The nature of the relationship between independence and self-reliance and international integration

This is an objective relationship which has been shaped and increasingly noticeable during the country’s process of renewal and development and international integration. It is a dialectical relationship which should be well managed in order to ensure the nation’s supreme interests. Its nature is clarified as follows.

First, independence and self-reliance is the prerequisite for proactive, active international integration. (1). Independence and self-reliance does not mean isolation from the world outside or international integration; independence and self-reliance expresses the country’s sovereignty and right to self-determination of its development model. Self-reliance means the capacity to exercise the national sovereignty and the right to national self-determination in fact. It includes political, economic, cultural, defence, security and diplomatic independence and self-reliance. Without independence and self-reliance, there will be no international integration. (2) Independence and self-reliance acts as the determinant to the relationship between itself and international integration. When being independent and self-reliant, we decide our own road map, steps, methods, contents, partnerships, and sectors during the process of international integration. It is the Party’s independence and self-reliance lines that help select correct priorities and proper road map for international integration. In the early stage, we proactively integrated in the global economy and then gradually into the region and the world comprehensively; our country’s diplomatic relations have been increasingly expanded and deepened, which has contributed to creating its new advantages and strength. The Party’s guidelines and viewpoints on consistent independence and self-reliance have always been elaborated, supplemented and developed according to the changes in the situation both domestically and globally. That has paved the way for Vietnam’s increasingly deep and wide international integration and greatly contributed to the cause of national construction and protection toward socialism. (3) Independence and self-reliance helps analyze the information and adopt effective measures to adapt to quick changes, soften negative impacts, and encourage positive impacts made by the situation in the world and the region during the process of international integration. (4) Independence and self-reliance provides the basis for taking advantage of great opportunities and minimizing challenges posed by globalization, particularly to the medium, small, developing countries like Vietnam. (5) Independence and self-reliance lays a foundation for our country to promote its comparative advantages during the process of international integration. Only when we fully, widely, and deeply integrate into the world economy, could we export flagship products, such as agricultural, fishery, forest, and textile ones. However, without independence and self-reliance, our comparative advantages during the process of integration will be steered by major countries.

Second, international integration contributes to increasing our country’s capability to maintain national independence and self-reliance. (1) International integration will create opportunities for us to maintain independence and self-reliance in the political, economic, cultural, defence, security terms. After over 30 years of national reform under the Party’s leadership and the State’s management, international integration has become an important resource for us to consolidate independence and self-reliance. Active, proactive international integration serves as a solution and impetus for preserving independence and self-reliance. (2) International integration brings opportunities to mobilize external resources in the country’s socio-economic development. It is international integration that helps us take advantage of capital, technical, technological resources from the outside. (3) Active, proactive international integration helps us effectively industrialize and modernize the country and develop the knowledge economy. Globalization is changing the division of labour in each region and worldwide. We could take advantage of the process of re-dividing labour to promote our strengths and comparative advantages to develop our economy and thus shorten the duration of national industrialization and modernization. (4) Today, many issues, such as terrorism, religious and ethnic conflicts, separatism, and political instability are directly threatening the stability and development of each country and region and the whole world. Therefore, there should be close, smooth coordination and a uniformed, effective mechanism on the basis of cooperation among countries, regions, and the world. (5) Proactive, active international integration will help us more sufficiently, widely, and deeply integrate into the world economy, facilitate our economic development, and maintain our independence and self-reliance.