In 2018, amidst rapid, complex, unpredictable developments of the political and security situation in the world and the region, our entire Party, Military and people strived to implement the Resolutions of the 12^th National Party Congress and the 10^th Military Party Congress. Besides, the strategic competition and the trade war between major powers as well as the complex situation in the East Sea made great impacts on our people’s Homeland construction and defence cause. Our country’s socio-political situation was basically stabilized; there were many positive changes in our economy; our defence, security and diplomacy were strengthened; our work of corruption prevention and combat achieved significant results and helped consolidate our people’s faith in the Party and the State. However, taking advantage of our process of amending a number of laws, the hostile forces stepped up their acts of sabotage in a bid to destabilize our country’s political situation. Moreover, the adjustment of the organizational structure of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA), the 4^th industrial revolution, natural disasters and epidemics in many places greatly impacted on various aspects of the social life and the VPA’s task performance.

Gen. Ngo Xuan Lich addresses the conference on the Strategy for national border protection held by the CMC and the MND (photo: qdnd.vn)

Against that backdrop, the Central Military Commission (CMC), the Ministry of National Defence (MND), and the all-level party committees and commands focused on directing military units and offices to comprehensively fulfil the military-defence tasks with outstanding achievements. The VPA proactively undertook researches, made strategic forecasts, and opportunely advised the Party and the State on sound strategies for effectively settling the situations, particularly for defending sea and island sovereignty and marine economy operations, while actively counselling the formulation, development and completion of the military-defence guidelines, thereby meeting the requirements of Homeland protection in both long and medium terms. It closely cooperated with central and local committees, ministries, and sectors and acted as the core in building the all-people national defence and the posture of all-people national defence associated with the posture of people’s security as well as in building the defensive zones. Economic development was closely, effectively combined with national defence and vice versa, particularly in the key strategic areas. It well realized “3 breakthrough steps” set by the Resolution of the 10^th Military Party Congress, thereby making a new, significant change in the whole Military, especially in its organizational structure adjustment, ensuring the standards of being “compact and strong”. The all-level party committees and commands focused on making their units comprehensively strong, exemplary and typical; military discipline was strictly maintained; there were many reforms in the work of finance management and budget use. The Military Party Committee was strong politically, ideologically, organizationally, and morally; all-level party organizations’ leadership capacity and combativeness were enhanced; cadres and soldiers kept their absolute faith in the Party’s leadership, maintained the close-knit relationship with the people, readily undertook and successfully fulfilled all assigned tasks. The whole Military took the lead and really played the core role in natural prevention and control, and search and rescue, thereby continuing to prove that the image of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” would always be in the people’s hearts and minds. Due attention was paid to the work of logistics and technical support; defence industry witnessed new developments; defence diplomacy was expanded. It should be noted that we actively took part in multilateral defence cooperation and the UN peacekeeping operations, thereby contributing to defending national territorial sovereignty and raising the status of the country and the VPA in the international arena.

However, in addition to the obtained results, there were weaknesses in the performance of the military-defence tasks in 2018. The work of undertaking researches and making forecasts has yet to be timely; the maintenance of military discipline has yet to be close. There have remained weaknesses in some offices and units’ ideological management and internal political protection; the reform in military administration has yet to be effective. Therefore, the all-level party committees and commands within the Military should seriously draw lessons and opportunely take corrective measures.

It is predicted that in 2019 peace, cooperation and development will still be the mainstream in the world and the region, but continue to experience rapid, complex, unpredictable developments. The strategic competition and the trade war between major powers will be possibly in new formats and deeply impact on many countries and fields. The East Sea will be still a “hot spot” in the competition between major powers and between regional countries. Within our country, besides advantages, our Military and people’s Homeland protection cause will encounter a lot of difficulties and challenges. The hostile forces will step their sabotage strategy with more complex, malicious, direct artifices especially when we carry out all-level Party congresses in preparation for the 13^th National Party Congress. Thus, the military-defence and Homeland protection tasks of the whole Party, Military and people will have new developments with the higher requirements.

To successfully fulfil the military-defence tasks in 2019, military offices and units, particularly the all-level party committees and commands should grasp the situation, tasks, resolutions and directives by the Party and the CMC, with a focus on the Resolution of the Party Central Committee’s 8^th Plenum on the Strategy for Homeland protection in the new situation, the Resolution of the 12^th National Party Congress, and the Resolution of the 10^th Military Party Congress. Grounded on those documents, the Military should well implement the National Defence Strategy, the Military Strategy, the Strategy for Homeland protection in cyberspace, and the Strategy for national border protection via synchronous measures as follows.

First, in any circumstance, the VPA must proactively give sound advice to the Party and the State on the military-defence work while improving its combat readiness capacity and effectively dealing with all possible situations.

To that end, military offices and units, particularly strategic offices should be more proactive in undertaking strategic researches and especially studying major powers’ strategic moves and adjustments, the political and security developments in the world and the region related to the country’s national defence and security in order to opportunely advise the Party and the State on formulating military-defence guidelines, policies and laws. Accordingly, it is necessary to grasp and make correct forecasts about the situation in all relevant fields as well as renew and create a breakthrough in the work of strategic research. Importance should be attached to counselling the completion of the systems of legal documents and military-defence strategies as well as plans and projects for combining socio-economic development with defence and security in each region and area, particularly in key strategic ones. The VPA must closely cooperate with relevant ministries and sectors, especially the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in giving timely advice to the Party and the State on strategies to effectively deal with the situations related to national defence, security and diplomacy, resolutely avoiding falling into strategic-level passivity, defending national independence, sovereignty, unification, and territorial integrity, maintaining peace and stability for national construction and development.

To meet the new requirements for the Homeland protection, while continuing to complete the system of determination, projects and plans for defensive operations, the Military must strictly maintain the combat readiness order, closely manage the airspace, seas, and border and inland areas; opportunely detect and effectively fight against violations of the Homeland’s border, seas and airspace. Moreover, it should proactively prepare plans/projects to combat hostile forces’ “peaceful evolution” strategy and conversion as well as to prevent the risks of war and conflict to safeguard the Homeland in all situations.

Second, to continue building the all-people national defence and the posture of all-people national defence associated with the posture of people’s security as well as making provincial, municipal defensive zones increasingly strong.

On the basis of reviewing the 10-year implementation of the 10^th Politburo’s Resolution 28-NQ/TW, dated September 22^nd 2008, military offices and units, particularly local ones should actively advised local party committees and authorities and closely cooperated with other forces in making provincial, municipal defensive zones increasingly strong as the basis for the defence-security posture in the areas and across the country. In this regard, significance should be attached to building the potential, military posture and operational mechanism of the defensive zones as well as combat key positions of the regular border militia force and the Project on regular coastal militia force taking part in protecting the sea and island sovereignty. Besides, it is important to making the posture of national defence, security and diplomacy strong in each region and area and all over the country, particularly building the posture of “people’s hearts and minds” as the basis for the all-people national defence and the people’s security.

Furthermore, the VPA should better fulfil the function of state management of national defence, particularly defence resources, constructions and land. It should actively improve the quality and effectiveness of providing defence-security education for people from all walks of life, especially for all-level key cadres of the political system and enterprises, managerial cadres of press agencies, students, and dignitaries. This work should be carried out closely, strictly to raise cadres, party members and all people’s awareness and responsibility for the military-defence and Homeland protection missions.

Third, to accelerate the implementation of the three breakthrough steps set by the Resolution of the 10^th Military Party Congress as the basis for enhancing the Military’s synergy and combat strength in the new situation.

The Party advocates improving the synergy and combat strength of the VPA as part of the building of the armed forces, which enables the VPA to be capable of fulfilling the missions assigned by the Party, State and people. To do so, priority should be given to building a politically strong VPA as the basis for enhancing its synergy and combat power. Accordingly, military units and offices should actively comprehensively renew and improve the quality of political and ideological education, building up cadres and soldiers’ political will, making them absolutely loyal to the Party, Homeland and people.

While making the VPA politically strong, the all-level party committees and commands should focus their leadership and direction on realizing the three breakthrough steps set by the Resolution of the 10^th Military Party Congress, namely organizational structure, education and training, discipline maintenance and military administration reform. In this regard, the entire Military should adopt measures to enforce decisions and resolutions by the Politburo and the CMC as well as the Plan by MND on the VPA’s organizational structure until 2021 in line with the Resolution of the 12^th Party Central Committee’s 6^th Plenum on continuing to streamline the political apparatus and enhance its efficiency and effectiveness. First and foremost, it is vital to streamline the organizational structure of several offices and units and actively study the method to organize the reserve force in the new period.

Moreover, it is essential to take measures to make a huge change in the training quality under the CMC’s Resolution 765-NQ/QUTW, dated December 20^th 2012 especially after lessons have been drawn from 5 years of implementing the Resolution. Great value should be attached to closely directing, operating, organizing and inspecting the training work under the motto of “basics, practicality, and thorough grasp”; to providing synchronous and specialized training and taking practice as the main. The training process should be relevant to objects, projects, areas, and combat reality; basic training should be closely combined with joint exercises and physical training; information technology should be applied to training and exercises at all levels. It is essential to continue strictly, effectively executing the Strategy for developing education and training within the Military between 2016 and 2020; to actively standardize and modernize training content and program; to effectively invest in the model of “Smart school to access the 4^th industrial revolution”.

The all-level party committees and commands should concentrate on making their offices and units strong comprehensively, adopting measures for regularity building and military discipline and state law observance, and effectively applying the Electronic Government to the MND offices as the basis for multiplying this model across the Military.

Fourth, to continue to enhance the effectiveness of international integration and defence diplomacy. Over the past years, under the Party’s guidelines on diplomacy, defence diplomacy has attained significant results, deserving to be one of the mainstays in Vietnam’s relations with other countries. Defence diplomacy has contributed to consolidating the strategic trust between Vietnam and its partners; effectively realizing the Party’s policy on international integration; tapping the external resources; defending national independence, sovereignty, unification and territorial integrity; maintaining peace and stability for national development. Promoting the recorded results, in the coming time, military offices and units should continue effectively implement the diplomatic policies by the Party and State, focusing on the 11^th Politburo’s Resolution 22-NQ/TW, dated April 10^th 2013 on international integration and the CMC’s Resolution 806-NQ/QUTW, dated December 31^st 2013 on international integration and defence diplomacy. First and foremost, it is necessary to promote bilateral and multilateral defence cooperation on the basis of documents and agreements signed with other countries, to ensure the balance in our relations with major powers, and to strengthen our relations with neighbours. Besides, it is important to encourage cooperation with other countries in the field of non-traditional security; to well organize border defence exchange programs with neighbours; to train the staff and ensure facilities for defence diplomacy. In the short term, we need to make all preparations for Vietnam’s ASEAN Chairmanship takeover in 2020; take part in a number of multilateral exercises related to search and rescue and disaster relief to various degrees; actively participate in the UN peacekeeping operations in order to raise the status of the Military and the country in the international arena and safeguard the Homeland from afar.

Fifth, to encourage the leadership capacity and combativeness of the Military Party Committee to meet the task requirements in the new situation.

Grasping and strictly implementing the Plan to execute the Resolution of the 12^th Party Central Committee’s 4^th Plenum on the Party building and rectification in line the Programs to execute the Resolutions of the 12^th National Party Congress and the 10^th Military Party Congress, all-level party committees should concretize those documents into tasks and criteria relevant to the characteristics of their party committees and party cells. Significance should be attached to overcoming weaknesses, reviewing and basically fulfilling targets, criteria and tasks during the 2015-2010 tenure. Grounded on the guiding documents by the Party Central Committee, Politburo, and Secretariat, all-level party committees should develop and issues directives and documents to guide all-level party congresses within the Military Party Committee in preparation for the 13^th National Party Congress.

While regularly consolidating all-level party committees and organizations, each office and unit must take various measures to build a contingent of cadres, particularly key, campaign and strategic-level ones, meeting the task requirements in the new situation. Due regard should be paid to preparing the personnel for all-level party congresses during the 2020-2025 tenure and to building scientific, effective working method. Notably, all-level party committees should grasp and stringently implement the 12^th Party Central Committee’s Regulations 08-QĐ/TW, dated October 25^th 2018 and other regulations by the Politburo and the Secretariat on model role-setting responsibility of cadres and party members in performing the assigned task.

In addition, it is necessary to improve the quality and effectiveness of inspection and supervision work. Priority should be given to inspecting and supervising the performance of the political task and the Party building work in line with the Resolution of the 12^th Party Central Committee’s 4^th Plenum on the Party building and rectification and the 12^th Politburo’s Directive 05-CT/TW on studying and following Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, moral example and lifestyle. Besides, it is vital to raise cadres and party members’ awareness and vigilance against the “peaceful evolution” strategy, prevent the signs of “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” within the Military, detect and deal with violations right at grass-roots levels, thereby making party organizations pure and strong as well as offices and units comprehensively strong.

The year 2019 will play a decisive role in implementing the Resolutions of the 12^th National Party Congress and the 10^th Military Party Congress. Thus, all military cadres and soldiers, first and foremost party committees and commands at all levels should be further united and resolved to fulfil the assigned task to defend the Homeland in the new situation.

Gen. Ngo Xuan Lich, Member of the Politburo, Deputy Secretary of the CMC

Minister of National Defence