Strategic orientations, vision for Vietnam to enter new era of ascendance

The strategic vision and innovative content articulated by the Party and General Secretary To Lam regarding the concepts of a “new era”, an “era of national ascendance”, the “basis for defining objectives and tasks”, and the “seven strategic orientations” have been designed to propel the nation into this transformative period.

Firstly, an “era” denotes a historical epoch characterised by pivotal features or events that exert a profound influence on socio-cultural, political, and natural developments. The concept of an “era of national ascendance” signifies a concerted and decisive national movement, driven by proactive and determined efforts to overcome challenges, transcend existing limitations, realise national aspirations, achieve strategic objectives, and attain significant achievements.

This new era for Vietnam, under the Party’s leadership, is envisioned as an era of sustainable development and national prosperity, ending in the successful construction of a socialist Vietnam as a nation with a prosperous populace, a strong and influential presence on the world stage, and a just, democratic, and civilised society.

As defined by General Secretary To Lam, this new era aims to achieve strategic milestones by 2030, positioning Vietnam as a developing nation with modernized industry and upper-middle income status, and subsequently, by 2045, as a developed socialist nation with high-income status.

This vision seeks to galvanize national pride, a spirit of self-reliance, pride, and confidence, as well as a fervent aspiration for national advancement, effectively harnessing both domestic strengths and the advantages of the global context.

The 14^th National Party Congress marks the commencement of this new era. In contrast to preparations for previous Party congresses, the preparations for this event have been characterized by meticulous planning, dedicated effort, strategic foresight, innovative thinking, together with a systemic, foundational approach, providing a roadmap not only for the next five to ten years but for this entire “new era” of national resurgence.

According to General Secretary To Lam, the foundation for defining the objectives of leading the nation into this new era rests upon the significant achievements realized during the four decades of Doi Moi (Renovation) under the Party’s leadership.

This period also represents a critical strategic opportunity, a final push for the Vietnamese revolution to attain its 100-year strategic goals under the Party’s guidance, establishing a robust platform to achieve the 100-year national founding goals.

This connection represents a union of favourable conditions and national strengths, enabling Vietnam’s transition into a new era of national ascendance, succeeding the eras of independence, freedom, socialist construction, and Doi Moi.

Secondly, beyond affirming the imperative for decisive and far-reaching innovation in strategic thinking and vision, General Secretary To Lam articulated seven strategic orientations to guide the nation into this new era.

1. The most important among these is the “continued and robust innovation of the Party’s leadership and governance methods – a pressing requirement of the new revolutionary stage”. General Secretary To Lam emphasized the strict adherence to the Party’s leadership and governance principles, categorically preventing any instances of avoidance, substitution, or abandonment of Party leadership.
2. The General Secretary called for reinforcing the Party’s role in the establishment and refinement of a socialist rule-of-law state – of the people, by the people, and for the people. He also emphasized that among the three principal bottlenecks currently constraining progress, namely institutional frameworks, infrastructure, and human capital, the first represents the most critical obstacle, necessitating a fundamental shift in legislative thinking towards balancing effective state management with the encouragement of innovation, fully unleashing productive forces, and unlocking all resources for development.
3. General Secretary To Lam affirmed the necessity of innovating and streamlining the organizational apparatus to enhance its effectiveness and efficiency. This represents a pivotal transformation demanding substantial will, unwavering determination, as well as creative and robust approaches.
4. The General Secretary also underscored the need to accelerate digital transformation. This is expected to establish a new, advanced, and modern mode of production – a “digital production paradigm” – characterised by the harmonious integration of human capabilities and artificial intelligence. In this model, data becomes a critical resource and means of production, driving the development of the digital economy and the emergence of digital citizens.
5. The next strategic orientation identified by the General Secretary is the resolute combat against wastefulness, a pervasive issue manifested in various forms, inflicting severe consequences on development. The General Secretary directed the cultivation of a culture of waste prevention and rigorous implementation of thrift as a matter of “self-awareness,” “voluntary practice,” and “daily habit.”
6. Another strategic orientation focuses on reforming personnel management. Cadres and cadre-related work constitute “extremely important” matters, “determining all affairs”, with cadres being “the root of all tasks”, and thus a decisive factor in the success or failure of the revolution. Cultivating a cadre corps equipped to lead the nation into this new era of national ascendance is a pressing imperative.
7. The General Secretary placed particular emphasis on economic innovation and development, mitigating the risks of stagnation and the middle-income trap. This entails focusing on more robust breakthroughs in development institutions, removing bottlenecks and impediments, and prioritizing the development of new productive forces in conjunction with refining production relations.

The vision, direction, and strategic solutions articulated by General Secretary To Lam are expected to be elaborated more fully in the draft documents of the 14^th National Party Congress. These will provide a strong political, scientific, and practical foundation for the nation’s future trajectory.

The entire Party, people, and army must unite in understanding and implementing these directives, guiding the nation into a new era of strong and sustainable development, all for the sake of a prosperous people, a strong country, as well as a democratic, just, and civilised society.