The creative application of president Ho Chi Minh’s innovative ideology to realize Vietnam’s aspirations

ASSOC. PROF., DR. DOAN THI CHIN
Academy of Journalism and Communication
DR. NGUYEN TUNG LAM
University of Politics, Ministry of National Defense

1. Introduction

The innovative thinking began with Nguyen Ai Quoc’s journey to seek a path for national salvation. With his exceptional intellect and independent, self-reliant spirit, Nguyen Ai Quoc chose a completely different direction from contemporary patriotic scholars. Through his acute political sensitivity and a journey across numerous countries and continents, Nguyen Ai Quoc embraced Marxism-Leninism and the proletarian revolutionary path, identifying it as the correct course for Vietnam’s revolution. This direction led Vietnam’s revolution from one victory to another, exemplified by the success of the August Revolution in 1945 and the two resistance wars against French colonialism and American imperialism. Innovative thinking is consistently reflected in Ho Chi Minh’s legacy and permeates the entire revolutionary process of the Party. In the current renewal era, his innovative mindset and aspirations for change and creativity continue to serve as invaluable guidance, ensuring the ultimate success of Vietnam’s revolutionary cause.

2. Ho Chi Minh’s innovative thinking

Innovative and creative thinking in Ho Chi Minh’s heritage is reflected in the following issues:

Firstly, renovation is the nature of revolution, originating from practice, from the interests of the nation and people

Ho Chi Minh was born and raised in a family with Confucian traditions yet demonstrated innovative thinking from a very early age, not bound by traditional Confucian ideology. His patriotic thinking was imbued with the cultural values ​​of the nation, connecting the country with the people and using this as the highest standard for all spiritual values. As he grew up and encountered French civilization, he sought to uncover the true meaning behind the slogan: “Liberty - Equality - Fraternity”. He decided to go abroad to learn about this civilization, and then return to help his compatriots. This demonstrates Ho Chi Minh’s innovative thinking. He quickly realized that saving the nation and achieving independence required a new path: traveling abroad to learn and absorb the scientific, technical, and cultural advancements of other countries.

After discovering Marxism - Leninism, Ho Chi Minh’s innovative and creative thinking was raised to a new level, encompassing scientific and revolutionary content. He believed: “Revolution is to destroy the old and replace it with the new, to destroy the bad and replace it with the good”(1). Therefore, innovation is intrinsic to revolution and development. He thought that “revolutionary theory is not dogma; it is a compass for revolutionary action. Theory is not something rigid; it is inherently creative. Theory must always be supplemented with new conclusions drawn from vivid practice. Communists in all countries must concretize Marxism - Leninism to suit the conditions and circumstances of each time and place”(2). Ho Chi Minh’s innovative thinking always originates from practice. It was the events of the nation’s and the era’s life that guided his thought and actions, never rigidly or dogmatically copying from others. He said, “For any problem, you must ask the question “why?”, and think carefully whether it aligns with reality, whether it is really reasonable. Blindly following books without questioning is absolutely unacceptable”(3).

Moreover, according to him, innovation must always serve the interests of the country and the people. He emphasized, “I have only one desire, an ultimate desire: to make our country completely independent, our people completely free, for everyone to have enough to eat and wear, and to be educated”(4). He further stated, “Whatever is beneficial to the people, we must do it. Whatever is harmful to the people, we must avoid it”(5). Thus, in crafting and gradually perfecting the revolutionary path, Ho Chi Minh successfully addressed the relationship between the nation and class struggles. He methodically resolved issues related to national liberation, fostering the great national unity bloc, establishing a unified National Front, building a ruling Party, establishing a state “of the people, by the people, and for the people”, waging a people’s war characterized by mass and comprehensive participation, and constructing socialism under wartime conditions, and so on.

These contributions significantly enriched the global revolutionary theoretical framework, making Marxism - Leninism more vibrant, dynamic, and applicable. These Vietnamese revolutionary practice under the leadership of the Party, headed by President Ho Chi Minh, represents a continuous process of national innovation inspired by his groundbreaking and transformative thinking.

Secondly innovation involves inheritance and development, gradually negating unsuitable old elements while preserving past achievements and resolutely opposing a complete rejection of the past

According to Ho Chi Minh, innovation is inevitable and encompasses old values, while transforming them. He explained: “What is old and bad must be abandoned, etc. What is old and not bad, but troublesome, must be modified to be reasonable. For example, extravagant feasts for worship or weddings should be reduced”(6). He pointed out that: “We must know that the objective situation changes every hour and every minute, a policy of ours that is right today, may be outdated tomorrow. If we are not vigilant in reviewing and discarding outdated or incorrect thoughts and behaviors, we will inevitably fall behind and be surpassed by those who are quicker and more alert”(7). Innovation and creativity are necessary for progress and represent an objective demand of life, as Ho Chi Minh stated: “Society keeps progressing, and so must our work. We must win the resistance, implement the new democracy, advance to socialism, and eventually reach communism. Therefore, our abilities, initiatives, and progress must always develop and advance. Not advancing means regressing”(8). He further stressed: “The world is constantly changing, and our people are increasingly advancing. Therefore, we must continue learning and practicing to keep up with the people”(9).

This innovative thinking is expressed throughout Ho Chi Minh’s works, such as The Revolutionary Path, New Life, Changing the Way of Working, Mass Mobilization, etc., and finally his Will. His Will is the crystallization of innovative thinking, demonstrating the consistency and continuity in Ho Chi Minh’s ideological legacy. The work was written during the harsh and intense anti-American resistance war, a period marked by severe hardships. Yet Ho Chi Minh was deeply concerned about the post-victory tasks.

He wrote: “Immediately after the complete victory of our people’s anti-American resistance war, the entire Party, army, and people must make every effort to quickly heal the severe wounds caused by the brutal aggression of American imperialism. This will be an enormous, complex, and challenging task”(10). He outlined a comprehensive plan encompassing the economy, society, healthcare, education, national defense, and the work of unifying the country.

He advised our Party to prepare thoroughly, clearly, and carefully to avoid shortcomings, passivity, or mistakes in rebuilding the nation to be more beautiful and greater than before the war. He emphasized: “This is a fight against what is old and corrupt, to create new and fresh things”(11).

Thirdly, renovation is a “giant” and comprehensive battle across all fields. It is a long-term, complicated, difficult, and arduous process, requiring us to always rely on the people and the application of practical standards

In politics: President Ho Chi Minh addressed many significant issues concerning politics, economics, culture, and society: In politics, “the first task is to rectify the Party”(12). “Our Party is the ruling Party. Every Party member and cadre must be truly imbued with revolutionary ethics, truly frugal, honest, impartial, and selfless. We must keep our Party truly clean, deserving of its role as the loyal servant and leader of the people”(13). Regularly “practicing broad democracy, regularly and seriously self-criticizing and criticizing is the best way to consolidate and develop the solidarity and unity of the Party. There must be comradely love for one another”(14). In economics: “The Party must have a very good plan for economic and cultural development, in order to constantly improve the people’s lives”(15). In culture and society: “Developing sanitation and health care; amending the educational system to suit the new circumstances of the people, such as developing schools that are half-day for studying and half-day for working”(16). He also emphasized care “For those who have bravely sacrificed a part of their blood and bones to the fatherland, etc., we must ensure that they have stable living conditions”(17). “For the victims under the old social regime, etc., the State must use both education and the law to reform them, helping them become honest workers”(18).

In his Will, Ho Chi Minh considered innovation as “a fight against what is old and corrupt, to create new and fresh things, etc., in a huge battle”(19). He foresaw the difficulties and complexities that the Vietnamese revolution would face, which required the Party to prepare comprehensively, to always maintain solidarity and unanimity within the entire Party; to broadly practice democracy, to regularly and seriously conduct self-criticism and criticism; to rely on the spirit of “comradely love for one another”(20); to truly imbue and cultivate revolutionary ethics; to uphold the sense of responsibility, to fulfill the tasks assigned by the Party, and to wholeheartedly serve the people.

To carry out such a heavy task, President Ho Chi Minh believed that it was necessary to promote the great role of the people and that “the work of innovation and building is the responsibility of the people”(21). The views: “In the sky, nothing is more precious than the people. In the world, nothing is stronger than the united force of the people”(22); “all sectors of social activities are participated in by the people of society”(23), having the people means having everything; “A ten-times-easier task can’t be completed without the people’s support, but a hundred-times-harder can be easily completed with the people’s support”(24); “When the people are united, everything can be done”(25), etc., are all summarized in His Will: “To win victory in this huge battle, it is necessary to mobilize, organize and educate the whole people, relying on the great force of the whole people”(26).

3. Realizing Vietnam’s aspirations through Ho Chi Minh’s renovative thinking

To realize Vietnam’s aspirations, it is essential to deeply internalize Ho Chi Minh’s innovative and creative thinking to ignite the power of innovation, creativity, and construction among all social classes. This will enable every Vietnamese citizen to feel proud and deserving of being the owners of an independent nation, a cultured people, and a nation that upholds revolutionary heroism both in wars to defend the homeland and in combating poverty and backwardness in the process of building the country, for a Vietnam with “a rich people, a strong country, with democracy, fairness, and civilization”(27).

Since 1986, the comprehensive renovation of the country has been initiated and led by our Party, assuming the responsibility of leadership according to the innovative and creative thinking of Ho Chi Minh. After nearly 40 years of renovation and its great achievements, the understanding of the socialist model in Vietnam has become increasingly clear. The theoretical system concerning the country’s renovation path, the socialist model, and the journey towards socialism has been shaped and developed.

Ho Chi Minh’s renovative and creative thinking on economics, politics, diplomacy, etc., still retains its value and has great significance. Inheriting his idea that “nothing is more precious than independence and freedom”, the Platform for nation building in the transitional period to socialism (supplemented and developed in 2011) continues to affirm that national independence is a prerequisite for implementing socialism and that socialism is the solid foundation for ensuring national independence. The Party has consistently emphasized the importance of national interests, sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity.

Building on Ho Chi Minh’s legacy, the Party has identified 8 fundamental characteristics of Vietnam’s socialist model: “A rich people, a strong country, that is democratic, equitable, with a civilized society; owned by the people; a highly developed economy based on modern productive forces and appropriate progressive production relations; an advanced culture, imbued with national identity; people have a prosperous, free, and happy life, with conditions for comprehensive development; ethnic groups in the Vietnamese community are equal, united, while respecting and helping one another to develop together; there is a socialist rule of law state of the people, by the people, for the people led by the Communist Party; there are friendly and cooperative relations with countries worldwide”(28).

Inheriting and developing Ho Chi Minh’s thought on building a multi-sector economy, our Party determined: “Vietnam’s socialist-oriented market economy has many forms of ownership and many economic sectors, in which: the State economy plays a leading role; the collective and cooperative economy are constantly consolidated and developed; the private economy is an important driving force; foreign-invested economies are encouraged to develop in alignment with strategies, and socio-economic development plans”(29).

Over nearly 40 years of renovation, Vietnam’s economy is anticipated to achieve significant breakthroughs due to the determination of the Party and the State to reform, innovate, and create. This is the right path for our country to develop sustainably. This is demonstrated by the fact that over 55 years of implementing His Testament, we have made great strides in caring for, improving, and enhancing the material and spiritual lives of the people. Vietnam has been highly praised by the United Nations and other nations for achieving many Millennium Development Goals, especially in poverty reduction. Vietnam emphasizes sustainable growth by linking economic growth with social progress and equity and implementing policies that focus on human development. Vietnam attaches importance to economic growth, but always emphasizes sustainable development, linking growth with social progress and equity, with taking care of human development through social policies.

The significant achievements of the national renovation and international integration have placed our country among the group of middle-income developing countries. The 13th National Party Congress affirmed: “The country has achieved great achievements of historical significance, developing strongly and comprehensively compared to the years before the renovation. The scale and level of the economy have been elevated. The people’s material and spiritual lives have been significantly improved. Our country has never had such a foundation, potential, position and international prestige as today”(30). “The achievements of 35 years of implementing the renovation process, etc., have continued to affirm that our Party’s renovation policy is correct and creative. The great achievements of historical significance are the crystallization of the creativity of our Party and people, affirming that our country’s path to socialism is suitable to the reality of Vietnam and the development trend of the times; affirming that the correct leadership of the Party is the leading factor determining the victory of the Vietnamese revolution”(31).

However, alongside these achievements, there are still certain limitations in the renovation process in our country, reflected in several specific issue: development has not been truly sustainable; the living standards of the people have improved but unevenly, particularly for those in remote areas prone to natural disasters; and many valuable cultural, moral, and lifestyle values have deteriorated. The risks identified by the Party at the 7th Mid-Term National Conference (1994): The risk of falling further and further behind economically; the risk of “peaceful evolution”; the risk of deviating from socialism; the risk of corruption and negativity.

4. Some solutions

Currently, in the process of building and developing the country, we need to deeply understand the achievements and limitations, opportunities and challenges, and based on this, provide timely, sound directives and policies to promote the country’s development. The country’s development roadmap has been clearly defined at the 13th National Party Congress: “By 2025: To be a developing country with modern industry, surpassing the low middle-income level. By 2030: To be a developing country with modern industry and high middle income. By 2045: To become a developed country, with high income”(32).

Thus, the goal of national development has been specifically identified by our Party through each stage, with a roadmap and specific steps, demonstrating Vietnam’s aspirations. To successfully achieve this goal, our entire Party and people must continue to comprehensively and synchronously promote the renovation process, with a deeper understanding of the ever-lasting value of Ho Chi Minh’s thought in general, his innovative and creative thinking in particular, focusing on the following key points:

Firstly, to firmly understand the principle of renovation, we must always firmly maintain the revolutionary ideal of national independence and socialism on the foundation of Marxism - Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought. These are immutable objectives of the Vietnamese revolution, for which the Party has led, and the people have persistently struggled and sacrificed. This is the correct and creative path, in accordance with the development laws of the nation and the times. Successful innovation requires steadfastness, continuous creativity, and resilience against dogmatism or mechanical imitation.

Secondly, renovation must leverage internal strength, relying on our own efforts, with the nation’s and people’s interests as the foundation. This is a strategic policy consistently expressed in the Party’s renovation policy. Internal strength includes the totality of endogenous factors, primarily the Vietnamese people with their comprehensive qualities and capabilities, the nation’s rich cultural traditions, political and moral values, patriotism, the Party’s sound renovation policies, as well as natural resources, land, technical infrastructure, and accumulated assets and experience.

The people are both the goal and the driving force of renovation. Therefore, along with caring for the people’s lives, and respecting and ensuring civil rights as stipulated in the Constitution, it is necessary to constantly educate the people, improve their knowledge, and promote the role of mass organizations and people of all classes, which is the basis for consolidating the great national unity bloc - the basis for the victory of the revolution across all periods.

Thirdly, renovation must be comprehensive, constantly creative in choosing forms and steps. Revolution is inherently creative. For revolution to succeed, creativity is essential. Guided by this idea, in the renovation process, our Party has implemented renovation in many sectors and fields, moving towards comprehensive, synchronous, and thorough renovation, with appropriate methods and steps for each period. Practice shows that this is a comprehensive revolution in all areas of social life. Innovation in each area involves multiple dimensions, starting with changes in perception, mechanisms, policies, organizational structures, working styles, and methods. If renovation stops at only one stage or in a specific field, the renovation cannot achieve the desired results. On the other hand, in each step of the renovation process, it is necessary to correctly identify the important and key stages to focus efforts on solving problems, as a basis for renovation of other stages or fields.

Fourthly, renovation in the spirit of “7 dares” of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Building on Ho Chi Minh’s theoretical legacy, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong encapsulated the spirit of “7 Dares” for cadres and party members: “Dare to think, dare to speak, dare to do, dare to take responsibility, dare to renovate, be creative, dare to face difficulties and challenges and dare to act for the common interests”(33). Cadres and party members must have a strong political courage, professional qualifications, grasp the development trends of the times, and dare to renovate and be creative. In other words, daring to renovate and be creative comes from daring to think, daring to speak, daring to do, and daring to take responsibility. Daring to renovate starts from daring to change thinking to apply new knowledge to the process of performing tasks to enhance work performance.

Fifthly, renovation and creation are long-term revolutionary processes, a “giant battle” between the new and the old. Therefore, in order for renovation to be successful, one of the most important issues is to maintain the Party’s leadership role; renovation must be for the benefit of the people and rely on the people to promote the strength of national solidarity, on the basis of the alliance of workers, farmers, and intellectuals, harmoniously combining and resolving interests as the main driving force for development. To do so, the Party needs to maintain and strengthen the nature of the working class and improve the political capacity, qualities, and comprehensive capacity of the contingent of cadres and party members. The Party must be comprehensive in terms of politics, ideology, ethics, organization, and cadres, while at the same time overcoming shortcomings, negative manifestations, and weaknesses to constantly improve the Party’s leadership capacity and fighting strength to meet the political tasks in the new period of the revolution.

Sixthly, effectively and promptly leading and directing the fight against wrong and hostile viewpoints, protecting the Party’s ideological foundation of Marxism - Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought, and protecting the guidelines and achievements of the country’s renovation. To effectively fight against wrong and hostile viewpoints, appropriate forms and methods are required. The organization of the struggle must be carried out scientifically, strictly, and with high determination, emphasizing the combined strength of the entire political system. Regularly engaging with the thoughts and aspirations of cadres, party members, and the people, provides the basis for determining the content, form, and methods of propaganda, and ideological and theoretical struggle that are appropriate and effective. Regularly summarize, conclude, draw lessons, and promptly commend agencies, localities, units, and individuals who have performed their tasks well.

5. Conclusion

Arousing and promoting the Vietnamese aspiration under the guidance of Ho Chi Minh’s renovative thinking plays an important role in the cause of building and defending the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Currently, it is necessary to identify the aspiration for sustainable development and national modernization as the common denominator for all Vietnamese people at home, as well as overseas. This is the common foundation that needs to be promoted to unite and gather all national forces in the cause of building and defending the Fatherland. Especially in the current context, when the world and regional situation is undergoing complicated developments, promoting the Vietnamese aspiration under the guiding light of Ho Chi Minh’s renovative thinking holds even greater practical and urgent significance.

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Received: June 14, 2024; Revised: July 15, 2024; Approved for publication: July 24, 2024.

Endnotes:

(1) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, vol.2, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2011, p. 284.

(2), (3) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, vol.11, ibid., p.95, 98-99.

(4), (5), (7) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, vol.4, ibid., p.187, 21, 28.

(6), (25) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, vol.5, ibid., p.112, 333.

(8) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, vol.8, ibid., p.405.

(9), (22) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, vol.10, ibid., p.377, 453.

(10), (11), (12), (13), (14), (15), (16), (17), (18), (19), (20), (24), (26) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, vol.15, op. cit., p. 616, 617, 616, 622, 622, 622, 617, 616, 617, 617, 611, 280, 617.

(21) Ho Chi Minh: Complete works, vol.6, ibid., p.232.

(23) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, vol.7, ibid., p. 121.

(27), (29), (30), (31), (32) CPV: Documents of the 13th National Party Congress, vol.I, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2021, p. 105, 128-129, 103-104, 104, 112.

(28) CPV: Documents of the 11th National Party Congress, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2011, p.70.

(33) Government E-newspaper: Full text of the General Secretary’s speech at the Central Military Commission Conference, posted on: July 3, 2023, https://baochinhphu.vn/toan-van-phat-bieu-cua-tong-bi-thu-tai-hoi-nghi-quan-uy-trung-uong-102230703162529438.htm.