Thoroughly grasping their functions and assigned tasks, the Party Committee and Command of Coast Guard Region 4 have focused their leadership and direction on synchronously implementing solutions to build an “exemplarily, typically” comprehensively strong unit, continuously improve the Region’s overall quality and combat power, and promote a core role in law enforcement and national security and order and safety protection in the Southwestern waters of the Fatherland.

Over the years, Coast Guard Region 4’s Command has seriously grasped and implemented higher-level resolutions and directives, proactively coordinating with other forces and local authorities to grasp, forecast, and assess the situation, synchronously adopting professional measures, successfully fulfilling its tasks of managing and protecting national sovereignty and enforcing the law at sea, thereby contributing to maintaining political security and order and safety in the Southwestern waters.

Conference to approve plans for live-fire exercises of affiliates of the Region Command

However, the situation in the waters under the management of the Region Command still contains many potentially complicated factors, particularly illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, an increasing trend in the illegal transport and trading of goods and petroleum, and increasingly sophisticated methods and tactics used by various types of criminals. In addition, the development of Phu Quoc Special Zone is both creating new impetus and potentially generating complicated factors concerning political security, social order and safety at sea and on the islands, placing high requirements on the Region in the performance of its tasks.

To successfully fulfil its assigned responsibilities, the Region Command will continue to thoroughly grasp higher-level directives, build on the results of building an “exemplarily, typically” comprehensively strong unit achieved over the years, particularly the outcome of the building of a comprehensive pilot model at Ministry of National Defence (MND) level during the first nine months of 2026, and synchronously implement appropriate and scientific solutions, thereby maintaining its record of five consecutive years of being rated an “exemplarily, typically” comprehensively strong unit.

First, focusing on building a truly politically strong Region. The leadership capacity and effectiveness of all-level Party committees and Party organisations play a foundational, consistent, decisive role in building a politically strong unit. Therefore, the Region’s Party Committee and Command will continue to focus on Party building and rectification, with the following objectives: annually, all Party committees and Party organisations will fulfil their tasks, with more than 90% of them successfully accomplishing their tasks; all Party members will fulfil their tasks, over 90% of them will successfully or excellently accomplish their tasks, and no Party members will seriously violate the law or military discipline; all cadres will fulfil their functions and tasks, with more than 80% of them successfully or excellently accomplishing their tasks. To achieve these objectives, the Region will continue to consolidate all-level Party committees and Party organisations, improve their leadership capacity, and train its contingent of cadres and Party members. It will direct Party committees at all levels to strictly maintain the principle of democratic centralism, strengthen solidarity, actively renew leadership methods, and raise the quality of realising resolutions according to the “six clear” points. At the same time, importance will be attached to building a corps of cadres, first and foremost key leaders, who demonstrate political steadfastness, pure revolutionary ethics, high prestige, and truly pioneering and exemplary conduct, serving as the core of unity in their agencies and units. The Region will actively renew and improve inspection and supervision work, strengthen internal political protection, promote criticism and self-criticism, and strictly maintain Party discipline.

The Region will continue to reform and improve political and ideological education and the effectiveness of Party and political work in performing tasks, while proactively grasping, managing, and resolving ideological issues, ensuring that cadres and soldiers have a full and profound understanding of the situation, their task requirements, hostile forces’ plots, acts of infringing upon national sovereignty over seas, islands, and continental shelf, and the methods and tactics employed in various types of crimes and violations at sea. Doing so will enable the Region to foster political steadfastness, absolute loyalty, and a strict sense of discipline among its cadres and soldiers and ensure that they are not bribed, enticed, or induced to assist criminals. In particular, the Region Command will disseminate, concretise, and resolutely implement Directive 07-CT/TW, dated 13 July 2026, by the Politburo and Directive 899-CT/QUTW, dated 30 August 2026, by the Standing Board of the Central Military Commission on stepping up the study and practice of Ho Chi Minh’s thought, ethics, methods, and lifestyle in the new period of development, Directive 676-CT/QUTW, dated 20 June 2026, by the Standing Board of the Central Military Commission on strengthening leadership and direction to promote the cultural values of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” in the new period, in tandem with the Campaign to promote tradition, dedicate talent, and deserve the title of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers - Vietnam Coast Guard Soldiers”, the Determined to Win Emulation Movement, and the “Four good things, four no’s, four preventions” movement, thereby creating momentum for the building of a politically strong unit and cementing solidarity for the sake of successful fulfilment of all assigned tasks.

Seizure of a vessel for illegal transport of petroleum

Second, continuing to consolidate the organisational structure and improve the quality of training and combat readiness. In response to increasingly complicated developments at sea and its new requirements, the Region Command will continue to strictly implement Decision 764/QĐ-TM, dated 14 May 2018, by the Chief of the General Staff promulgating the organisational structure of Coast Guard Region 4’s Command. It will adjust its forces and means towards being “adept, compact, and strong”, with priority given to combat readiness units and forces directly performing patrol, inspection, and law enforcement duties at sea. In parallel, it will continue to make breakthroughs in renewing and improving training work in accordance with Resolution 1659-NQ/QUTW, dated 20 December 2022, by the Central Military Commission and Resolution 800-NQ/ĐUCSB, dated 27 March 2023, by the Party Committee of the Vietnam Coast Guard on improving training quality for the 2023 - 2030 period and subsequent years.

Building on the results achieved, the Region Command will require the Party committees and commands of its units to strengthen leadership and direction over training work, step up decentralisation and delegation of authority, and link the responsibility of commanders with their units’ training results. It will continue to review and renew training content and methods towards practicality and effectiveness, while closely combining military training with political education and specialised professional training. Particular attention will be paid to the provisions of Vietnamese law and relevant international treaties, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The Region Command will strengthen specialised professional training, improve its troops’ capabilities in patrol, control, and law enforcement, and develop its staff members’ skills and methods for inspection and control at sea, as well as for combating and preventing smuggling, drug-related crimes, and IUU fishing.

The Region Command will closely coordinate with the Military Science Academy to organise foreign language training to improve the proficiency of cadres and soldiers, including classes both ashore and at sea. It will continue to attach importance to training its troops in the operation and proficient use of modern weapons and technical equipment aboard ships as well as in ship techniques and tactics, combat coordination, handling of situations, and search and rescue at sea. In the process, it will creatively apply training-related viewpoints, principles, and connections, adhere to the motto of “basics, practicality, solidity”, and strengthen the application of information technology in training and exercises. It will strive to ensure annually that 100% of training subjects meet requirements, with more than 80% rated good or excellent, and that all exercises achieve their set objectives and absolute safety.

Third, stepping up regularity building, discipline management, military administrative reform, and digital transformation. A specific characteristic of the Coast Guard force is that it must perform long-duration missions at sea in harsh weather conditions and be confronted with numerous complicated elements and sensitive areas, which can easily give rise to temptation, bribery, and negative practices, placing high requirements concerning political steadfastness and a strong sense of discipline and responsibility among cadres and soldiers. Fully aware of these issues, the Region’s Party Committee and Command will strengthen education and dissemination, step up regularity building, discipline management, and safety assurance in accordance with Directive 76/CT-BQP, dated 28 April 2026, by the Minister of National Defence on strengthening political education, ideological management, discipline maintenance, and safety assurance in the Vietnam People’s Army. Importance will be attached to strictly maintaining regulations, closely managing personnel strength, weapons, and equipment, and synchronously combining proactive prevention with the detection and strict handling of violations, thereby enhancing deterrence and maintaining discipline. The Region Command will require cadres and commanders at all levels to demonstrate their sense of responsibility and exemplary compliance with the law and military discipline under the motto “superiors set good examples for subordinates to actively follow”. It will strive to ensure that 100% of its agencies and units have no serious disciplinary violations or safety incidents during training or participation in road traffic, reducing ordinary disciplinary violations to the lowest possible level.

Professional exchange with Malaysian maritime law enforcement force

In response to the requirements of digital transformation, the Region Command will continue to develop and perfect its management and command systems, particularly regulations governing organisation and operations, simplify administrative procedures in various areas within the scope of its management functions, reduce military administrative procedures and paperwork, and cut down on intermediate stages and unnecessary meetings. At the same time, it will receive and promptly handle feedback and recommendations from relevant individuals and organisations regarding the handling of administrative violations, promptly rectify shortcomings and inadequacies, and improve work effectiveness.

Fourth, promoting the spirit of self-reliance and self-strengthening in logistics and technical support work. The forces and means of the Region Command regularly operate for long periods far from their bases and under harsh weather conditions, requiring a high level of self-sufficiency, particularly in ensuring troop health and the technical synchronisation and stability of ships and boats. Therefore, the Region Command will attach special importance to effectively carrying out logistics and technical work, from sourcing, receipt, and stockpiling to allocation, management, and use, ensuring that its troops’ entitlements and regimes are fully and promptly provided, particularly for forces performing long-duration missions at sea. Additionally, it will step up the emulation movements entitled “The Military Logistics Sector follows Uncle Ho’s teachings” and “Units good at troop sustenance and quartermaster work”, actively promote production activities appropriate to the specific characteristics of each agency and unit, and strive to continuously improve the living conditions and health of troops, with the annual healthy personnel rate reaching 98.5% or higher.

Regarding technical work, the Region Command will continue to strictly maintain routines and regulations for the preservation, maintenance, and repair of weapons, equipment, and means of transport, and particularly improve the quality and effectiveness of “Technical Day” and “Technical Hour”. Significance will be attached to training troops to further improve their qualifications, skills, and experience in operating and mastering weapons and technical equipment, particularly new and modern systems. The Region Command will apply information technology in technical management, operation, and assurance, proactively detect and address risks of breakdowns and incidents, enhance the reliability and mobility of means of transport, ensure effective and safe operation and use, and prevent any safety incidents caused by technical faults during mission performance.

With high determination and the results and experience achieved, Coast Guard Region 4’s Command will successfully fulfil all criteria of a comprehensive pilot model at MND level in 2026, build an “exemplarily, typically” comprehensively strong unit, and continuously improve its overall quality and combat power to meet the requirements of law enforcement and maintain national security, order, and safety in the Southwestern sea and islands of the Fatherland.

Maj. Gen. DAO BA VIET

Commander of the Region