General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong (Photo: VGP)

Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong says that socialism in the current era is perceived as scientific socialism based on Marxism-Leninism. It’s important to fine-tune implementation guidelines based on the current situation in Vietnam.

Summarizing practices and theory, Mr. Trong points out a number of specific requirements.

1.     Accelerating industrialization and modernization in conjunction with developing a knowledge-based economy and a socialist-oriented market economy.

The Party leader said the socialist-oriented market economy is a modern market economy which embraces international integration, follows the rules of a market economy under the management of a socialist law-governed state and the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, ensures a socialist direction, and aims to achieve the goal of a rich people, a strong country, and an equal, democratic and civilized society. This is a new type of the market economy, a form of economic organization which follows the rules of the market economy but is led by the principles of socialism in three aspects: ownership, management, and distribution. In a socialist-oriented market economy, there are many forms of ownership and many economic sectors. The distribution relationship ensures equality and drives development. The State manages the economy with laws, strategies, plans, policies and forces which direct, regulate, and promote socio-economic development. One fundamental characteristic of the socialist orientation of Vietnam’s market economy is the conjunction between economics and social issues and the unity of economic and social policies, with economic growth paralleling social progress throughout the development process.

2.     Culture is the spiritual foundation of society, the internal strength, and its driver of national development and defense.

According to Mr. Trong, cultural development must harmonize with economic growth and social progress and equality. Vietnam is building an advanced culture which embraces national identity, and unity in diversity, and is based on progressive and humane values. Marxism, Leninism, and HCM Thought play a key role in social and spiritual life. It’s important to continue to promote the best traditional values of all ethnic groups, celebrate their achievements, and develop a healthy, civilized society that promotes the interests and dignity of all people, and improves knowledge, morality, physical strength, lifestyle, and aesthetics.

3.     People must be put at the center of Vietnam’s development strategy.

Developing culture and people is the goal and also the motivation for national renewal. The Party leader says developing education, training, science, and technology is a top national policy, protecting the environment is a vital issue and a perspective for sustainable development, and building happy sustains society, and promoting gender equality is a prerequisite for social progress and civilization.

In the socialist political regime, the relationship between the Party, the State and the people is a relationship of goals and interests; all guidelines of the Party and policies, laws and activities of the State must to serve the interests of the people and promote people’s happiness.

4.     The political model and general operating mechanism is based on the Party's leadership, the State's governance and the people's ownership.

Democracy is the nature of the socialist regime, and is the goal and the driving force of socialism building. Building a socialist democracy and ensuring that power truly belongs to the people is an important and long-term task of the Vietnamese revolution.

Vietnam aims to consistently promote democracy, build a socialist law-governed state of the people, by the people and for the people on the basis of an alliance of workers, farmers and intellectuals guided by the Communist Party of Vietnam.

5.     The Party leadership is the decisive factor in national renewal and ensuring national development toward socialism.

Mr. Trong says Vietnam pays particular attention to Party building and rectification, considering that the key, vital task of the Party. The Communist Party of Vietnam has ordered regular self-renewal and self-rectification, and a committed fight against opportunism, individualism, corruption, bureaucracy, wastefulness and degradation within the Party and the political system.

The Party leader concludes that socialism building is creating a qualitatively new type of society. In addition to setting the right guidelines, the Party must promote creativity, support and active participation by  the people. Mr. Trong says the people’s strength is the root of success and growth in Vietnam.