Fully aware of its assigned functions and tasks, as well as the requirements of safeguarding the Fatherland in the new situation, the Border Guard continues to thoroughly grasp and vigorously implement the Resolution of the 8^th Plenum of the 13^th Party Central Committee on the Strategy for safeguarding the Fatherland in the new situation, resolutely determined to firmly protect territorial sovereignty and national border security.

Firmly safeguarding territorial sovereignty and national border security is a consistent and overarching strategic policy of our Party and State; it constitutes a vital and regular task of all levels, sectors, the entire political system, and the whole people, in which the People’s Armed Forces play the core role and the Border Guard serves as the specialised force.

In recent years, the Border Guard Party Committee and High Command have thoroughly grasped and strictly implemented the resolutions and directives of the Party, the State, the Central Military Commission, and the Ministry of National Defence, particularly the Resolution of the 8^th Plenum of the 13^th Party Central Committee on the Strategy for safeguarding the Fatherland in the new situation. They have focused on leading and directing agencies, units, and provincial and municipal Border Guard Commands (now Border Guard Command Boards) to closely coordinate with relevant forces, maintain a firm grasp of the situation in inland, cross-border, and maritime areas, and promptly report and propose to the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence in order to advise the Party and the State on policies and countermeasures to firmly manage and protect territorial sovereignty and national border security. At the same time, they have organised patrols, inspections, and strict management and protection of the borders; combated and prevented all subversive activities of hostile forces and various types of crime, particularly transnational crime; and effectively handled incidents arising in border areas in accordance with regulations.

Lt. Gen. Vu Trung Kien speaks at the Border work review of 2025

Administrative reform has been further promoted, alongside the application of science and technology in border gate management and immigration control, thereby facilitating socio-economic development. The Border Guard has actively conducted information and advocacy campaigns to mobilise the people to participate in safeguarding territorial sovereignty and national border security; contributed to building the grassroots political system in border areas; strengthened the “people’s heart-and-mind posture,” the all-people border defence posture, and the firm all-people border defence system; and built streamlined, strong Border Guard agencies and units that truly serve as the core and specialised force in managing and protecting territorial sovereignty and national border security.

In the coming period, the global and regional situation is forecast to continue evolving rapidly, in a complex and unpredictable manner; strategic competition among major powers will intensify; and non-traditional security challenges, as well as armed conflicts in certain regions, will take on new, more dangerous forms and methods. The tasks of building the Army, strengthening national defence, and safeguarding the Fatherland impose increasingly high requirements on the entire armed forces, including the Border Guard. The Resolution of the 8^th Plenum of the 13^th Party Central Committee on the Strategy for safeguarding the Fatherland in the new situation clearly stipulates the need to ensure the highest national-ethnic interests on the basis of firmly protecting the independence, sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of the Fatherland; safeguarding the Party, the State, the People, and the socialist regime; protecting national security and human security; maintaining political security and social order and safety; resolutely preventing the formation of opposing political organisations within the country; eliminating the risks of conflict and war; neutralising factors causing internal instability; and maintaining and consolidating a peaceful environment conducive to national construction and development.

To successfully accomplish all assigned tasks, the Border Guard Party Committee and High Command have determined to continue thoroughly grasp the Resolution of the 8^th Plenum of the 13^th Party Central Committee on the Strategy for safeguarding the Fatherland in the new situation, and to resolutely and synchronously implement comprehensive measures to firmly manage and protect territorial sovereignty and national border security, with a focus on the following key solutions:

First, to firmly grasp, accurately assess, and forecast developments in both inland and cross-border areas, and to promptly advise and propose measures to firmly safeguard territorial sovereignty and national border security. It is essential to thoroughly implement the guiding principle of closely monitoring the situation, detecting early signs, and promptly and effectively addressing adverse factors, especially potential sudden developments and both traditional and non-traditional security challenges from the grassroots level; proactively establishing defensive lines and creating security belts beyond the national territory and borders. To safeguard the Fatherland from an early stage and from afar, the Party Committee and High Command direct agencies, units, and provincial and municipal Border Guard Command Boards to continue closely coordinating with functional forces in monitoring, studying, assessing, and accurately forecasting inland and cross-border developments; clearly identifying trends and strategic intentions of major powers, as well as subversive schemes and tactics of hostile forces; and promptly advising the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence to propose to the Party and the State appropriate policies and measures for effectively addressing issues related to territorial sovereignty and national border security in accordance with international law and conventions to which Vietnam is a party. Close coordination will be maintained with ministries, sectors, localities, and functional agencies to actively advise on the completion of land border demarcation and marker planting along the Vietnam-Cambodia border, and the delimitation of overlapping maritime areas with neighbouring countries; and to promote the signing of border legal documents and cooperation agreements.

VTV delegation congratulate on the Border Guard traditional day

Efforts will continue to combat cross-border crime and violations of law; to promptly prevent infiltration, encroachment upon territorial sovereignty and national borders, and subversive activities of hostile forces; and to maintain political security and social order and safety in border areas. Close coordination will be strengthened with functional agencies, particularly the Public Security, in advising on amendments to Government Decree No.03/2019/NĐ-CP, dated 5 September 2019, regarding the implementation of tasks in safeguarding national security, ensuring social order and safety, combating crime, and performing defence tasks in line with the functions and responsibilities of each force. In coordination with the Fisheries Surveillance, Customs, Coast Guard, and Public Security, effective measures will be taken to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and other unlawful activities.

Second, to resolutely, synchronously, and effectively implement comprehensive measures to protect territorial sovereignty and national border security. Ensuring the highest national-ethnic interests and firmly safeguarding the independence, sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of the Fatherland; protecting the Party, the State, the People, and the socialist regime are among the core objectives identified in the Resolution of the 8^th Plenum of the 13^th Party Central Committee. Thoroughly grasping these objectives, the Party Committee and High Command direct agencies, units, and provincial and municipal Border Guard Command Boards to concretise tasks of managing and protecting territorial sovereignty and national border security into scientific and practical action programmes and plans, ensuring comprehensive, synchronised implementation aligned with their functions, responsibilities, and operational environments. Existing border legal documents and agreements will continue to be effectively implemented; disputes, contradictions, and disagreements in border areas will be addressed resolutely yet persistently, through a combination of cooperation and struggle, by peaceful means and on the basis of respect for international law.

Border gate systems will be strengthened through coordinated planning, upgrading, and modernisation; cross-border trade activities will be maintained to facilitate goods circulation and socio-economic development in border areas. Administrative reform will be promoted in tandem with digital transformation and the application of science and technology in border gate management and immigration control. The National Crime Prevention Strategy for the period 2016-2025, with orientation to 2030, as well as programmes and plans of the Government, the Central Military Commission, and the Ministry of National Defence on crime prevention and control will be effectively implemented. Specialised operations will be proactively established to combat crime from afar and beyond the borders, with a focus on transnational drug trafficking networks, smuggling, trade fraud, human trafficking, illegal migration, and other crimes along key border routes and areas.

Third, to promote the core and specialised role in building the all-people border defence posture within the all-people national defence posture. Building and consolidating the all-people national defence posture in close association with the people’s security posture and the “people’s heart-and-mind posture” constitute vital and regular tasks of all levels, sectors and the entire political system, with the armed forces as the core. Recognising this, the Party Committee and High Command direct agencies, units, and provincial and municipal Border Guard Command Boards to thoroughly implement resolutions and directives or the Central and Central Military Commission on the two strategic tasks of building and safeguarding the Fatherland in the new situation and the Action Plan for implementing the 12^th Congress of the Military Committee, and to continue effectively implementing Politburo Conclusion No.99-KL/TW dated 17 October 2024 on the Project for building the all-people border defence posture in association with the all-people national defence and people’s security postures in border areas.

Lt. Gen. Vu Trung Kien visits and checks Ban Giang Border Post

Efforts will continue to implement Conclusion No.68-KL/TW of the Secretariat on increasing the number of Border Guard cadres serving on local party commissioners in border and island areas, and introducing border guard post Party members to participate in grassroots party cells in border villages. Active participation will be maintained in consolidating the grassroots political system and implementing Government programmes linking socio-economic development with strengthening defence and security in border areas, while preserving and promoting ethnic cultural values. Programmes, such as: “Border Guards join hands in building new-style rural areas,” “Supporting children’s schooling”, “Adoptees of Border Guard posts,” and “Border Guard Spring - Warming the hearts of border villages” will be further promoted to improve material and spiritual life in border communities, thereby strengthening great national unity bloc and the “people’s heart-and-mind posture”, the border guard posture within the national defence posture, and solid border guard posture - the decisive factor for safeguarding the sovereignty and national border security.

Fourth, to build a comprehensively strong Border Guard with high overall quality and combat readiness, truly serving as the core and specialised force in managing and protecting territorial sovereignty and national border security. In order to firmly safeguard the Fatherland in the new era of development, the Resolution of the 14^th National Party Congress, the Resolution of the 12^th Military Party Congress, and the Resolution of the 8^th Plenum of the 13^th Party Central Committee on the Strategy for safeguarding the Fatherland in the new situation have clearly identified the task of building a clean, comprehensively strong, exemplary and typical Military Party Committee; and of building a revolutionary, regular, elite, and modern Army. Thoroughly grasping this policy, the Border Guard Party Committee and High Command continue to advise and direct the consolidation and reorganisation of the Border Guard’s organisational structure in accordance with the orientations of the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence. Priority is given to leading and directing agencies, units, and provincial and municipal Border Guard Command Boards to strictly implement the new organisational structure; to build a Border Guard that is strong in political steadfastness, ideology, ethics, organisation, and personnel; and to develop a contingent of cadres at all levels - particularly key leaders - who possess firm political resolve, sound moral qualities, comprehensive competence, knowledge of the law, and a thorough understanding of the customs and traditions of ethnic communities in border areas, thereby ensuring the capability to successfully accomplish assigned tasks in all situations. Continued efforts will be made to innovate and improve the quality of training, exercises, combat readiness, education, and professional development; and to effectively implement foreign language and ethnic minority language training programmes within the Border Guard. Breakthroughs will be promoted in science and technology development, innovation, and digital transformation; and further research and review will be conducted to refine methods and operational plans for managing and protecting national borders in modern warfare conditions. At the same time, proposals shall be submitted to the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence to prioritise the modernisation of weapons and technical equipment for the Border Guard Force in the direction of “smart” modernisation, meeting the requirements of safeguarding national borders in the new era..

Finally, to effectively carry out border defence diplomacy. In the new era of development, our Party has identified the promotion of foreign affairs and international integration, together with defence and security, as a “vital and regular” task. Thoroughly grasping this strategic orientation, the Party Committee and High Command direct agencies, units, and provincial and municipal Border Guard Command Boards to continue strictly implementing the Party’s guidelines and policies on international integration and defence diplomacy, particularly Politburo Conclusion No.53-KL/TW dated 28 April 2023; Resolution No.2662-NQ/QUTW dated 26 February 2024 of the Central Military Commission on international integration and defence diplomacy through 2030 and beyond; Politburo Resolution No.59-NQ/TW dated 24 January 2025 on international integration in the new situation; and the Scheme on “Border Defence Attachés in countries sharing common borders,” under the guiding principle of being proactive, active, steadfast, flexible, and effective, with the aim of firmly safeguarding the Fatherland “from an early stage and from afar” by peaceful means. Cooperation with neighbouring countries’ border protection forces will be further strengthened in managing and protecting territorial sovereignty and national border security. Twinning activities between border guard posts and stations, as well as border defence friendship exchanges, will be effectively maintained, thereby contributing to reinforcing solidarity and cooperation with the armed forces and peoples of neighbouring countries, and building borders of peace, friendship, stability, and shared development.

Thoroughly grasping the Resolution of the 14^th National Party Congress, the Resolution of the 12^th Military Party Congress, and particularly the Resolution of the 8^th Plenum of the 13^th Party Central Committee on the Strategy for safeguarding the Fatherland in the new situation, the Border Guard is firmly determined to safeguard territorial sovereignty and national border security; to contribute to maintaining a peaceful and stable environment conducive to national construction and development; and to remain forever a politically steadfast and combat-ready force that is absolutely loyal and reliable to the Party, the State, and the People.

Lieutenant General VU TRUNG KIEN, Member of the Party Central Committee, Commander of the Border Guard