The Party’s process of creatively applying and developing Ho Chi Minh’s thought on combining national strength with the strength of the times during the renovation period

Assoc.Prof.,Dr. HOANG PHUC LAM
Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Vice President
Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics

1. Introduction

In the first Political Platform as well as the Political Platform and revolutionary guidelines of the succeeding period, our Party consistently determined that the task of international solidarity, combining national strength together with the strength of the times, is a strategic task and an integral part of the entire revolutionary strategy. During the period of the people’s national democratic revolution, Vietnam gained the great and effective sympathy of the socialist countries, as well as the peace-loving and progressive forces of the world. The national strength combined with the strength of the times became a factor that contributed to the victory of the Vietnamese revolution. After the country was peaceful and unified, Vietnam fell into a severe socio-economic crisis due to being besieged, isolated, and comprehensively sabotaged. One of the reasons for this was the failure to successfully combine national strength and the strength of the era. The Sixth Congress in December 1986 initiated the comprehensive renovation of the country. From the successes and failures in the revolutionary leadership process, the Party clearly recognized the importance of combining national strength with the strength of the era in building and defending the Socialist Republic of Vietnam according to Ho Chi Minh Thought.

2. Achievements in the Party’s theoretical awareness of combining national strength with the strength of the times during the renovation period on the basis of creatively researching, applying, and developing Ho Chi Minh thought

Firstly, the Party increasingly recognizes the characteristics, development trends, and tendencies of the times.

This is a necessary task for countries in the process of international integration. Each country and nation must be aware and clearly know which era they are living in, what the global context is with its nature, its characteristics, content and development trends. A profound understanding of the era and a grasp of international trends will help to combine national strength with the strength of the era to achieve high results. At the 6th Congress (1986), when assessing the strength of the era, the Party emphasized the factor of “the current development of the scientific and technological revolution and the trend of expanding the division of labor and cooperation between countries, including countries with different socio-economic regimes, are also critical conditions for the cause of building socialism in our country”(1).

The Congress affirmed: “A prominent feature of the era is the strong scientific and technological revolution, creating a leap forward in the development of productive forces and accelerating the internationalization of productive forces, etc. A market is being formed in the world,... international cooperation is an inevitable development requirement of both systems”(2). This viewpoint shows that the Party has had a more comprehensive view of the era factor in the new context; highly values the scientific and technical revolution factor and the internationalization process of productive forces; shares global concerns with the international community.

The 7th Congress (1991) adopted the Platform for National Construction in the Transitional Period to Socialism, which clearly stated: “Our country is moving towards socialism in an international context with great and profound changes”, “The outstanding feature in the current period of the era is the fierce and complicated class and national struggle of the people of all countries for peace, national independence, democracy and social progress. Socialism is currently facing many difficulties and challenges. World history is going through tortuous steps; however, mankind will ultimately move towards socialism since that is the evolutionary law of history”(3). The era mentioned here is the transitional era from capitalism to socialism. However, the Party is clearly aware of the complex, tortuous and long-term nature of the process of social transformation. Regarding the international environment, the Party is clearly aware that all countries, regardless of different political systems or regimes, coexist peacefully.

Next, the Party’s 9th Congress (2001) and 10th Congress (2006) provided assessments on the world situation.

The 11th Congress (2011) made remarkable observations about the characteristics of today’s era. The Platform for National Construction in the Transitional Period to Socialism (supplemented and developed in 2011) clearly stated: “The outstanding feature in the current stage of the era is that countries with different social regimes and levels of development coexist, both cooperating and struggling, fiercely competing for national-ethnic interests”(4).

The 12th Congress (2016) and the 13th Congress (2021) not only assessed the world situation but also assessed major global trends.

Through the congresses, the Party’s understanding of the times (i) has always been consistent and thorough. Although the world has changed a lot, the Party still affirms: the current era is a transitional era from capitalism to socialism(5); (ii) it is not “unchanging and fixed” but adjusted according to the realities of international political life. The Party has objectively and selectively absorbed new understandings and approaches to the era, thereby clearly identifying the prominent characteristics of each period, according to five-year socio-economic development plans or ten-year socio-economic development strategies. The Party’s assessments of the prominent aspects of the global situation in politics, economics, society, traditional and non-traditional security, global issues, and world movement trends are always closely aligned with actual developments, demonstrating sensitivity and scientific insight in perceiving the world situation..

Thereby, it can be seen that the Party’s perception of the era is clearly shown in the following aspects: clearly defining the current stage of the era; the fundamental contradictions of the era are clearly and deeply understood; global issues and non-traditional security are increasingly serious; development trends in the current stage of the era(6).

The Party has a clearer understanding of major trends in international relations. This is the result of the movement of the global situation, mainly under the influence of the balance of power, policies, and interactions among countries, especially major powers - factors that create key directions in international relations that all countries must take into account. The prominent trends today are: (i) competition and cooperation among major countries in forming and managing the global and regional system and order under the influence of power shifts among major powers, extreme nationalism, and great-power hegemonism; (ii) the increasing role of multilateral and sub-multilateral institutions as a manifestation of the trend of democratization in international relations and efforts to deal with common problems of human society; (iii) “counter-waves” in the trends and currents toward peace, cooperation, progress, and democratization of international life. The manifestations of these counter-waves are mainly manifested through national struggles, class struggles, local wars, armed conflicts, ethnic and religious conflicts, arms races, intervention, subversion, terrorism, territorial disputes over islands, resources and fierce competition for economic interests that continue to take place in a complex manner(7).

These increasingly accurate and practical assessments of the era serve as a foundation for the Party to implement an open foreign policy of multilateralization and diversification, to identify opportunities to be seized, to recognize challenges to be addressed, to combine national strength with the strength of the era, thereby creating a premise for the renovation cause to achieve many positive outcomes, contributing to the building and defense of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Secondly, in the relationship between national interests and international solidarity, the Party’s awareness has gone beyond ideological thinking, taking the United Nations Charter, international law, equal cooperation and mutual benefit as guiding principles.

In international relations, at any stage, national interests are always the central factor governing war and peace, cooperation and struggle. International relations change when countries have a new understanding of their national interests. The Party clearly understands that national interests are determined on the basis of solving two strategic tasks: building and defending the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Vietnam’s national interests are understood in terms of security - development - influence.

However, the issue of national and ethnic interests and the relationship between national and ethnic interests are positioned in the context and awareness of identifying two factions and four contradictions, so from the 6th to the 9th Congresses, the Party’s understanding of the trend and nature of the times is still clearly influenced by ideology.

Since the 9th Congress, the world situation has undergone many complicated developments. The 13th Congress (2021) affirmed: “To ensure the highest national interests on the basis of the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter and international law, equality, cooperation, and mutual benefit”(8), with national interests being the ultimate goal.

The 8th Central Conference of the 13th Congress (2023) issued Resolution No. 44-NQ/TW on the Strategy for National Defense in the new situation, continuing to affirm the highest guarantee of national-ethnic interests on the basis of firmly protecting the independence, sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of the Fatherland; implementing the motto “unchanging in essentials, responsive to myriad changes,” in which national-ethnic interests are immutable.

The Party affirms that Vietnam does not pursue narrow, selfish nationalism but promotes national-ethnic interests on the basis of the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter and international law. The content of national-ethnic interests - security, development, and influence - has different priorities in each period.

The Party affirms that national-ethnic interests are identical. The interests of the working class, represented by the Communist Party, are unified with the interests of the working people and the entire nation. “In our State, there is an organic unity between the class nature and the people’s and national characteristics, there is a strong unity of the interests of the working class and the working people with the national interests”(9).

Therefore, in the period of renovation, the Party has gradually resolved the relationship of national interests and international solidarity according to the United Nations Charter and international law of equality and mutually beneficial cooperation. These principles guide the entire process of resolving ethnic and class, national and international relations; allowing for the search for and promotion of similarities and unity, overcoming differences and conflicts, combining national strength with the strength of the times, and striving together with other countries for the sake of peace, cooperation and development.

Thirdly, the Party increasingly recognizes the need to adequately resolve the relationship between independence, self-reliance, self-strengthening, and international integration; the combination of national strength with the strength of the era must be based primarily on internal strength, maximizing internal resources.

The Vietnamese revolutionary practice has proven that when the Party firmly maintains and well resolves the relationship between independence, autonomy, self-reliance and international solidarity, combining national strength with the strength of the times, the revolution succeeds.

Applying lessons from the history of the Vietnamese revolution and changes in the world situation, the Party’s viewpoint on independence, self-reliance and international integration has been expressed throughout the congresses of the renovation period. At the 6th Congress, our Party determined: “Continue to hold high the flag of peace, national independence and socialism..., and maintain independence, self-reliance, and strengthen international cooperation”(10). Continuing that thinking through the congresses, the 13th Congress stated: “Proactively and actively integrate into the international community, properly resolve the relationship between independence, self-reliance and international integration; promote comprehensive, deep, flexible and effective international integration for the benefit of the nation and people, ensuring independence, self-reliance and national sovereignty. Closely link the process of proactive, active and comprehensive international integration with the enhancement of the overall strength and mobilization of the potential of the whole society; “Renew and improve domestic institutions, enhance the country’s autonomy, competitiveness and adaptability”(11). The Party’s understanding of international integration has developed from the policy of “international economic integration” to “international integration”, in which economic integration is the focus, integration in other fields is gradually expanded, complying with international commitments along with proactively and actively participating in building and implementing common standards to ensure national interests in a proactive and active spirit.

Fourthly, expand friendly relations and cooperation with other countries

Developing the thinking and viewpoints in Ho Chi Minh Thought regarding the combining of national strength with the strength of the times, the 7th Congress advocated: “... equally and mutually beneficial cooperation with all countries, regardless of different political regimes on the basis of the principle of peaceful coexistence”(12), “Vietnam wants to be a friend with all countries in the world community, striving for peace, independence and development”(13), and so on. This is an important renovation policy, a creative application of Ho Chi Minh Thought. In the following congresses, the Party continued to pursue an open, multilateral and diversified foreign policy. The 9th Congress affirmed: “Vietnam is ready to be a friend and a reliable partner of countries in the international community, striving for peace, independence and development”(14); The 10th Congress emphasized: “Vietnam is a friend and a reliable partner of countries in the international community, actively participating in the process of international and regional cooperation”(15); The 12th Congress affirmed: “Vietnam is a friend, a reliable partner and a responsible member of the international community”(16). At the 13th Congress, our Party continued to affirm: “Vietnam is a friend, a reliable partner and an active, responsible member of the international community”(17).

In the context of increasingly diverse national interests, partners are expanding in scope and level of relations, the Party has a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach in thinking and implementation practice combining national strength with the strength of the times. Bilateral and multilateral diplomacy is valued, and deployed at a deeper and broader level; new forms by sector or tool-based criteria are flexibly and synchronously combined.

Along with that, in the process of developing the understanding of combining national strength with the strength of the times, the Party has a dialectical approach to partners and counterparts: in counterparts, there may be aspects that need to be sought after and cooperated with; in the partners, there may be differences and conflicts with Vietnam’s interests. Therefore, in the process of international integration, implementing the foreign policy of multilateralization and diversification, in addition to maintaining independence and autonomy, the Party proactively creates interwoven international relationships, taking advantage of the competition and balance among major countries and partners to serve national interests.

Thus, the Party’s perception of combining national strength with the strength of the times, domestic strength with international strength has developed, in line with new changes in the regional and global situations.

3. Issues posed in combining national strength with the strength of the times in the current situation

Firstly, overcome challenges and risks and enhance national strength to combine with international strength

The world political situation continues to undergo unpredictable change. The world situation is complicated, globalization and local wars, ethnic and religious conflicts, terrorism; plots and tricks by reactionary forces brutally interfere with the independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of many countries in the world, regardless of the institutions of international law as well as the principles and Charter of the United Nations. Capitalism continues to develop due to self-regulation, especially after the economic recession, financial and banking crisis (2007-2010), the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the impact of large-scale armed conflicts, such as: Russia - Ukraine; Israel - Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthi forces attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea.

Vietnam is a country located in Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific region. This is a dynamically developing region within the world but also suffers many potential uncertainties.

The country continues to face great opportunities for development, but the challenges are also enormous. The 13th Congress stated: “The four risks that our Party has pointed out still exist, and in some cases are even more severe. The risk of falling behind and falling into the middle-income trap is still high. There are signs of not paying due attention to ensuring development in the direction of socialism; developing culture, ensuring social welfare, implementing progress and social justice in developing a market economy; not ensuring comprehensive and synchronous development of regions, areas, and localities according to comparative advantages and promoting specific socio-economic conditions”(18).

The current situation poses a challenge for the Party: to seize opportunities, overcome challenges and risks; to have the capacity to lead and govern with clear and steadfast political thinking and mettle. The Party must set out policies and organize their successful implementation, making the country rise strongly, keep up with the common progress of humanity, and stand on par with developed countries in the region and the world.

The major challenges and risks that the 7th Congress’s mid-term conference raised are increasingly complex and cannot be taken lightly. The problem is that if the Party - the only Party in charge and in power - cannot overcome the situation in which some cadres and Party members degenerate, change, “self-evolve”, “self-transform”, the Party will lose its leadership role in the political system and in society at large. This is the Party’s biggest challenge. Therefore, seizing the opportunity, overcoming the challenges and risks depends on the ruling Party’s leadership and power.

Secondly, resolutely fight against hostile forces to strengthen national strength and combine national strength with international strength

Hostile forces always seek to sabotage our country’s revolution, using any means to distort the domestic situation, the Party’s leadership, and the path to socialism in our country. They fabricate witnesses, documents, or rely on a few events to distort Marxism-Leninism, President Ho Chi Minh, and the Vietnamese revolution. In July 2024, while Vietnam wanted the US to recognize its market economy, hostile forces around the world, most clearly in the US, mobilized a number of US congressmen and senators to send a letter calling on the US Department of Commerce to continue to consider Vietnam a non-market economy with the aim of preventing US companies from investing and doing business in Vietnam. Along with that, they are determined to sabotage the Agreement on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace, Cooperation and Sustainable Development between Vietnam and the US that was signed in September 2023.

To combine national strength with the strength of the times, we must further strengthen the fight against hostile forces. Otherwise, the views of many Vietnamese people both at home and abroad, public opinion, and international attention to the situation in Vietnam will be distorted, and Vietnam will lose its prestige in the international arena.

Thirdly, focus on creating comprehensive strength in the new phase

The correct leadership and governance of the Party is the decisive factor for the victory of the Vietnamese revolution, including the renovation process. Building and rectifying the Party to keep it clean and strong is the fundamental and key task, as our Party determined.

Domestic riots must be prevented and handled legally. The lessons of history over thousands of years show that when a country is divided and in turmoil, hostile forces from outside will seize the opportunity to manipulate and profit. Therefore, maintaining the country’s political stability is a key factor in ensuring national security.

We must take advantage of all internal and external factors of strength (the times), that is, take advantage of opportunities, and overcome challenges and risks. Vietnam has been elected twice as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (2008-2009 and 2020-2021), and twice as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council. In 2020, Vietnam was the rotating Chair of ASEAN. Vietnam has official diplomatic relations with the countries that are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, and diplomatic relations with both entities, which are recognized by many countries but are not yet independent states, namely Palestine and Western Sahara.

By March 2024, Vietnam had established diplomatic relations with 193 countries, including 3 countries with special relations (Laos, Cambodia, Cuba), 7 countries are Comprehensive Strategic Partners, 12 countries are Strategic Partners, and 11 countries are Comprehensive Partners; we have Comprehensive Strategic Partnerships or Strategic Partnership relations with all 5 permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. Establish and expand economic relations with 230 countries and territories, including promoting trade between the parties. Vietnam has promoted its role as a friend and reliable partner of the international community; has many initiatives, proposals and proactively and actively participated effectively in the activities of ASEAN, the United Nations, the WTO, and many other international organizations. Recently, Vietnam and the European Union signed the EVFTA (European-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement) and the IPA (Investment Protection Agreement).

It must be affirmed that, never before has Vietnam had such a high international position as it does now. Vietnam’s international relations are in line with the spirit of international diplomacy according to Ho Chi Minh Thought. President Ho Chi Minh once expressed his views on international relations in the early years of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam’s birth, such as: “Our people have long lived together with such affection and feeling. Since our Party has led and educated us, that affection has become even more beautiful, becoming affection for compatriots, comrades, affection for the world and the four seas as one family”(19). In September 1947, answering American journalist S. Elie Maissie, a reporter for the American news agency International News Service, President Ho Chi Minh generally stated Vietnam’s foreign policy as: “ To make friends with all democratic countries and not to create enmity with anyone”(20). The root of development, the development philosophy of Ho Chi Minh lies in international solidarity in the spirit of “All are close relatives/Workers and peasants of the world are all brothers”(21) and more broadly, President Ho Chi Minh expressed the viewpoint “Thousands of miles across mountains and rivers, still one home/Because all four seas are brothers”(22), “The affection of five continents and four oceans as one family”(23), “All within the four seas are brothers”(24).

4. Conclusion

During the renovation period, the Party has deeply understood, promoted research, applied, and developed creatively Ho Chi Minh Thought on combining national strength with the strength of the times, domestic strength, and international strength in terms of thinking, perception, and implementation in practice. This is a great lesson of the Vietnamese revolution, and important content in implementing the comprehensive diplomatic strategy and international integration of our Party and State. Mastering and flexibly applying this lesson in the context of the country and the world undergoing complex and unpredictable developments is the key to implementing the motto of transforming external strength into internal strength, in order to successfully realize the goal of building a Vietnam that is “a rich people, strong country, democratic, equitable, civilized, prosperous and happy society”.

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Received: November 7, 2024; Revised: December 19, 2024; Approved for publication: December 24, 2024.

l Endnotes:

(1), (2), (10) CPV: Complete Party Documents, vol.47, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2006, pp.364, 368, 443.

(3) CPV: Complete Party Documents, vol.51, op. cit., p.133, 47, 49.

(4) CPV: Documents of the 11th National Party Congress, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2011, pp.67-69.

(5) Dinh The Huynh, Phung Huu Phu: 30 years of renovation and development in Vietnam, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2015, pp.221-222.

(6) Central Theoretical Council: 30 years of implementing the Platform for national construction during the transitional period to socialism, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2020, pp.14-15.

(7) Nguyen Vu Tung: “Some thoughts on the principle of combining national strength with the strength of the times in the process of Vietnam’s revolution”, Proceedings of the Scientific Workshop “The process of the Communist Party of Vietnam creatively applying and developing Ho Chi Minh thought in combining national strength with the strength of the times: Results and experiences”, under Topic KX.02.07/21-25, Hanoi, 2024, p.64.

(8) (11), (17), (18) CPV: Documents of the 13th National Party Congress, vol.1, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2021, pp.161-162, 164, 162, 108.

(9) CPV: Complete Party Documents, vol.54, op. cit., p.137.

(14) CPV: Documents of the 9th National Party Congress, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2001, p.42.

(15) CPV: Documents of the 10th National Party Congress, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2006, p.38.

(16) CPV: Documents of the 12th National Party Congress, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2016, p.35.

(19), (23) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, vol.15, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2011, pp. 668, 668.

(20) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, vol.5, ibid., p.256.

(21) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, vol.14, ibid., p.312.

(22) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, vol.10, ibid., p.558.

(24) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, vol.4, ibid., p.273.