Lesson 1: Guiding Ideology - A Nation's Steadfast March

Ideological work plays a crucial role in the practical aspects of Party building and national governance, serving as a method of Party leadership. Throughout history, our Party has united and led all strata of the people to overcome difficulties, fulfill tasks in each historical period, create great achievements, and attain significant accomplishments. In the process of national development, entering a new era of national progress, along with the rest of the country, the Quang Ninh Provincial Party Committee continues to innovate its ideological work, aiming to create immense spiritual strength in the construction and development of a prosperous and strong Quang Ninh.

"A shining beacon" in all ages.  

During his lifetime, President Ho Chi Minh paid great attention to ideological work, considering it a crucial task aimed at disseminating revolutionary ideology in society, arousing patriotism, and encouraging all strata of the people to act actively and creatively to successfully implement all policies and guidelines.

In many writings, he affirmed: "Ideological work is a particularly important component of the Party's overall activities, a tremendous force, a sharp weapon that determines the success of the revolutionary cause," "Incorrect ideology inevitably leads to erroneous work," "The success or failure of a task largely depends on ideology," "If, within and outside the Party, from top to bottom, from inside to outside, there is unity of thought and action, then even though the task is arduous and the work is difficult and complex, we will certainly achieve victory," "We must resolutely combat the tendency to underestimate ideology..."

On his second visit to Quang Ninh on October 4, 1957, the people of Hong Gai town organized a rally to welcome him. (Archival photo)

Throughout history, the Communist Party of Vietnam has always taken Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought as its ideological foundation and guiding principle for all its actions, and this has become an invaluable spiritual asset of the Party and the nation. This system of guiding theories has played a decisive role in helping the Party lead the people to achieve national independence, unify the country, and successfully implement the reform process.

Throughout its congresses, the Party has consistently upheld the goals and ideals of ideological work. From the Sixth Party Congress – a pivotal congress that laid down the principles and guidelines for national renewal – the Central Party Secretariat issued Directive No. 82-CT/TW on ideological work in 1986, which affirmed: “Strengthening the leadership of Party organizations over ideological work is the primary measure to enhance the fighting spirit and effectiveness of ideological work…” The Congress marked a revolutionary turning point in the cause of building socialism in our country, creating a major and comprehensive breakthrough, a new vitality in society, turning the situation around, and moving the country forward.

General Secretary To Lam and the Central Delegation visited and worked with Quang Ninh province (January 2026). Photo: Minh Ha

The Party has consistently set high standards for ideological work at subsequent congresses: Emphasizing the importance of ideological Party building; remaining steadfast and firm on the foundation of Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought, constantly supplementing and creatively developing it to suit the realities of Vietnam; ideological work playing a leading role in the cause of national construction and defense; and continuing to research and refine the theory of Party building regarding ethics, building a Party that is truly "ethical and civilized" in the new situation…

In particular, at the 14th National Congress of the Party, General Secretary To Lam clearly pointed out the new advantages and opportunities as our country enters a new era, and at the same time outlined seven strategic directions that need to be focused on and led the entire Party, army, and people with one will, one determination, and one action. This is also a major requirement and task for ideological work in the context of the new situation…

Many articles and speeches by General Secretary and President To Lam also emphasize the Party's consistent viewpoint: Ho Chi Minh Thought continues to be the "torch" guiding our country in the new stage of development. At the same time, it affirms the extremely important role of political and ideological work and demands that the entire Party, army, and people unify their views and understanding. That is, if the economy creates the material strength for the country to move forward quickly, then politics, ideology, and culture create the spiritual strength for the nation to go further and more steadily in the new stage of development. Political and ideological work must truly "lead the way," closely combining construction and combating, and using the people's trust as the highest measure…

“The light of Ho Chi Minh illuminates our path” – An article by General Secretary and President To Lam on the occasion of the 136th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birth, clearly states: Studying and following Ho Chi Minh's thought, morality, and style today cannot stop at correct words, catchy slogans, or formal movements. More importantly, it must transform into public service ethics, disciplined implementation, a culture of integrity, a spirit of innovation and creativity, responsibility to serve the people, organizational capacity, and concrete results in life. Every correct policy must be put into practice. Every policy must reach the people. Every official must use the satisfaction, trust, and happiness of the people as the measure of their work. The era of national resurgence places very high demands on the entire political system... This is precisely the spirit of Ho Chi Minh in the new conditions: unwavering commitment to goals, innovative methods, practical action, humanistic purpose, putting the people first, and prioritizing national interests above all else...

Delegates press the button to officially launch the Hanoi - Quang Ninh high-speed railway project. Photo: Do ​​Phuong

Recently, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam issued Regulation No. 19-QD/TW (dated April 8, 2026) on political and ideological work within the Party. This regulation has strategic significance, aiming to tighten discipline, fundamentally reform, and improve the quality of political and ideological work in the new context; it serves as a "guiding principle" to unify understanding and action. Beyond supplementing and perfecting the system of regulations on Party building, Regulation No. 19-QD/TW also represents a crucial shift in leadership thinking as the country enters a new era of development requiring breakthroughs in institutions, governance capacity, and human resource quality. Within this overall context, political and ideological work continues to be identified as the foundation and " xuyên suốt" (throughout) axis ensuring unity of will and action, and a vital endogenous driving force promoting rapid and sustainable national development…

Looking back through history, from the early days of the Party's founding, the first documents of the Communist Party of Vietnam bore the strong imprint of Ho Chi Minh's thought in the Brief Political Program, the Brief Strategy, and the Brief Regulations. For the past 96 years, especially the 40 years of implementing the reform process, our Party has always been imbued with the lessons of ideology, steadfastly applying and creatively developing Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought in planning and guiding practice, creating great, outstanding, comprehensive achievements of historical significance, affirming the foundation, potential, position, and prestige of Vietnam.

"Guidelines for action throughout the system"

From the years of struggle for independence and national reunification to the period of reform and international integration, it is this steadfast ideology that has created immense spiritual strength, helping our country overcome countless difficulties and challenges.

Under the glorious banner of the Party, guided by Ho Chi Minh's ideology, for 40 years of implementing the reform process, the tradition of "Discipline and Unity," with high determination, solidarity, and innovation of the entire political system, the Party Committee of Quang Ninh province in various periods has led the province from poverty to rapid development with many breakthroughs, pioneering and exemplary achievements nationwide.

In the vibrant "flow" of globalization, the task of firmly protecting the Party's ideological foundation and combating erroneous and hostile viewpoints continues to be identified by Quang Ninh province as a "root" solution, as clearly stated in the documents of the Provincial Party Congresses in various periods.

The Standing Committee of the People's Council of Mao Khe Ward monitors the progress and quality of public investment projects and public works projects in the area.

To concretize major policies and orientations, the Quang Ninh Provincial Party Committee has always focused on Party building in terms of ideology, politics, organization, and ethics, with an emphasis on the exemplary conduct of cadres and Party members, linked to the implementation of Regulation No. 101-QĐ/TW on the responsibility of cadres and Party members, especially key leaders at all levels, to set an example. The Provincial Party Committee has concretized this through many regulations, such as: Regulation No. 04-QĐ/TU on cultivating and maintaining moral qualities and lifestyles; preventing moral decay, "self-evolution," and "self-transformation" among cadres and Party members; Regulation No. 06-QĐ/TU on receiving and processing information reflecting on corruption and moral decay in accordance with the spirit of Resolution No. 4 of the 12th Central Committee; Regulation No. 08-QĐ/TU on inspecting and supervising the declaration of assets of cadres under the management of the Provincial Party Standing Committee...

In particular, the team of officials under the management of the Provincial Party Standing Committee and key leaders at all levels have specific job title standards stipulated in the Regulations "Job Title Standards for Leadership and Management Officials under the Management of the Provincial Party Standing Committee"; Regulations "Evaluation of Leadership and Management Officials under the Management of the Provincial Party Standing Committee"...

With the crucial need to combat and refute erroneous and hostile viewpoints, Quang Ninh has issued a series of strategic and long-term resolutions and directives. Typical examples include Resolution No. 08-NQ/TU (dated July 15, 2013) of the Provincial Party Committee on some tasks and solutions to prevent and combat the decline in political ideology, morality, and lifestyle among a segment of cadres and Party members; Resolution No. 10-NQ/TU (dated October 18, 2017) of the Provincial Party Committee on some solutions to innovate and improve the quality and effectiveness of ideological work in the new situation; and Directive No. 42-CT/TU (dated August 4, 2020) of the Provincial Party Standing Committee on strengthening the Party's leadership and the effectiveness of State management in combating, preventing, handling, removing, and eradicating false, misleading, harmful, and toxic information on the internet about Quang Ninh province. Decision No. 2265-QD/TU (dated August 4, 2020) of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee approving the Project to improve the effectiveness of combating, preventing, handling, removing, and eradicating false, misleading, harmful, and toxic information on the internet about Quang Ninh province; Regulation No. 34/2024/QD-UBND (dated September 17, 2024) of the Provincial People's Committee promulgating the code of conduct and ethical standards for public service officials, civil servants, and employees working in administrative agencies, public service units, organizations, associations, and funds under the Provincial People's Committee; Resolution No. 07-NQ/TU (dated January 16, 2026) of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee on strengthening leadership in ensuring security and order in Quang Ninh province during the 2026-2030 period...

The resolutions, directives, and regulations issued promptly at each stage serve as a "guiding principle" for every official, Party member, and citizen to concretize in fulfilling their responsibilities and duties, as well as in cultivating ethics and lifestyle. Comrade Nguyen Van Bac, Chairman of the People's Committee of Quang Yen Ward, stated: "As an area with many key projects underway, compensation and land clearance are always difficult issues. To create unity and consensus, and ensure the rights of the people, the ward clearly defines the role of the leader, especially in directing the effective resolution of people's requests. With a persistent, open-minded, and people-oriented approach, the government has gradually resolved obstacles and mobilized the people's consensus in implementing major policies…"

The people of Zone 2, Ha Long Ward, are following the information regarding the public consultation on the establishment of Quang Ninh City.

As our country enters a new stage of development, alongside the operation and development of society, there are also manifestations of ideological and political decline, as well as the fading of revolutionary ideals and moral degradation among a significant number of cadres and Party members. The fact that a segment of cadres, including those holding leadership and management positions, have experienced a decline in prestige and moral decay, leading to violations, has repeatedly prompted the Politburo and the Secretariat to consider and issue disciplinary measures against Party organizations and members. This has seriously affected the Party's reputation, the collective's prestige, and the trust of the people.

This consequence is undoubtedly partly due to a lack of attention, or insufficient effort, in building the Party's ideology and ethics for cadres and Party members in some agencies and units. Therefore, the Party's essential requirement is to "do well and thoroughly" ideological work, considering it a key task of vital importance to the Party and the regime.

Leaders of Viet Hung ward inspect the progress of projects in the area.

In response to the above requirements, the Provincial Party Committee has recently focused on disseminating, understanding, studying, and implementing the Party's guidelines and resolutions in a substantive manner, recognizing them as the "key" to liberating thinking and creating unity in action among cadres, Party members, and the people. The province has guided cadres and Party members to engrave in their minds President Ho Chi Minh's admonition: "Every Party member and cadre must truly internalize revolutionary ethics, truly be thrifty, honest, upright, and selfless." "We must keep our Party truly clean, worthy of being a leader and a truly loyal servant of the people"; "Cadres must first and foremost be those who correctly understand and deeply grasp all the Party's guidelines and policies. Having understood them correctly, they must then apply them to ensure the success of their work…"

The Provincial Party Committee and its Standing Committee have seriously implemented the Central Committee's directives on ideology and theory. Specifically, during the 2020-2025 term, the entire provincial Party organization issued nearly 10,000 leadership and guidance documents in the field of ideology. The content closely adheres to the core values, key tasks, main solutions, and innovative theoretical thinking of the Party through its congresses, contributing to raising awareness so that cadres, Party members, and all strata of the people understand the viewpoints and principles set forth by President Ho Chi Minh and the Party.

The project to upgrade and renovate alleys 1 and 2 on Tran Quang Khai street and the connecting route to Hoang Quoc Viet street (Uong Bi ward) was inaugurated on the occasion of the 96th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Photo: Hoang Nga

Comrade Nguyen Chien Thang, Secretary of the Party Committee of Uong Bi Ward, said: “Closely following current events and the needs at each point in time, Quang Ninh province has issued guiding documents to direct grassroots implementation. This timeliness has helped all levels, sectors, and each cadre and party member to quickly concretize these into their professional tasks, serving the people and businesses well…”

Our country is entering a new era with more favorable conditions, but also with the potential for hostile, reactionary, and politically opportunistic forces to exploit and attack the Party's ideological foundation. Quang Ninh province has determined that it must promptly identify and resolutely combat all methods, tactics, and subversive intentions of hostile forces, contributing to the firm protection of the Party's ideological foundation and the preservation of the Party's integrity. The requirements in protecting the Party's ideological foundation are a long-term strategic task; therefore, the province is determined to concretize the Party's guiding principles: In the new conditions, political and ideological work must truly become a "spiritual pillar," an "internal driving force," and a "solid protective shield" for the cause of building and defending the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland...

Nguyen Hue - Cao Quynh

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/bai-1-tu-tuong-sang-duong-non-song-vung-buoc-3408914.html