto of “ensuring national interests on the basis of the fundamentals of the United Nations Charter, international law, equality and cooperation,” we could create a bond of benefits and increase our reliability with other countries, thereby quickly grasping the situation relating to national defence and security to proactively give advice to our Party and State on proper, effective remedial measures.

In the upcoming time, to proactively prevent the risks of war and conflict from afar, under the guidelines set by the 13^th National Party Congress, we should “step up both bilateral and multilateral relations,” develop our traditional cooperative, friendly ties with our neighbours, and deepen our bilateral cooperation with strategic, comprehensively strategic partners and other important ones. At the same time, it is necessary to enhance the effectiveness of military and security diplomacy and “proactively, actively take part in multilateral mechanisms relating to defence and security under the new thought on the Homeland defence.” Emphasis should be placed on resolutely, persistently fighting to foil the hostile forces’ plots and intervention in our internal affairs or their violation of our independence, sovereignty, unification, territorial integrity, security, and political stability.

Fourth, improve the capability in strategic forecast about defence, security and diplomacy to give sound advice to the Party and the State on measures for proactively preventing the risks of war and conflict from afar. Correct forecasts about the situation will enable strategic offices to advise our Party and State on solutions to maintain the strategic initiative and resolve the risks of war and conflict. This is an extremely important measure as the world is witnessing a lot of unpredictable changes at present. To that end, there should be close coordination between the Military, the Public Security, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in studying and grasping the hostile forces’ plots and artifices as well as possible strategic situations so that they could give sound advice to our Party and State and avoid passivity. Furthermore, it is important to improve the political zeal, professional competence, and working style of cadres in charge of strategic forecast so that they could proactively deal with changes around the world and within our country. At the same time, there should be mechanisms for cooperation between offices in charge of the Party’s diplomacy, the State’s diplomacy, and the people’s diplomacy.

“Proactively preventing the risks of war and conflict from afar” represents an effective strategy to defend the Homeland. This standpoint by the 13^th National Party Congress should continue to be introduced to all sectors, cadres, party members and citizens and developed into practical, specific action plans during the protection of the Socialist Vietnamese Homeland.

NGUYEN NGOC HOI