The e-portal of Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics (HCMA) is pleased to introduce the full text of the speech delivered by Prof. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thang, Politburo member, President of HCMA and Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council in the eighth theoretical dialogue between the Communist Party of Vietnam and Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD).
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
For generations, living in peace and development has been a fervent aspiration for all humankind on this earth though peoples, communities, and individuals in the society may interpret and approach this in different forms. However, in spite of enormous achievements and great strides in history, mankind’s wish for peace, happiness, and prosperity is still far ahead even though sometimes it seems to be close and soon to be grasped.
We are living in a world of unprecedented rapid changes with lots of uncertainties, instabilities, mutations, and unpredictable risks. Over the past three and a half years, the Covid-19 pandemic, a disaster that occurs only once every 100 years, has claimed the lives of more than 6.9 million people. Over 765 million people in the world have been infected with the disease and the number has not stopped. [1] Just over a year ago, however optimistic we were, it was hard to imagine a conflict breaking out in the heart of Europe where people seemed to have recovered from the terrible obsession of World War II and have made efforts for a world of peace, integration, and development. In the rest of the world today, civil wars break out in South Sudan, Central African Republic, Yemen, Libya, Syria, and so on. Socio-political instabilities in Iraq, Myanmar, Haiti, Afghanistan, Venezuela etc. have raised deep concern in the international community. The hot issues between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, in the East Sea, in the Indian-Pakistani and Israel-Palestinian relations are always complicated with the risk of escalation into a military conflict. In mid-2022, more than 100 million people had to disperse due to violence and wars in the globe. [2] Over 8 million Ukrainians had to leave their homeland over the past year alone. [3]
Tensions and armed conflicts, which threaten to jeopardise the world peace, result from strategic competitive thinking, great power politics, narrow-minded nationalism, unreasonable demands, imposition of great powers, actions that promote unilateral strengths and are contrary to international law and standards along with ethnic and religious conflicts, territorial disputes, and competitions for national resources. In fact, while some countries are spending trillions of dollars on arms races, there are still many nations with millions of people living in poverty, lacking food, and without access to clean water, vaccines, education or access to the global internet, etc.
Over the past several decades, global economic growth has provided jobs and incomes that help billions of people get out of poverty. However, it has put considerable pressure on the ecological environment and natural resources. Climate change has become the biggest global issue and a constant challenge causing serious consequences that can overturn the socio-economic progress made by mankind so far. Many problems have become more severe, such as contradictions between requirements of economic development and the scarcity of energy and resources, the population aging and labour demand, limited resources and needs of handling environmental disasters. The world is facing many new opportunities but also lots of risks, disturbances, and reversals in the development process.
We all recognize that globalization has promoted economic growth and shared prosperity but also created “winners, losers” and deep inequalities in the playing field. In the trend of widespread integration and liberalisation, economic competitions and trade wars have become more intense. The rapid progress of science and technology, especially achievements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, offers mankind exceptional opportunities for change. However, it also poses very new issues on culture, ethics, sense of responsibility, and human capacity, particularly in the process of supplementing and perfecting laws, policies, and governance for development of countries.
It needs to be emphasised that the perceptions of mankind on peace, security, and development have changed profoundly. Nearly 60 years ago, Johan Galtung gave an argument on “positive peace” to refer to the “integration of the human society”. And today, we understand that it is the aspiration to create a sustainable peace in association with the achievements of socio-economic development, and an effective, transparent, inclusive institutional and governance system. [4] It should also be noted that human security and other non-traditional security issues such as food security, energy security, and water security have been recognised as important components of the Sustainable Development Goals by the United Nations. In addition, they are highly valued in national, regional, and global development agendas.
Nowadays, peace, security, and development are goals, conditions, and vast environments that have decisive significance for human progress. That awareness helps countries renew their thinking and handle more harmoniously and effectively the key relationships in their foreign policy, specifically as follows:
1- The relationship between cooperation and struggle. We all understand that policy coordination is not always easy because of differences in interests but if disagreements lead to wars, both winners and losers will inevitably suffer losses.
Efforts for conflict prevention and peace creation should always be respected. Harmonious handling of the issue of cooperation and struggle, after all, is to seek peaceful solutions to establish a “new relationship” that ensures interests more reasonably between the two sides. We need to promote dialogues to enhance mutual understanding, build and strengthen strategic trust with sincerity and practical actions.
2- The relationship among independence, self-reliance, and international integration.
This is an important issue for small and medium-sized countries, that are developing economies, to take advantage of great opportunities and minimise challenges from globalisation. I would like to emphasise that strengthening national capacity and synergy is the foundation for ensuring independence, self-reliance, and promotion of effective international integration. It is necessary to maintain independence and self-reliance in setting guidelines, determining and implementing goals, orientations, policies, and methods for national development. Sustaining independence and self-reliance is also important in choosing steps, routes, partners, and contributes to building institutions in the integration process. We also should uphold the principles of being flexible, proactive, and creative simultaneously in the implementation of international commitments; multilateralise and diversify international relations, build an independent economy to prevent reliance on a specific market or partner, and avoid asymmetric interdependence.
3 – The relationship between national interest and international responsibility.
Nowadays, no single country, even no powerful economies, have the capacity to deal with considerable global challenges. Great powers and major economies need to be the ones with the most responsibility to solve global issues and leading role models in maintaining peace, security, and promotion for development. Small and medium-sized countries need to actively participate in this process and get connected more deeply at the global and regional levels to promote greater responsibility towards the international community. We need to respect legitimate interests of nations, but we also have responsibility to solve common problems and emerging issues of the world as well as strengthen the vitality of multilateralism and build a just, equal, and rules-based world order.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Throughout the long history of thousands of years of national construction and protection, Vietnamese people have experienced many hardships, losses, and pains but persistently and resolutely fight for national independence, unification, construction, and defense. We deeply understand the precious value of peace and are determined to maintain peace and national development. We also wish that all countries and people in the world live in peace, independence, happiness, and with adequate food and clothing.
President Ho Chi Minh, the Vietnamese hero of national liberation and a great man of culture, is the most beautiful symbol of Vietnamese aspiration, bravery, intelligence, and vitality for peace. When the French colonialists brought troops back to Vietnam after the country just gained independence, he gave a message: “We want peace, we have made concessions. But the more concessions we made; the more encroachments have been carried out by the French colonialists for they are bent on reconquering our country”. In order to protect Vietnam’s independence, he firmly affirmed: “We would rather sacrifice everything than lose our country and return to slavery”. In his last will left before he passed away, he expressed his burning desire for a peaceful, unified, independent, democratic, and strong Vietnam – and this is always the wish of the entire Vietnamese people.
Stemming from the reality of Vietnam in line with global rules and development trends, the Vietnamese Communist Party initiated and led Doi Moi (renovation), opening a new state of development of the country.
From being closed, surrounded, isolated, and embargoed, the Vietnamese Communist Party led the process of opening up to gradually integrate regionally and globally; persistently enhance the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation, and development; diversification and multilateralism; be an active and responsible member of the international community; build and consolidate strategic trust together with other countries for peace, cooperation, development on the principles of respect for independence, sovereignty, equality, international laws, and mutual benefits.
From a centrally planned, bureaucratic subsidized economy, Vietnam has shifted to a socialist-oriented market economy, thereby accelerating industrialisation and modernization of the country. The socialist-oriented market economy is a general development model of the Vietnamese economy and a basic and creative theoretical breakthrough of the Vietnamese Communist Party in the Doi Moi (renovation) period. It is a modern market economy with international integration that fully and synchronously operates according to the laws of the market economy while ensuring the socialist orientation under the management of the Government, led by the Vietnamese Communist Party. [5] It is a human-centred and for-people economy; ensuring economic growth in parallel with cultural development, implementation of social progress and justice; protecting the environment in every step, each policy, and throughout the development process.
In the process of Doi Moi, we advocate close combination between socio-economic development with consolidating and strengthening national defense and security; close connection between national defense, security, and foreign affairs; promote the pioneering role of diplomacy to create a peaceful and stable environment for development; implement plans to protect the country from early and afar when it is not in danger; build a posture of people’s hearts closely associated with the all-people defense posture as a solid foundation for the cause of national construction and defense.
Vietnam inherits the traditional military ideology and arts from previous generations, developing the strategy of people’s war in the fights for national independence, liberation, and reunification. Our country advocates building the all-people national defense, characterized by peace and self-defense with overarching objectives of firmly defending the independence, sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of the Fatherland; protecting national interests and peoples; actively, proactively, resolutely, persistently prevent and repel the risk of wars; maintaining political stability and peaceful environment for national construction and development; contributing to the world’s peace, prosperity, and development. We follow “Four Nos” in our defense policy: not joining a military alliance, not aligning with one country to oppose another, not allowing foreign countries to set up military bases or use Vietnamese territory against another country, and not to use force or threaten to use force in international relations.
With the tradition of peace, kindness, toleration, and sentimental attachment of the nation, we choose peace, respect justice, and oppose the use of violence and unjust war. We choose justice and righteousness rather than any side. We do not rely on force to resolve conflicts and disputes because we believe in the moral philosophy: “Benevolence and righteousness takes root in bringing peace to the people”, “wield justice to defeat savagery, bring benevolence to supplant tyranny”. We must not forget history, but know that we must overcome pain, close the past to look to the future, put hatred aside, and promote altruism through friendship and development cooperation. We choose to build strategic trust, treat each other with sincerity, and do not accept intentions and tricks as well as taking advantage of each other’s kindness. We always conceive of “people first, guns later” in national defense and security, attach importance to the human factor, consider protecting people’s lives and human security as the centre of national security protection. Besides, we consider the National security protection strategy as an important part of the Strategy for National defense and development with the motto: develop to maintain security, ensure security for development and assure security in development. This is the application and practice of the principle “keeping calm is to cope with multi-unexpected changes” in Vietnam’s response to the rapid changes of the world today.
After nearly 40 years of implementing Doi Moi (renovation), Vietnam has gained many great achievements of historical significance. The country has never had such fortune, power, international position, and prestige as it does today. Even in the past three years, despite various difficulties and challenges in the international and domestic context, especially the impact of Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Vietnam still adheres to the Doi Moi policy and is a bright spot in the world in terms of economic recovery and development that is highly appreciated by the international community.
Facing complicated changes in the world, we are more aware that we must value and save opportunities for peace and development; continue to supplement and perfect the appropriate national development guidelines in the new period.
We advocate building and completing synchronously the institution for sustainable development with focus on comprehensively and collectively perfecting the institute for the development of the socialist-oriented market economy. Moreover, we keep up the transformation of the growth model and economic restructuring; promote industrialisation and modernisation on the basis of innovation and strong application of scientific and technological advances; participate effectively in global production networks and value chains; build combined and modern infrastructure in both economic and social aspects.
As a responsible member of the international community, Vietnam pays special attention to the requirements of sustainable development, showing great efforts and determination in proactively and effectively adapting to climate change; strictly manage and effectively use resources; develop green economy, circular economy, environmental friendliness, ecological agriculture, fair and sustainable transition; implement digital transformation; develop digital economy and digital society, etc. And we look forward to working closely with the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Social Democratic Party in these important areas.
In particular, in the development model of Vietnam, we have deep awareness that “people are the root”, the centre, the subject, and the source of strength in the process of national renovation, construction, and development. We advocate effective mobilisation of all material and spiritual resources, especially the great creativity of the people and the strength of national unity, and combination of domestic resources and external resources, promote Vietnam’s cultural values, and “soft” power so that culture “lights the way for the nation” and is the spiritual foundation of the society, the goal, endogenous resources and great motivation for rapid and sustainable development of the country.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Vietnam has a culture of peace, and the Vietnamese nation upholds peace-loving tradition. Therefore, Vietnam always advocates resolving regional and global conflicts and disputes through peaceful measures and dialogues. Although living in a volatile world as today, we always believe in the trend of peace, cooperation, and development of humankind. With that belief, with the will of self-sufficiency and aspiration for developing a prosperous and happy country, we are determined to realize the goals by the middle of the century: striving to turn Vietnam into a developed country, following the socialist orientation, moving forward together, and standing shoulder to shoulder with the great powers of the five continents as the wish of President Ho Chi Minh and of the entire Vietnamese people.
Thank you very much!
[1] Read: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
[2] Read: https://www.unrefugees.org/refugee-facts/statistics/
[3] Read: https://data.unhcr.org/en/situations/ukraine
[4] Read: Global Peace Index, 2022. https://www.visionofhumanity.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GPI-2022-web.pdf
[5] Read: The Communist Party of Vietnam: The Documents of the 13th National Party Congress, Truth National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2021, Volume 1, p. 128
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