Building a politically strong Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) is a matter of principle and has been a consistent policy of our Party throughout every revolutionary period. In response to the task requirements of the new era and in order to remain steadfast in building a politically strong VPA, it is necessary to comprehensively, effectively adopt measures. Among these, enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of party and political work is of foundational significance.

Grasping that matter of principle, over the years, the entire Military has placed emphasis on raising the effectiveness of party and political work to maintain and strengthen the Party’s absolute, direct leadership in all aspects, and cement the VPA’s working-class nature, people-orientated character, and national character. This is a fundamental measure and a consistent lesson in our VPA’s process of construction, combat, victory, and maturity. In fact, “cadres and soldiers across the Military have always remained steadfast in and loyal to Marxism - Leninism, Ho Chi Minh Thought, and the Party’s viewpoints and lines; they have proactively, creatively performed the task of defending the Fatherland, while promoting the VPA’s noble qualities and traditions”.

Political education for new soldiers of Infantry Division 2, Military Region 5

At present, in response to the demanding requirements of Fatherland construction and protection in the new era, and in order to realise the viewpoint of the 14^th National Party Congress on building a “revolutionary, regular, elite, modern VPA that is absolutely loyal to the Fatherland, Party, State, and people, remains steadfast in the Party’s revolutionary goals and ideal, possesses high overall quality and combat strength, and serves as the core force in the cause of national defence and security, in building strong, modern national defence, and in protecting the Fatherland in the new situation”, it is vital to thoroughly grasp the Resolution of the 12^th Military Party Congress and concretise the directives of General Secretary, State President To Lam on effectively implementing the “two-steadfastness, two-acceleration, two-prevention” principle. Among these, remaining steadfast in building a politically strong VPA is of paramount importance. To that end, it is necessary to further enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of party and political work, ensure a high degree of unity in will and action across the Military, and create a solid foundation for firmly building a politically strong VPA. Due attention should be paid to the following key tasks and measures.

First, strengthening leadership and direction over party and political work, focusing on realising the requirement of remaining steadfast in building a politically strong VPA. All-level party committees, party organisations, and commands should place emphasis on education and dissemination, creating a high degree of consensus among officers and soldiers regarding the importance and necessity of improving the effectiveness and efficiency of party and political work in building a politically strong VPA. They should comprehensively, synchronously perform party and political work, clearly identify priorities and breakthroughs, and affirm that this work constitutes a vital component of the Party’s leadership over the VPA.

In party work, importance should be attached to improving the capacity to grasp and implement directives and resolutions of the Party and the Central Military Commission (CMC) on Party building and rectification. Party committees should be strengthened in both quantity and quality and serve as role models in morality and intellect. Efforts should be made to build a comprehensively clean, strong Military Party Organisation closely linked with the building of a politically strong VPA. Due attention should be paid to developing a contingent of cadres with sufficient qualities, capabilities, and prestige. Priority should be given to raising the quality of Party activities and upholding combativeness, self-criticism, criticism, self-reflection, and self-correction. The content and methods of party and political work should be renewed together with effective lines, targets, and measures.

In political work, the roles and responsibilities of political commissars, political officers, and commanders at all levels in implementing resolutions and assigned tasks should be fully promoted. Due regard should be paid to improving the quality of political and ideological education to build and consolidate troops’ political steadfastness and revolutionary goals and ideal. Efforts should be devoted to “building and promoting the political and spiritual factors of officers and soldiers, effectively executing the project on renewing political education at units in the new period”. Troops’ thoughts, aspirations, and concerns, particularly regarding policies and benefits, should be regularly, thoroughly addressed. Political agencies at all levels should proactively give advice on performing party and political work in a manner closely aligned with realities, while actively conducting propagation and professional training for relevant forces and assisting mass organisations and soldiers’ councils in promoting activities aimed at building a politically strong VPA.

Political education for troops of Coast Guard Region 2

Second, continuing to innovate the content of party and political work in a scientific, comprehensive, in-depth fashion. It is necessary to closely follow the missions, directives, and resolutions of the Party and the CMC, the guidance of the General Department of Politics, and the requirements of building a politically strong VPA in order to supplement and refine the content of party and political work. Such content should be systematic, logical, practical, and closely aligned with the realities and tasks of each type of agency and unit. It is essential to profoundly understand Marxism - Leninism, Ho Chi Minh Thought, and the Party’s theories about national renovation. The content of the Resolution of the 14^th National Party Congress, the Resolution of the 12^th Military Party Congress, Directive 855-CT/QUTW, dated 12 August 2019, by the CMC Standing Board, on continuing to execute the Campaign to uphold traditions, devote talent, and deserve the title “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” in the new era, and the CMC’s Resolution 847-NQ/QUTW, dated 28 December 2021, on promoting the qualities of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” and resolutely combating individualism in the new situation should be concretised across all areas of work.

Innovation in the content of party and political work should be aimed at enhancing troops’ political awareness and revolutionary goals and ideal, strengthening their political and spiritual power, and fostering their absolute faith in the Party’s leadership, the country’s renewal process, and the nation’s new era of development. This work should be also aimed at promoting unity across the VPA, “strongly inspiring patriotism and aspirations for development, fostering solidarity, independence, self-confidence, self-reliance, and national pride”, cementing the close-knit bond between the VPA and the people, and effectively combating negative influences on troops’ thoughts and sentiments as well as the VPA’s combat strength.

Third, diversifying the forms and methods of party and political work, ensuring creativity and effectiveness as a solid basis for improving the VPA’s task performance, particularly in training, combat readiness, regularity building, discipline management, cyberspace operations, disaster and epidemic response, search and rescue, environmental incident remediation, climate change response, participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations, and defence diplomacy in the new era. A harmonious combination of traditional and modern forms and methods should be employed. Propagation, education, and persuasion should be integrated with administrative and disciplinary measures. The objective is to maintain and promote political and spiritual strength, remain steadfast in the face of complex developments, contribute to improving the Military’s overall quality and combat power, and ensure readiness to undertake and successfully complete all assigned missions.

Digital transformation should be accelerated, while technical equipment and infrastructure should be provided to expedite digitalisation and establish synchronised databases for innovating the forms and methods of party and political work and making this work more attractive. The application of artificial intelligence in information retrieval and support for party and political work should be strengthened. Valuable experience and creative approaches accumulated over different periods should be promoted, while scientific and technological advances should be selectively absorbed to renew the methods and forms of party and political work.

A forum aimed at raising the effectiveness of dissemination work for Youth Unions at Depot 336, Air Defence - Air Force Service

Fourth, promoting the combined strength of all organisations and forces to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of party and political work. The position, role, content, and mode of participation of each organisation, force, competent agency, mass organisation, soldiers’ council, officer, and soldier should be clearly defined in raising the effectiveness and efficiency of party and political work to ensure synchronisation and unity from higher to lower levels, from agencies to units, and enable political and ideological education and the management of officers, party members, and troops to achieve practical quality and effectiveness.

The roles and responsibilities of organisations in grasping and executing resolutions of party committees and party organisations at all levels, commands’ directives, and guidance from competent agencies should be heightened. These should be translated into action programmes and emulation movements aimed at fostering the dynamism and creativity of all union members and soldiers, contributing to improving the quality and effectiveness of party and political work. Officers and soldiers should proactively take the lead and set an example in applying science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation in carrying out their tasks, particularly in political and ideological education, the building of a contingent of cadres and political agencies, security protection, and mass mobilisation. Greater investment should be made in building a healthy military cultural environment. Efforts should be devoted to identifying and resolutely combating hostile forces’ plots, tactics, and arguments advocating the “civilianisation” and “depoliticisation” of the VPA, thereby maintaining the Party’s ideological and cultural foundation within the Military.

Comprehensively implementing the above tasks and measures will make practical contributions to enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of party and political work and building a politically strong VPA as a solid foundation for continuously improving the Military’s overall quality and combat power in the new era.

Sr. Col. NGUYEN THANH HAI, PhD

Deputy Head of the Faculty of Marxist - Leninist Philosophy

Political Academy