The legacy of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong regarding the socialist model in Vietnam.

Throughout nearly 60 years of service, including more than 13 years as the head of the Communist Party of Vietnam , General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has consistently identified the overarching goal of the Vietnamese revolution as national independence linked with socialism; thereby contributing to the realization of the aspiration to make Vietnam a powerful nation.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Photo: Tri Dung/TTXVN

Throughout his career in building socialism in Vietnam, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has consistently affirmed the fundamental role of Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought, particularly emphasizing the scientific and revolutionary nature of Marxism-Leninism, as well as the national character and the perspective on the role and mission of the people in Ho Chi Minh Thought.

Based on scientific theoretical research, primarily Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought, combined with a summary of Vietnam's reform experience and a generalization of new theories, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has outlined the model of socialism for Vietnam. In the article "Some Theoretical and Practical Issues on Socialism and the Path to Socialism in Vietnam," commemorating the 131st anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birth (May 19, 1890 - May 19, 2021), in response to the question "What is socialism?", General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong clearly stated: "To date, although there are still some issues that need further in-depth research, we have formed a general understanding: The socialist society that the Vietnamese people are striving to build is a society where the people are prosperous, the nation is strong, democratic, just, and civilized; where the people are the masters, with a highly developed economy based on modern productive forces and advanced, appropriate production relations, with an advanced culture rich in national identity; where people have a prosperous, free, and happy life, with conditions for comprehensive development; and where all ethnic groups in the Vietnamese community are equal, united, and respectful of each other." and help each other develop together; have a socialist rule of law state of the people, by the people, and for the people, led by the Communist Party; and have friendly and cooperative relations with countries around the world.”

Also in the aforementioned article, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong not only clearly explains "what socialism is?", but also contributes to clarifying a crucial theoretical and practical issue in our country today: "How does Vietnam advance towards socialism?". Accordingly, it is necessary to accelerate industrialization and modernization of the country associated with the development of a knowledge-based economy; to develop a socialist-oriented market economy; to actively build an advanced culture rich in national identity, to develop human resources, improve people's lives, and achieve social progress and justice; to firmly ensure national defense and security, social order and safety; to steadfastly implement an independent, self-reliant, multilateral, diversified, peaceful, friendly, cooperative and developmental foreign policy, and to proactively and actively integrate into the international community; to build a socialist democracy, promote the will and strength of national unity, combined with the strength of the times; Building a socialist rule of law state of the people, by the people, and for the people; with particular emphasis on the task of building a clean, strong, and comprehensive Party and political system.

According to Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Dinh Phong (Ho Chi Minh National Political Academy), from a practical perspective, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's article addressed three main aspects from a Vietnamese viewpoint. Accordingly, President Ho Chi Minh and our Party shaped and oriented socialism on the foundation of Marxist-Leninist scientific socialism, but based on Vietnamese reality; respecting and acting according to objective laws. Furthermore, the practical experience of building socialism before the Doi Moi (Renovation) period helped our Party gradually gain a more accurate, profound, and scientific understanding of socialism and the transitional period to socialism. “While there are still some simplistic conceptions of socialism and the path to socialism in Vietnam, it must be affirmed that our Party and people have accomplished seemingly impossible feats. That is, simultaneously building socialism in the North and carrying out the national democratic revolution in the South. The value of socialism in the North is the strength and inexhaustible source of inspiration for the people of the South and the entire nation to fulfill the historical task of liberating the South and unifying the country,” Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Dinh Phong stated.

Furthermore, according to Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Dinh Phong, the most vivid practical example is the more than 35 years of reform. General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's article reviewed the situation in Vietnam before the reforms, which was heavily devastated by war and full of difficulties, and then went on to discuss the 35 years of reform, during which the country continues to face difficulties under both objective and subjective conditions. Facing these challenges, our country has consistently affirmed that "advancing towards socialism is the aspiration of our people, the correct choice of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President Ho Chi Minh, and in line with the historical development trend."

Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Dinh Phong affirmed that, through the article by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, the Party clearly defines that the socialist society of Vietnam has been and is being built for the benefit of the people, constantly improving the material and spiritual lives of the people, and taking the happiness of the people as the goal to strive for.

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Duy Loi, Editor-in-Chief of the Vietnam Journal of Social Sciences under the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, assessed that, from his research into the extremely rich practical experiences of the Vietnamese Revolution during the Doi Moi (Renovation) period, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has made a very important contribution to clarifying and achieving significant progress in political theory, in understanding and realizing the model of socialism and the path to socialism in Vietnam.

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Duy Loi believes that the legacy left by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong for posterity is not only a diverse, rich, vast, profound, scientific, systematic, and comprehensive treasure trove of political theory on socialism and the path to socialism in Vietnam; but also a treasure trove of rich practical experience of the Vietnamese revolution; and especially, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has left behind a simple, people-oriented, and shining example of the ethics and character of a true communist.

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