14th National Party Congress ushers in a new vision for Viet Nam

The Party leader remarked that the new features of the 14th National Party Congress are grounded in inheritance, selective absorption and the crystallization of lessons drawn from more than 4,000 years of Viet Nam’s nation-building and defence, from the country’s development process, and from nearly a century under the leadership of the Communist Party of Viet Nam.

Speaking at the press conference, General Secretary To Lam expressed his appreciation to journalists and reporters from news agencies and media organizations for their extensive coverage of the Congress, which enabled people nationwide, overseas Vietnamese communities, and international friends to promptly follow the developments, proceedings, and achievements of the 14th National Party Congress of the Communist Party of Viet Nam.

On behalf of the Presidium of the Congress and the 14th-tenure Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam, the General Secretary affirmed that the 14th National Party Congress was a resounding success, marking an important milestone in the 96-year history of the Communist Party of Viet Nam and in the millennia-long, heroic and culturally rich journey of the Vietnamese nation.

The General Secretary outlined the key keywords of the 14th Congress, including “unity, democracy, discipline, breakthroughs, development, responsibility, dedication, intellect, science, for the people, strategic autonomy, self-reliance, confidence, national pride, for a peaceful, independent, democratic, prosperous, thriving, civilised and happy Viet Nam, steadily advancing towards socialism.” These keywords, he noted, reflect both the overall success of the Congress and the new, fundamental decisions adopted at the event.

“The 14th National Party Congress is truly a Congress of unity and consensus, embodying the will, courage, aspirations, determination and cultural strength of the Vietnamese nation and the Communist Party of Viet Nam in a new stage of national development,” the General Secretary stressed. He once again thanked domestic and international journalists and reporters for effectively disseminating the spirit, momentum and substance of the Congress to the Vietnamese people and friends around the world.

Building a clean and strong collective leadership

The General Secretary stated that the 14th National Party Congress not only achieved a high level of consensus on the contents of the Congress Documents and action programmes, but also demonstrated strong unity and focus in the selection of personnel for the 14th-tenure Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam. The Congress elected a Central Committee comprising 200 members, including 180 full members and 20 alternate members. Immediately thereafter, the Central Committee elected the Politburo, the Secretariat, the General Secretary, and other leading bodies of the Party, such as the Central Inspection Commission and its Chairperson, and assigned Politburo and Secretariat members to specific responsibilities.

Providing further information on the outcomes of the Congress, the General Secretary noted that the Congress set orientations to build the Central Committee, the Politburo, and the Secretariat, particularly the leadership of the Party and the State for the 14th tenure, into a clean and strong collective that is truly united and highly consistent in both will and action, demonstrating a pioneering and exemplary spirit, combativeness, decisiveness in action, discipline, and the readiness to devote themselves to the noble cause of the Party and to the prosperity and happiness of the people.

The Congress also reached consensus on adopting historic decisions to successfully implement the two 100-year strategic goals identified by the 13th National Party Congress.

The General Secretary expressed his confidence that, drawing on the enduring strength of the nation’s historical roots, the nearly century-long tradition of leadership by the Communist Party of Viet Nam, the support and unity of the entire people, and the encouragement, cooperation and solidarity of numerous international friends and progressive peoples around the world, Viet Nam will certainly successfully implement the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress and build a peaceful, independent, democratic, prosperous, civilised and happy socialist Viet Nam.

At the press conference, General Secretary To Lam answered questions from local and international journalists on the key outcomes of the 14th National Party Congress.

Responding to a question from a reporter from NHK (Japan) regarding Viet Nam’s international integration, the General Secretary affirmed that Viet Nam’s economy is highly open and cannot develop without international integration. For that reason, at the 14th National Party Congress, foreign affairs were elevated to a new level to further promote openness and integration.

He noted that amid global volatility, cooperation is essential to address shared challenges. Viet Nam has shifted from being a recipient to becoming an active contributor in international relations. The country will build a new growth model with international integration at its core, alongside political, security and defence integration, thereby contributing to the enhancement of national standing.

“Integration in science and technology, innovation and digital transformation is a top priority task; at the same time, international integration must overcome bottlenecks and place the people at the center,” the General Secretary stressed.

In response to a question from a Russian journalist, the General Secretary said that Viet Nam’s foreign affairs work and its role in addressing global issues have been elevated. Viet Nam’s policy is to deeply integrate into global politics, the world economy and human civilisation.

“Countries, whether large or small, share common responsibility for global and cross-border issues such as natural disasters, pandemics, cyber security and wars. No single country, no matter how powerful, can address such major challenges alone; they require joint international efforts,” the General Secretary said.

He assessed that after 40 years of doi moi (renewal), Viet Nam’s national capacity has changed significantly. The country now possesses sufficient stature and credibility to participate in addressing regional and global issues. Accordingly, Viet Nam will continue to work with other countries and international organisations to tackle global challenges, including participation in peacekeeping operations, disaster relief efforts, and contributions to regional and global peacebuilding. “We are ready to contribute more as a mediator and bridge-builder for peace,” the General Secretary emphasised.

According to the General Secretary, Viet Nam shares the challenges facing many countries and stands ready to share its experiences. The more uncertain the world becomes, the more countries must unite and actively participate in regional and global institutions such as ASEAN and the United Nations. Viet Nam is prepared to engage in peacebuilding efforts on the basis of the United Nations Charter and in line with the country’s conditions.

Focusing on a new growth model: science and technology as the central driving force

Responding to press questions on translating the Resolution into practice, General Secretary To Lam said that this Congress places a strong emphasis on action. This approach, he noted, draws lessons from previous terms, with a heightened focus on concrete and practical implementation so that the Party’s guidelines and policies can be quickly translated into tangible results that the people can see and benefit from.

“The core and decisive issue is implementation,” the General Secretary said, noting that in the past, many sound policies had not been implemented to the required standard. At this Congress, the Documents already include a specific action programme, rather than leaving it to be developed after the Congress as was previously the case. Immediately after the Congress concludes, the Politburo will issue its first Directive on organising the implementation of the Congress’s resolutions.

The General Secretary stressed the need for a strong renewal of the growth model, with science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation serving as the central driving forces. All bottlenecks must be removed to unlock resources, while mechanisms for inspection, supervision and accountability must be designed to address inertia, avoidance and the shifting of responsibility.

A culture of integrity and accountability will be strengthened, with the people regarded as the center, the subject, the goal and the driving force of development.

‘The renewal cause will continue’

According to the General Secretary, Viet Nam has pursued the renewal cause for 40 years. “The renewal cause will continue,” he affirmed, stressing that it is an ongoing process aimed at delivering prosperity and improved living standards for the people.

He pointed out that the first major new feature lies in the approach to drafting the Congress Documents. The Political Report was integrated from three separate reports: the Political Report, the socio-economic report, and the report on Party building. This integration represents a key highlight of the Congress.

The 14th National Party Congress is held in an important historical context that demands a new vision extending beyond the current term to 2045.

“For the past 100 years, we have followed the Party Platform and achieved many great accomplishments,” the General Secretary said. By 2031, at the conclusion of the 14th-term Congress, it will be necessary to review the Party Platform, assess 100 years of national development under the Party’s leadership, and formulate a vision for the next century.

“This is a very long-term vision, and the 14th National Party Congress bears responsibility for implementing it,” he said.

Another key new feature, according to the General Secretary, is that Viet Nam’s development needs at this stage require rapid, effective and proactive progress, making it essential to build an appropriate development model. Economically, Viet Nam must establish a growth model capable of achieving double-digit growth. “Only with double-digit growth can the set objectives be achieved,” he stressed, underscoring the need to fundamentally change the growth model.