Thoroughly grasping the Party’s and State’s guidelines and policies on the implementation of the two strategic tasks of building and defending the Fatherland, Ninh Binh province has concentrated on leading and directing the implementation of numerous solutions to effectively carry out national defence and military work, building an all-people national defence closely associated with the People’s security posture, thereby creating a favourable environment for accelerating socio-economic development in the new situation.

Ninh Binh province is located at the southern gateway of Ha Noi Capital and the Northern Delta region; it serves as a key transit connection point for three economic regions: the Red River Delta, the North Central region, and the Northern midlands and mountainous region. It also lies along major economic corridors, including the North–South corridor, the coastal corridor along the Gulf of Tonkin, and the East–West corridor. Consequently, the province holds a strategically important position in terms of economy, politics, culture, society, national defence, and security.

Promoting its geographical advantages and new development space, while inheriting the experience in carrying out local national defence and military tasks of Ninh Binh, Nam Dinh, and Ha Nam provinces prior to their merger, in recent years the Provincial Party Committee, the People’s Council, and the People’s Committee of the Province have focused their leadership and direction on synchronously implementing local national defence and military tasks and have achieved significant and comprehensive results. Under the conditions of implementing a two-tier local government model, although the local military agencies have undergone rearrangement and adjustment, national defence and military work has continued to be led and directed by the Province in a unified and consistent manner, without interruption or gaps. The awareness and responsibility of cadres, party members, and the People regarding national defence and military tasks have been enhanced; the potential and posture of the all-people national defence have been strengthened and consolidated; the provincial armed forces have been built to be “elite, compact, and strong”. At the same time, commune- and ward-level Military Commands have effectively promoted their core role in advising, directing, and implementing national defence and military tasks at the grassroots level, thereby contributing to strengthening and consolidating the political system. The all-people national defence, closely associated with the People’s security posture and the “posture of the people’s hearts and minds”, has been firmly consolidated; the provincial defensive zone has become increasingly robust, with its potential and posture comprehensively strengthened. This has contributed to maintaining stability in the locality, preventing passivity and strategic surprise in all situations, and creating a crucial foundation for the Province’s rapid and sustainable development.

The Provincial Military Party convence the conference on leading task performance of 2026

In the time ahead, the security and political situation in the Province is forecast to remain stable; the economy will continue to grow, while national defence and security will be further consolidated and strengthened. Localities nationwide are entering the stage of implementing the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress, which contains numerous breakthrough-oriented policies and decisions with stringent requirements. Following the merger, Ninh Binh has opened up new development space and favourable conditions for socio-economic development as well as for consolidating national defence and security. However, the Province also faces several difficulties and challenges: hostile and reactionary forces continue to intensify their sabotage activities; meanwhile, the contingent of cadres in commune-level military agencies remains insufficient and rural security still contains potential risks, etc.

In order to successfully implement the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress with its major policies and decisions on building and defending the Fatherland in the new era, as well as the Resolution of the 1st Congress of the Ninh Binh Provincial Party for the 2025–2030 tenure, the Province has identified local national defence and military work as a central and regular task, requiring continued focused leadership and direction for its synchronous and effective implementation, with several key tasks and solutions as follows.

First, strengthening the leadership and direction of Party committees and authorities at all levels over national defence and military work. Accordingly, Party committees and authorities at all levels throughout the Province will continue to thoroughly grasp the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress, the Resolution of the 8th Plenum of the 13th Party Central Committee on the Strategy for Fatherland Protection in the new situation, the Resolution of the 1st Congress of the Ninh Binh Provincial Party for the 2025–2030 tenure, and relevant guiding documents of the Central authorities, the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defence, and the Military Region 3 Command concerning national defence and military work. On that basis, resolutions, programmes, and plans for implementing national defence and military tasks will be formulated in a scientific and appropriate manner, closely aligned with local and grassroots conditions. At the same time, the Province will continue to effectively implement the approved projects in the field of national defence and military affairs for the 2025–2030 period.

In addition, attention will be devoted to enhancing the leadership capacity and combativeness of Party committees and grassroots Party organisations at all levels, particularly the role and responsibility of the Provincial Military Party Committee and the heads of Party committees and authorities in directing and implementing state management of national defence in a unified manner from the provincial to the grassroots level. The Province will also continue to lead and direct the consolidation and improvement of the operational effectiveness of commune-level Military Commands in advising, directing, and organising the implementation of national defence and military tasks. At the same time, Party committees and organisations at all levels will strengthen inspection and supervision in the performance of national defence and military duties.

Changing combat readiness level

Second, improving the quality of education and fostering of national defence and security knowledge, thereby creating greater changes in the awareness and responsibility of cadres, party members, the armed forces, and the People regarding the two strategic tasks of building and defending the Fatherland in the new situation. In the immediate term, attention will be devoted to directing the consolidation of the National Defence and Security Education Councils at all levels, particularly following the elections of People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026–2031 tenure, ensuring appropriate structure and composition in accordance with prescribed requirements. At the same time, the Provincial Military Command will be directed to closely coordinate with departments, sectors, and relevant agencies to review, formulate plans, and organise education and fostering programmes on national defence and security knowledge for designated groups in line with decentralised responsibilities, ensuring the full and proper implementation of prescribed content and duration, with due attention paid to specific groups and key localities.

The content of education and fostering will focus on the Party’s viewpoints and guidelines, as well as the State’s policies and laws, particularly new issues relating to national defence and military tasks; building a strong and modern all-people national defence and People’s security; legal documents concerning cybersecurity; and the plots and sabotage tactics of hostile forces, etc. In the course of implementation, forms and methods will be applied flexibly in the direction of being “up-to-date, visual, and practice-oriented”, with greater application of information technology and close linkage with local realities. In addition, national defence and security education will be integrated into cultural and artistic activities, traditional festivals of the locality, and cultural activities within residential communities, thereby promoting historical traditions and the Dong A spirit as well as the legacy of Hoa Lu ancient capital across various fields of activity. This will contribute to further strengthening the “posture of the people’s hearts and minds”, firmly safeguarding the Fatherland from early and from afar, right from localities and grassroots levels.

Third, closely combining socio-economic development with the consolidation of national defence and security, and building a strong provincial defensive zone. Based on the socio-economic development objectives and the goals of strengthening national defence and security as identified by the 1st Congress of the Ninh Binh Provincial Party for the 2025–2030 tenure, the Provincial Party Committee, the People’s Council, and the People’s Committee will focus on leading and directing localities to promote economic, cultural, and social development, protect the environment, and at the same time strengthen and consolidate the potential of the provincial defensive zone, thereby maintaining political security and social order and safety in the locality. At the same time, the Province will continue reviewing, adjusting, and supplementing the master plan for socio-economic development in close association with national defence and security tasks; adjusting the disposition and strengthening the management of defence works and defence land in accordance with the socio-economic development strategy of the Northern Delta region, the two-tier local government administrative structure, and the project for building the provincial defensive zone under the new administrative boundaries.

With the guiding principle that each step of economic development must also contribute to strengthening national defence potential, the Province will promote a growth model oriented towards modernity and dual-use capacity, centred on innovation hubs in Phu Ly, Hoa Lu, and Nam Dinh. Priority will be given to developing interregional transport infrastructure that directly serves people’s livelihoods while remaining ready to meet national defence and security requirements when necessary. Particular attention will be paid to developing the maritime economy in association with the task of safeguarding national sovereignty over the seas and islands; at the same time, forestry development will be closely linked with the construction of logistics–technical bases and defensive works. The Province will resolutely refuse to trade national defence and security for economic growth, thereby ensuring sustainable development and absolute safety.

Conducting defence and security training for religious dignitaries

Fourth, building strong provincial armed forces as the core in carrying out national defence and military tasks. The Province will strengthen its leadership and direction in building armed forces that are strong in politics, ideology, morality, organisation, and personnel; possessing high overall quality and combat readiness, and truly serving as a reliable political force and an absolutely loyal and trustworthy combat force of Party committees, authorities, and the People in the locality. Military agencies at all levels will continue to thoroughly grasp and effectively implement Resolution No. 866-NQ/QUTW, dated 14 June 2025, of the Central Military Commission on leading the continued reorganisation of local military structures to be “elite, compact, and strong”, meeting the requirements of tasks in the new situation and implementing the policy of deploying Army officers to grassroots levels. Priority will be given to building standing forces with firm political steadfastness and professional competence, capable of advising Party committees and authorities on national defence issues; building a large, high-quality reserve force; and developing the militia and self-defence force to be “strong and widespread”, serving as the core in improving the effectiveness of national defence and military work at the local level.

At the same time, attention will be devoted to improving the quality of training, overall combat power, and combat readiness of the armed forces; closely coordinating with departments, sectors, and localities to safeguard key targets and major political events of the Province, and to participate in disaster prevention and response, mitigation of natural disaster consequences, and search and rescue operations. In the immediate term, the Province will make thorough preparations for, and successfully organise, the 2026 provincial civil defence exercise, promptly drawing lessons learned and remaining ready to effectively handle national defence and security situations, thereby maintaining political security and social order and safety.

With the determined involvement of Party committees and authorities at all levels, the entire political system, and the unity of the People, the Province is resolute in overcoming all difficulties to effectively carry out local national defence and military work. This will create a firm foundation and favourable conditions for rapid and sustainable socio-economic development in the new stage, striving for the goal that by 2030, Ninh Binh will become a centrally governed city.

DANG XUAN PHONG, Member of the Party Central Committee, Standing Deputy Head of the Government Office, Former Secretary of the Ninh Binh Provincial Party Committee