Having worked closely with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong for a relatively long period, Comrade Nguyen Xuan Phuc highlighted some of his most memorable impressions of the General Secretary.
We are pleased to present the article " The Prominent Mark of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on the Process of National Development " by Comrade Nguyen Xuan Phuc - former Member of the Politburo , former Prime Minister, and former President of Vietnam.
The passing of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong leaves behind immeasurable sorrow for the entire Party, army, and people of Vietnam. He was one of the outstanding leaders of our Party and State.
During his more than 13 years as General Secretary of our Party, he steadfastly upheld the Party's reform and independence policies, leading the country through numerous difficulties and challenges, and achieving spectacular successes in all fields.
While working with the Politburo and the Central Committee to promote the building and improvement of the socialist-oriented market economy, he clearly saw the risk of degeneration within the Party and the State apparatus, and directly led the fight against corruption and negative phenomena to purify the internal ranks and preserve the achievements of development.
History will judge the contributions and legacy of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. During these sorrowful days, as someone who worked closely with him for a relatively long period of more than 10 years, I would like to highlight some of the most profound impressions I have received:
As a Party theorist, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has made numerous efforts to apply Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought to the realities of Vietnam.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Eastern European socialist system, the theory of building socialism in Vietnam faced many challenges. Comrade [name] directed the Party's theoretical organs to refine the theory of building socialism based on the country's realities and the international situation, building upon the foundation of the Doi Moi (Renovation) process initiated by the Party in 1986. Comrade [name] himself also authored important theoretical works on this issue.
Building a socialist market economy first requires a fully functioning market economy. The socialist orientation means using state resources to ensure the economy is strong enough to cope with crisis risks, eliminate the manipulation of "special interest groups," guarantee equal opportunities for economic actors in benefiting from policies and accessing national resources, and ensure the best possible social security for the people, prioritizing vulnerable groups.
The socialist orientation is primarily implemented through market mechanisms and social welfare policies, not through non-market intervention in the functioning of the economy.
This viewpoint was fully defined by our Party during the period when Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong served as General Secretary. Currently, 72 countries recognize Vietnam as having a market economy, including all ASEAN countries and major market economies such as Japan, the UK, Canada, and Australia…
Building a socialist rule of law state. For the first time, our Party defined "Our State as a socialist rule of law state" in the revised "Program for Building the Country during the Transition Period to Socialism" at the 11th Party Congress in 2011, the same Congress that decided on Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong's first term as General Secretary. Also during Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong's tenure as General Secretary, the socialist rule of law state was enshrined in the 2013 Constitution.
This Constitution also enshrines human rights and civil rights by, for the first time, stipulating that "Human rights and civil rights can only be restricted by law in cases where it is necessary for reasons of national defense, national security, public order, social safety, social morality, and public health" (Clause 2, Article 14).
On November 9, 2022, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, on behalf of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, signed Resolution No. 27-NQ/TW on "continuing to build and perfect the socialist rule of law state of Vietnam in the new period," after it was adopted by the 6th Plenum of the 13th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam. This resolution is considered a "key task of reforming the political system," affirming that "the supremacy of the Constitution and laws becomes the standard of conduct for all subjects in society." This resolution needs time to be codified into law and put into practice.
At the 13th National Congress of the Party (January 25, 2021 - February 2, 2021), General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong affirmed, "Our country has never before had such a foundation, potential, position, and international prestige as it does today." That statement is absolutely accurate.
The results of implementing the 10-year socio-economic strategy (2011-2020) set forth at the 11th National Congress of the Party have increased the size of the economy by 2.4 times, with 2020 reaching 1.4 times that of 2015. Vietnam is ranked 35th among the 40 largest economies in the world and is one of the 16 most successful emerging economies globally. Economic growth has been high; during the period 2016-2019, Vietnam was among the top 10 countries with the highest economic growth rates in the world. Significant achievements have been made in poverty reduction; in the final five years of the strategy, the poverty rate decreased from 9.88% in 2015 to 2.75% in 2020.
According to the World Bank, Vietnam's universal healthcare has made significant progress as living standards improve. The universal health coverage index is 73 (out of 100), higher than the regional and global averages. The average number of years of schooling in Vietnam is 10.2 years, ranking second in the region, only after Singapore. Vietnam's human capital index is 0.69 (on a scale of 1), the highest ranking among economies with similar income levels. People's access to infrastructure has improved significantly. As of 2019, 99.4% of the population had access to electricity, compared to 14% in 1993…
With its international standing and prestige, Vietnam has established comprehensive partnerships with 12 countries; and strategic partnerships with 18 countries, including 7 Comprehensive Strategic Partners. The majority of these partnerships were established during the period when Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong served as General Secretary.
Of the seven Comprehensive Strategic Partnerships with Vietnam, excluding China, which was established in 2008, six were established during the time when Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong served as General Secretary.
Our economy is integrating more and more deeply into the global economy. Of the 16 free trade agreements (FTAs) that Vietnam has signed and are currently in effect, half, including all five new-generation AFTAs, were signed during the period when Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong was General Secretary.
Free trade agreements (FTAs), especially the new generation AFTA, not only strongly promote free trade and positively impact economic growth, but their high level of integration commitments have also accelerated the process of perfecting a legal system compatible with market mechanisms, and quickly built and perfected the institutions of a socialist-oriented market economy.
The outstanding achievements that have driven the country's strong development are the result of the collective efforts of the Politburo, the Central Committee, the Government, and the entire political system over many terms. They are a continuation and inheritance of the achievements of nearly 40 years of national renewal, in which Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong played a crucial role as the head of our Party for more than 13 years.
At the most recent Party Congress, I was assigned by the General Secretary to head the Subcommittee on Socio-Economic Documents. Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong fully supported the new viewpoints and provided insightful guidance to the Subcommittee on Congress Documents to formulate new policies, especially in building a socialist-oriented market economy and a socialist rule of law state.
Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong also has a special interest in cultural development. In particular, he chaired the National Cultural Conference on November 24, 2021. This conference held historical significance, commemorating the 75th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's chairmanship of the first National Cultural Conference on November 24, 1946.
This conference summarized and drew conclusions about the cultural development process after nearly 40 years of national renewal and opened a turning point in the revitalization and development of culture, meeting the requirements of comprehensive national development in the new situation and bearing the strong imprint of Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong.
In the special communiqué on the organization of the State funeral for General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, the Party and State of Vietnam acknowledged that "Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong made many great and exceptionally outstanding contributions to the glorious revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation."
As a close colleague of yours, I see your contributions to promoting the reform process in the development of the country, with the timelines I have mentioned, as the most significant mark.
Source
![[Photo] Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh presides over a meeting on private sector economic development.](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fvphoto.vietnam.vn%2Fthumb%2F1200x675%2Fvietnam%2Fresource%2FIMAGE%2F2025%2F12%2F20%2F1766237501876_thiet-ke-chua-co-ten-40-png.webp&w=3840&q=75)
Comment (0)