RE-ELECTED: Party General Secretary and State President of Việt Nam Nguyễn Phú Trọng. VNA/VNS Photo

 Trọng Kiên

The 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Việt Nam -- with the motto of "Solidarity - Democracy - Discipline - Creativeness - Development" -- has wrapped up in Hà Nội, a milestone political event that not only charts the development course for Việt Nam over the next five years but also projects an ambitious vision of a developed nation by the middle of the century.

The congress took place after a big 2020 for Việt Nam. Despite the unprecedented upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Việt Nam’s competent handling of the outbreaks spared the country from a heavy death toll and crippled economy. It also proved deft at foreign affairs manoeuvres as Chair of ASEAN and a stint on the UN Security Council, and together with its serious commitment to free trade amid rising protectionism and anti-globalisation, the country’s profile on the international stage has grown substantially.

Lasting from January 25 to February 1, the congress featured nearly 1,600 delegates, the largest in the history of Party congresses and representing over 5 million Party members around the country, who elected the 200-member Party Central Committee for the 13th tenure, which then re-elected incumbent Party General Secretary and State President Nguyễn Phú Trọng to a third term and decided on personnel in the important Party bodies of the Politburo, the Secretariat, and the Inspection Commission, which is tasked with anti-corruption efforts.

The congress deliberated and adopted with high consensus three key documents that were exhaustively prepared and opened to public feedback: the political report, a report reviewing the socio-economic development strategy of 2011-2020 period, and a report mapping out socio-economic development for the 2021-2025 period, as well as two other reports on Party building and assessments of the Party leadership in the 12th tenure.

SUCCESSFUL END: Nguyễn Phú Trọng delivers the closing address at the 13th National Party Congress in Hà Nội. VNA/VNS Photo

The Resolution of the 13th Congress stated the overarching objectives of enhancing governance and the ruling capacity of the Communist Party of Việt Nam; building a strong, firm, and pure political system; consolidating and boosting the trust of the people in the Party, the State, and the socialist system; fomenting the people’s united desire to contribute to the development of a prosperous and happy country; advancing comprehensive đổi mới (renewal), industrialisation, and modernisation processes; building and defending the country and maintaining a peaceful and stable environment; and striving to become a developed socialist country by the middle of the 21st century.

Specifically, the Party sets its sights on Việt Nam becoming a developed nation with a modern industrial base and leaving the ranks of lower-middle-income countries by 2025 -- the year marking the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification. By 2030, when the Party celebrates its 100th founding anniversary, Việt Nam is to become a developing country with a modern industrial base and upper-middle incomes. And, most importantly, Việt Nam is shooting for status as a developed, industrialised nation with high incomes by 2045, the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Việt Nam, now the Socialist Republic of Việt Nam.

To achieve these goals, the Resolution outlines three “breakthrough strategies” that can be summed up in three words -- “institutions”, “human resources”, and “infrastructure”: the perfection of socialist-oriented market mechanisms and development institutions along with modernised governance; comprehensive transformation and building of a high-quality force of human resources, especially for managing and leading tasks; and a network of modern and synergised social and economic infrastructure, in particular key transport projects, climate change adaptation programmes, and information and communications networks to create a solid foundation for digital transformation, a digital economy, and a digital society.

The success of the congress will encourage the entire Party, the armed forces, and the people to overcome all challenges and seize all opportunities to realise the goal of becoming a developed nation.

GRAND OCCASION: Panels along the streets of Hà Nội celebrating the 13th National Party Congress. - VNA/VNS Photo Hoàng Hiếu

But there is a lot to be done, as Party General Secretary and State President Nguyễn Phú Trọng said at the closing ceremony of the congress.

“This congress is just the start. Whether tomorrow the Resolution can be translated into reality, whether it can yield prosperity and happiness for the Vietnamese people, that is where the success of the congress truly lies.”

The Government’s swift and effective response to the latest community outbreaks of the coronavirus has again reaffirmed people’s trust and confidence in the Party and Government -- not unlike other waves of infections that have hit the country since the beginning of the pandemic.

This well of trust and confidence, which guarantees people's buy-ins, may just be the critical factor needed to propel the country forward on a path to new heights.   VNS