New contents on strengthening defence and security, Homeland protection in the Draft Political Report to the 12th National Congress of the Party

Basing on the general assessment of the implementation of defence and security work and Homeland protection over the past 5 years; the internal regional and world situations, particularly the risks challenging the Homeland protection, the Draft Political Report to the 12^th National Congress of the Party has pointed out 5 solutions for strengthening defence and security for the next 5 years as follow:

First, combining closely economy, culture, society with defence and security. This is a development on the thinking of combining defence, security with other aspects of social life aiming at creating synergy for Homeland protection in the new situation. It shows a creativeness in the Party’s  perception of Homeland protection gearing to solve matters of reality. It is also relevant to the Party’s viewpoint when stating that the power for Homeland protection comes from a number of factors, including both forces and posture, material and spiritual power, and internal and external resources etc. Not only admitting the indispensable relation between culture, society and defence and security, the Draft also pointed out that it should be carried out in each strategy, plan and project for development associated with 6 socio-economic regions and 4 key economic areas. The  focal ones are the Northwest, the Central Highland, the Southwest, the Central west areas and the strategic borders, seas and islands. This is an important orientation for sectors, industries, and locals to carry out  planning economic, cultural and social projects in targeted regions and overcome shortcomings when combining economic development with defence and security as well as defence and security with economic and cultural and social development.

Second, it is necessary to prepare measures for the prevention of war and conflict ; actively prevent, opportunely detect and destroy disadvantageous factors to the cause of Homeland protection. This is a new development in the defence and security work and also the concrete measure mentioned in the Draft to actively prevent the risk of an armed conflict and invasive wars; defeat any plots and schemes of sabotages of hostile forces and nontraditional security threats to firmly protect the Homeland in any situations.

Third, building People’s Army and People’s Public Security forces revolutionary, regular, seasoned, and gradually modern with priority on the modernization of some important forces and corps.

The Draft has pointed out that “giving priority to the modernization of some important corps and forces”; stressed the importance of building People’s Army and People’s Public Security “politically strong”, etc. This is the inheritance and development of the Party’s guideline of building armed forces in the new situation. Accordingly, building people’s armed forces comprehensively strong must base on the fortification of political power to make the armed forces always resolutely loyal to the Homeland, the Party, the State, the People and the socialism; having flesh and bone tie with People; not being disoriented, subjective and staying off guard; proactively fighting to defeat the scheme of “apoliticalizing” the armed forces of hostile forces. To that end, the Draft focus on strengthening the absolute, comprehensively leadership of the Party and the centralized, unified management of the State over the armed forces; ceaselessly enhancing the quality and political steadfastness, fighting capability, the effectiveness of party work and political work, etc. As for the People’s Army, it is necessary to adjust its organizational structure, staff and equipment towards the direction of “elite, compact and powerful” to minimize overlaps in functions and missions among forces; attaching importance to the reasonable proportion between regular forces and local forces, between services and corps, between permanent forces and the reserve, etc to meet the combat requirements of Homeland protection. When modernizing the military, it is necessary to pay adequate attention to enhance the long distance and high antitude combat capability, the ability to control and supervise the air , the seas and the islands, the night combat and electronic warfare capability, etc. Besides, renewing the contents of education and training for regular forces, the reserve, and the self-defence and militia; ceaselessly enhancing political stance, technical standard, and tactical skill of these forces meeting the requirements of both peacetime and wartime.