Top 5 Frequently Asked Questions on the Revolutionary Path of the Communist Party of Vietnam

Question: Outline the evolution of the Party's approach to industrialization from the 6th to the 10th Congress.

Suggested Answer:

The 6th Party Congress detailed the core aspects of socialist industrialization for the remaining period of the first phase, aiming to achieve three primary goals: food security, consumer goods, and export products.

The 7th Plenary Session of the 7th Central Committee (January 1994) marked a breakthrough in understanding industrialization and modernization, describing it as a fundamental transformation in all production, business, service, and economic management activities. This shift moved from manual labor to widespread use of advanced technology, equipment, and methods, driven by industrial and scientific-technological progress, resulting in higher labor productivity.

The 8th Party Congress (June 1996) noted that Vietnam had overcome its socio-economic crisis and completed the initial preparations for industrialization, allowing the country to enter a new phase of accelerated industrialization and modernization. The Congress outlined six principles for industrialization and modernization, directing the agenda for the late 20th century:

• Maintain independence while expanding international cooperation, diversify foreign relations, focus on domestic resources, and leverage external resources to maximize exports and substitute imports with domestically produced goods.
• Industrialization and modernization are the collective tasks of all citizens and economic sectors, with state-owned enterprises playing a leading role.
• Prioritize human development as the foundation for sustainable growth, encourage frugality to strengthen the nation, and link economic growth with improved living standards, education, social progress, and environmental protection.
• Science and technology are the driving forces for industrialization and modernization, combining traditional and modern technologies and fast-tracking modernization in key sectors.
• Economic and social efficiency should guide development choices, favoring smaller, more advanced technologies that create jobs and ensure quick returns on investment.
• Integrate economic growth with national defense.

The 9th Congress (April 2001) and 10th Congress (April 2006) continued to refine the Party's industrialization approach:

• Vietnam's industrialization path can be accelerated, closing the development gap with other countries more rapidly. This requires a blend of gradual and breakthrough steps, leveraging national strengths, linking industrialization with modernization, and advancing the knowledge-based economy and education as the foundation for industrialization.
• The industrialization focus should be on rapidly and effectively developing competitive industries and sectors that meet both domestic and export demands.
• Industrialization must ensure economic independence and proactive global economic integration.
• Accelerate industrialization and modernization in agriculture and rural areas.

Question: Compare the first political platform from 2/1930 with the political thesis from 10/1930 of the Party.

Suggested Answer:

• Content of the first political platform 2/1930 of the Party
• Content of the political thesis 10/1930 of the Party

Similarities:

• Both documents identify the nature of the Vietnamese (Indochinese) revolution as a bourgeois-democratic revolution and a socialist revolution, two intertwined tasks with no separation.
• Both documents confirm that the goal of the Vietnamese (Indochinese) revolution is national independence and land redistribution to the peasants.
• Both assert that the leadership of the Vietnamese revolution lies with the Communist Party, which is founded on Marxism-Leninism, with the working class as the vanguard.
• Both affirm that the Vietnamese (Indochinese) revolution is an inseparable part of the world revolution, with the Vietnamese proletariat uniting with the world proletariat, especially the French proletariat.
• Both documents highlight the importance and strength of the working class.

Differences:

• The political platform outlines the strategy of the Vietnamese revolution, while the political thesis provides a broader scope, including Indochina. Specific differences are as follows:
• The political platform outlines the enemy and tasks: it specifies that the revolution's primary tasks are to overthrow imperialism and the feudal-bourgeois reactionaries (national and democratic tasks).
• The national task is prioritized in the platform, while the democratic task is tied to the national question.
• Thus, the political platform's goal is to ensure Vietnam’s full independence, give freedom, democracy, and equality to the people, redistribute land from imperialists to peasants, establish a government of workers, peasants, and soldiers, and enact a policy of freedom, democracy, and equality.

• The political thesis expands on the task of overthrowing feudalism and imperialism to achieve full independence for Indochina and return land to the peasants. The tasks of national and democratic liberation are closely linked and addressed simultaneously.
• This approach by the political thesis addresses the basic contradictions of Vietnamese society at that time, namely the national contradiction and the class contradiction.
• However, the thesis does not clearly define the enemy and primary tasks in a semi-colonial, semi-feudal country.
• Thus, the thesis primarily focuses on the interests of the Vietnamese working class, rather than all social classes.
• The revolutionary forces in the thesis are the working class and peasants, but it also emphasizes the need for an alliance with the petty bourgeoisie, neutralizing or utilizing the small landowners, and collaborating with the national bourgeoisie that has not yet taken a counter-revolutionary stance. In contrast, the platform focuses on a united national front with the working class at the core, addressing the primary goal of national liberation. The political thesis centers on the working class and peasants, without fully exploiting the potential of national unity or recognizing the importance of the petty bourgeoisie, national bourgeoisie, and small landowners.
• In summary, the political thesis is a document that integrates key ideas from the concise political platform, but with some limitations. It applies Marxism-Leninism mechanically to the Vietnamese revolution, overemphasizing class struggle, and misjudging the revolutionary potential of the petty bourgeoisie and national bourgeoisie. It fails to prioritize the task of national liberation for a semi-colonial, semi-feudal country, though it outlines the general direction of the revolution from national liberation to socialist revolution.
• The political platform demonstrates a creative and pragmatic application of Marxism-Leninism to Vietnam's specific conditions, blending patriotism with proletarian internationalism, and it shows a deep understanding of both communist ideology and the realities of the Vietnamese revolution.

Question: Discuss the process of changing the mindset regarding the construction and development of our country's cultural foundation during the renovation period.

Suggested Answer:

From the 6th Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam to the 10th Congress, a new awareness has gradually formed about the characteristics, role, and position of the new culture in economic and social development, as well as in global economic integration.

• 6th Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam
  • Identified science and technology as major driving forces for the advancement of economic and social development, with a pivotal role in building socialism.
• The platform for building the country during the transition to socialism
  • For the first time, proposed that Vietnamese culture should have two characteristics: modernity and rich ethnic identity, replacing the previous view of culture as socialist and national, with both party and people characteristics. The platform called for the creation of a new culture, aiming for high, noble, diverse, humane, democratic, and progressive spiritual life, promoting righteousness, goodness, and beauty, and criticizing low standards. It reaffirmed the continued revolutionary efforts in the fields of ideology and culture, making Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh’s thought the dominant worldview. The platform emphasized inheriting and enhancing the cultural traditions of all Vietnamese ethnic groups, while also absorbing the best of global culture. It stressed the creation of a democratic, civilized society for the benefit and dignity of humans, with rising levels of intellectual, moral, physical, and aesthetic values. Furthermore, it called for opposing regressive thoughts and cultures that contradicted the fine traditions of the Vietnamese people and the noble values of humanity, aligning with the path to socialism.
  • It defined science, technology, education, and training as national priorities.
• 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th Congresses and many Central Committee meetings recognized culture as the spiritual foundation of society. Culture is both a goal and a driving force for development. This represented a new vision on culture.
  • The 7th and 8th Congresses affirmed that science and education played a central role in building socialism and protecting the nation, serving as key drivers for escaping poverty and underdevelopment, and helping the country catch up with global advancements. Therefore, education and training, alongside science and technology, were considered national policies, crucial to harnessing human factors, the direct force of social development.
  • Central Resolution 5, Session VIII (7/1998): Outlined five fundamental guiding viewpoints for the development of culture during the industrialization and modernization period.
  • Central Resolution 9, Session IX (01/2004): Confirmed the need to develop culture alongside economic progress.
  • Central Resolution 10, Session IX (7/2004): Raised the issue of ensuring cohesion between economic development as the central task, and party building as the key, with the continuous enhancement of culture, the spiritual foundation of society.
• This marked an important step in the Party’s understanding of the role of culture and its relationship with other tasks.
• Central Resolution 10, Session IX addressed the transformation of culture during the renovation period: the market mechanism and international integration changed the relationship between individuals and the community, promoting democratization in social life, diversifying cultural tastes and practices. As a result, the scope and role of democratization and socialization of culture, as well as the role of individuals, expanded, presenting new challenges to the Party and State’s leadership in managing cultural work.

Question: Describe the process through which our Party’s approach to resolving social issues evolved during the period of renewal.

Suggested Answer:

6th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam

• Social issues were elevated to the level of national policy. The importance of social policy was clearly stated, emphasizing its connection with economic policy and policies in other sectors. Social policies encompass all aspects of human life. Economic development is the material basis for implementing social policies, but social objectives are the ultimate aim of economic activities. Even within economic frameworks, social policies directly influence labor productivity and product quality. Therefore, it is essential to have a fundamental, long-term social policy that aligns with the needs of the initial phase of the transitional period.

7th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam

• The goals of social policy were unified with economic development, both aiming to enhance human potential. Economic growth serves as the foundation and prerequisite for social policies, while the successful implementation of social policies drives economic development.

8th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam

• Economic growth must be closely tied to social progress and fairness at every step and throughout the development process. Social equity should be evident both in the fair distribution of production resources and in the equitable sharing of production outcomes, as well as in ensuring everyone has the opportunity to develop and use their talents effectively.
• Various forms of distribution should be practiced.
• Encourage legal wealth accumulation while actively working to eliminate poverty.
• All social issues should be addressed through a spirit of socialization.

9th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam

• Social policies should focus on development and social health, ensuring fairness in distribution, creating strong incentives for production, boosting labor productivity, promoting equality in social relationships, and encouraging legal wealth generation.

10th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam

• The approach must combine both economic and social goals at the national level, across all sectors and regions.

Central Resolution 4, 10th Term (01/2007)

• It highlighted the need to address social issues arising from commitments to the WTO. A system must be established for regular evaluations and warnings regarding the social impacts of WTO membership, ensuring timely and accurate interventions.

Question: What were the content and significance of the Party's foreign policy before the period of renewal?

Suggested Answer:

4th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam

• Foreign policy objectives: "Striving to take advantage of favorable international conditions to quickly heal the wounds of war and build the material and technical foundations of socialism in our country."
• Relations with other countries: Strengthening solidarity and cooperation with all socialist countries; maintaining and developing the special Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia relationship; establishing and developing friendly and cooperative relations with regional countries; establishing and expanding normal relations with all countries based on respect for independence, sovereignty, equality, and mutual benefit.
• From mid-1978, the Party adjusted its foreign policy, including: strengthening all-around cooperation with the Soviet Union, considering Soviet relations as the cornerstone of foreign policy; emphasizing the protection of the special Vietnam-Laos relationship amid the evolving situation in Cambodia; supporting the establishment of a peaceful, free, neutral, and stable Southeast Asia; promoting the expansion of external economic relations.

5th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam

• Foreign policy was to become an active front, aimed at thwarting the aggressive forces attempting to undermine our revolution.
• On relations with other countries: The Party emphasized that full solidarity and cooperation with the Soviet Union were principles, strategies, and always the foundation of Vietnam’s foreign policy. The special Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia relationship was essential to the fate of the three peoples; urged ASEAN countries to engage in dialogue and negotiations with Indochinese countries to resolve obstacles and build a peaceful, stable Southeast Asia; advocated restoring normal relations with China based on peaceful coexistence principles; called for the establishment and expansion of normal state relations in areas of economics, culture, science, and technology with all countries, regardless of their political systems.
• Thus, Vietnam's foreign policy in the 1975-1986 period prioritized building comprehensive cooperation with the Soviet Union and socialist countries; strengthening solidarity and cooperation with Laos and Cambodia; expanding friendly relations with non-aligned and developing countries; and fighting against the blockade and sanctions of hostile forces.

Significance

The achievements in foreign policy had significant importance for Vietnam’s revolution:

• Substantial foreign aid was secured, aiding the recovery of the country after the war.
• Vietnam’s membership in various international organizations gained support and cooperation from other nations and international organizations, while enhancing our role on the global stage.
• The establishment of diplomatic relations with ASEAN countries facilitated foreign activities in the subsequent period, aiming to create a Southeast Asia that is peaceful, friendly, and cooperative.