Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang

Following the success of the 1945 August Revolution and the birth of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, Vietnam’s newly established state faced numerous difficulties in combating enemies both inside and outside the country, while fighting poverty and defending the regime. In such a context, on June 11, 1948, President Ho Chi Minh made a national appeal for patriotic emulation, calling all Vietnamese people to respond in a united effort to defeat all difficulties and enemies’ attempts to achieve their ultimate goals.

The Vietnamese people have since been inspired to unite to overcome all challenges and contribute to the national revolution.

Patriotic emulation creates strong revolutionary spirit

Opening his article, President Tran Dai Quang highlighted the achievements of the national patriotic emulation movement over the past 70 years. The President wrote that the movement which involves the whole nation has added glorious pages to the history of the country and become a revolutionary school to train people in the Ho Chi Minh era.

During the national struggle against French colonialists, a number of emulation movements were launched to encourage the people to join in the fight against poverty, illiteracy, and foreign invaders, as seen in the movements on education generalization, and on contributing rice to the battle.

During the war against American aggressors, emulation movements spread to all areas, helping to strengthen trust in the ultimate victory of the nation, creating consensus in ideology and action, and encouraging people of all social strata to do their best. The movements contributed to the 1975 Spring Victory to reunify the country.

During more than 30 years of national renewal, emulation movements have been implemented flexibly and creatively, focusing on encouraging people to fulfill their national construction and defense tasks.

Emulation movements contribute to national industrialization, modernization, and international integration.

In his article, President Tran Dai Quang urged all sectors to create drastic changes in emulation activities, emphasizing the important momentum it provides for national industrialization, modernization, and international integration.

President Quang called for a reform of emulation movements, organization of more emulation activities at the grassroots level and to combine them with Party building and rectification, the movement of following President Ho Chi Minh’s moral example, and the fight against corruption and waste. The President wrote that more attention should be paid to remote, border, island areas, and ethnic minority regions. Overseas Vietnamese that contribute to national construction and defense should also be honored, wrote the President.

Concluding his article, President Tran Dai Quang noted that patriotic emulation movements create an important momentum to boost revolutionary movements and are an important measure in building a socialist society. He finished by asserting that President Ho Chi Minh’s patriotic emulation ideology will guide the entire Party, army, and people of Vietnam to the success of the national construction and defense efforts.