Politburo member and Minister of National Defense Phan Van Giang presents the thematic content New Thinking and Perceptions on National Defense and Homeland Protection in the 14th National Party Congress on the afternoon of February 7. Photo: Nhat Nam

Giang said the global, regional and domestic context is creating new and increasingly demanding requirements for national defense and homeland protection in a new era of development.

As the world and the region undergo profound, rapid and unpredictable changes, national defense and homeland protection are facing growing and more complex challenges.

The minister noted that peace, cooperation and development remain the overarching trend. However, strategic competition among major powers, armed conflicts, localized wars and proxy wars are occurring in many regions with rising intensity and complexity. International law and multilateral institutions are also facing serious challenges.

At the same time, the Fourth Industrial Revolution is advancing rapidly, fundamentally reshaping the nature and methods of warfare and placing new demands on force organization, equipment and military art.

Politburo member and Minister of National Defense Phan Van Giang presents the thematic content New Thinking and Perceptions on National Defense and Homeland Protection in the 14th National Party Congress on the afternoon of February 7. Photo: Nhat Nam

Domestically, after nearly 40 years of reform, Vietnam's position and strength, comprehensive national power, international standing and public trust in the Party and the State have continued to grow. These factors provide an important foundation for strengthening national defense and protecting the homeland.

However, the cause of building and defending the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland still faces intertwined difficulties and challenges.

Based on a thorough review of practice and an objective assessment of global, regional and domestic developments, the 14th National Party Congress identified breakthrough strategic orientations to open a new path for national defense and homeland protection.

A key highlight is the establishment of the goal of placing the highest national and ethnic interests above all else. The Congress also supplemented and emphasized protecting the country's international prestige and standing, ensuring human security, economic security and cybersecurity, strengthening all-people national defense combined with proactive defense and preventing and pushing back early any internal factors that could undermine political stability.

 Delegates attend the conference at the Hanoi Party Committee venue.

According to the Minister of National Defense, this marks a new development in the Party's thinking on national defense and homeland protection. It reflects a longer-term, more comprehensive and deeper strategic vision suited to the requirements of a new development era. 

National defense is no longer viewed solely as a military task. It is understood as safeguarding the country through the combined strength of the entire nation, with the people's armed forces, led by the Vietnam People's Army, playing a particularly important role.

The 14th National Party Congress reaffirmed that strengthening national defense and firmly protecting the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland is a vital and regular task of the Party, the State, the political system and the entire people. 

It also emphasized the need to closely integrate national defense and security with economic, cultural, social and foreign affairs development, to protect the country early and from afar and to maintain political and social stability and a peaceful environment for national development. 

These viewpoints carry not only deep theoretical significance but also long-term practical guidance for building and defending the country in the new situation.

Building on a correct assessment of the new context and requirements, the 14th Congress documents clarified many important aspects of new thinking on national defense and homeland protection. 

First is the comprehensive development of defense objectives, which combine the steadfast protection of independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity with the protection of national and ethnic interests, human security and a stable and peaceful environment for sustainable development.

Another notable point is the emphasis on building a strong and modern all-people national defense closely linked with the people's security posture and the "people's hearts and minds posture." All-people national defense is defined as the country's defense strength built on political, spiritual, human, material and financial foundations. It is comprehensive, independent, self-reliant and resilient in nature.

At the same time, the 14th Party Congress affirmed its determination to build a revolutionary, regular, elite and modern Vietnam People's Army. This represents a shift from the previous goal of becoming modern step by step to clearly establishing the requirement of full modernization in the new period. It reflects the Party's strategic thinking and vision for building the armed forces and strengthening national defense.

Another strategic innovation is the policy to accelerate the development of an autonomous, self-reliant, self-strengthening, dual-use and modern defense industry. 

The 14th Congress added the elements of autonomy, self-reliance and self-strengthening to promote internal capacity and move toward strategic autonomy throughout research, design, manufacturing and production of weapons and military equipment. 

Mastery of key foundational and core technologies and the development of dual-use defense industrial products will not only enhance defense and security capacity but also contribute positively to national industrialization and modernization.

The 14th Congress also continued to emphasize deeper international integration and defense diplomacy under the principles of proactiveness, flexibility, substance and effectiveness. 

According to Giang, defense diplomacy not only helps build trust and prevent conflict but also serves as an important pillar of Party diplomacy, State diplomacy and people-to-people diplomacy. 

Active participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations, bilateral and multilateral defense cooperation and border defense friendship exchanges has helped enhance Vietnam's position and prestige on the international stage.

Giang affirmed that the new thinking and perceptions on national defense and homeland protection in the 14th Congress documents are the result of a profound review of practice and the inheritance and development of the nation's tradition of nation-building and defense.

Thoroughly grasping and effectively implementing these viewpoints and policies is the responsibility of the entire Party, the entire people and the entire armed forces to firmly protect the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland, maintain a peaceful and stable environment and create a solid foundation for a prosperous, strong and happy country in the new era.