It is a Japan that has risen to the level of the world's leading powers thanks to its unwavering will and spirit of unity; it is a South Korea that has fiercely risen from the ruins of war to become prosperous and developed...
In Vietnam, General Secretary To Lam 's "new era" message is inspiring people from all walks of life. To mark the beginning of 2025, Thanh Nien Newspaper interviewed Associate Professor Tran Dinh Thien (pictured) , former Director of the Vietnam Institute of Economics , about the opportunity to transform this "national inspiration" into a driving force for "rising to the top in the new era."
PHOTO: INDEPENDENT
A new wave of enthusiasm for the game.
At the present time, I sense an atmosphere of excitement, a readiness to enter a "new era" everywhere. Do you sense that same atmosphere, and how do you explain the "nationalistic inspiration" that has been so strongly rekindled after a long time?
In 2024, the official entry into force of three laws – the Land Law (amended), the Real Estate Business Law (amended), and the Housing Law (amended) – helped boost economic development.
PHOTO: NHAT THINH
I share that feeling: It's truly exciting. The country is experiencing a new wave of enthusiasm, confidence, and readiness. I also believe that explaining this "nationalistic inspiration" is something we should do, something we need to do, because we must maintain and promote it regularly and strongly. It's not just about the macro level; each individual needs to understand how they can contribute to this shared "nationalistic inspiration." Personally, I think of two things. First, national pride and self-respect are finding a suitable and timely starting point.
Secondly, the message "bottleneck of bottlenecks" implies the effort and prospect of unleashing the nation's immense strengths after many years.
Both of these things are conveying a very strong sense of opportunity and promise for the country.
According to him, why has the message of a "new era" ignited such "nationalistic inspiration" and "national pride" today?
Speaking of a "new era" refers to a new, qualitatively different period of development, not just any era. It implies a bright prospect, a hope for humanity or for a nation. In my opinion, General Secretary To Lam's concept of a "new era" speaks to the future of Vietnam, a country with strong aspirations and efforts to rise. More importantly, introducing this concept as a development message for the country has breathed new life into the economy and into a society struggling with bottlenecks and obstacles to move forward and reach a new level.
In particular, choosing the right time – the right opportunity – to deliver the General Secretary's message created "national inspiration," giving the message itself a powerful persuasive force.
Could you elaborate on the "right timing - right opportunity" that the General Secretary chose to deliver the message of a "new era"?
Firstly, the message conveyed aligns with the powerful and unusual dual transformation trend of the world and the times: from "brown" to "green"; from "physical economy" to "digital economy"; from a level of "manual labor" to an era dominated by intellect and creativity, characterized by unprecedented speed and widespread dissemination. Vietnam, along with humanity, is entering the "Enlightenment." I use the term "Enlightenment" again to recall the historical milestone marking humanity's escape from the "dark ages" several centuries ago.
Returning to the present, we all see that Vietnam is lagging behind and still poor, but it has entered the trajectory of human development, with a high level of readiness and a spirit of openness and integration. With the advantage of being a latecomer, Vietnam must transform the era of human development into its own opportunity for growth.
Secondly, regarding subjective conditions. Vietnam has undergone nearly 40 years of reform, achieving tremendous successes, creating momentum and strength, establishing a strong development trajectory, and affirming the irreversible trend of the chosen path. Conversely, those 40 years have also revealed problems and weaknesses that the economy and the country must overcome, especially in the global competition, where its position is still lagging; the economy still faces the risk of falling into the "middle-income trap"; and society has not yet reached a civilized and modern level. Therefore, it is necessary to "stretch itself" to overcome its own limitations, starting from this moment, and not later. This is an important point that General Secretary To Lam has mentioned. It not only demonstrates the urgency but, more importantly, the life-or-death nature of solving the problem.
In particular, the historical opportune moment is clearly demonstrated by the fact that the change in the country's leadership did not cause any doubt, apprehension, or concern. On the contrary, the change helped strengthen political and social stability, promoting and consolidating the nation's trust in the Party and the State. It rekindled the heroic spirit of innovation from 40 years ago and instilled a particularly strong inspiration about the aspiration to "catch up and stand shoulder to shoulder" and its feasibility. In that sense, it helped renew confidence, creating a new and extraordinary impetus for development to overcome unprecedented and severe challenges.
Our Party is about to hold its 14th National Congress. The new development ideas, guiding messages, and strategic solutions put forth by the current General Secretary will help the Party to promptly supplement, adjust, renew, and shape its viewpoints, guidelines, and development strategies for the country's promising future.
If we don't act promptly, it might be too late tomorrow. I particularly appreciate seizing this historically opportune moment.
In reality, national pride has helped many countries achieve breakthroughs and success. When we talk about Vietnamese national pride, each of us immediately thinks of the glorious history of nation-building and national defense. Currently, national pride is expected to help Vietnam "rise" successfully in the new era…
Striving to "keep pace with the times" and "stand shoulder to shoulder with the world's leading powers" is a common demand of a nation that values self-respect in its development. It ignites and illuminates the spirit of national pride. These noble qualities and sentiments have been powerful driving forces for many nations to rise. What is the foundation of "national self-respect and pride"? It is the effort to build an independent country (assuming freedom) and a self-reliant and strong economy. These tasks, as history shows, have always been the primary challenges facing our country.
Now, Vietnam must continue to foster that spirit, which is inherent in the blood of every citizen. I believe that the call to action, "Strengthening ourselves," marks the beginning of our country's "catching up and standing shoulder to shoulder" endeavor in this new phase.
Following the successful Doi Moi (Renovation) reforms in 1986, as you just mentioned, Vietnam's economy has revealed many weaknesses. So, at this point, what makes you think we will "catch up with - stand shoulder to shoulder with" the world's leading powers - a long-held aspiration for prosperity in our nation?
Double-digit export growth contributed to a historic increase in import and export turnover, reaching nearly 800 billion USD.
PHOTO: DAO NGOC THACH
For many years, we have identified "three strategic bottlenecks." However, it was only recently that General Secretary To Lam mentioned the concept of "the bottleneck of bottlenecks." Approaches that view institutions as the "bottleneck of bottlenecks," "fighting waste as if fighting an internal enemy," proposing the implementation of a mechanism of "local self-determination, self-action, and self-responsibility," or more recently, the drastic restructuring of the national governance apparatus, will help us re-identify the long-standing problems.
On that basis, it can be resolved in a feasible way. The positive attitude of society as a whole towards such an approach is strong evidence of that feasibility.
However, I would like to emphasize that addressing the "bottleneck of bottlenecks" is only part of the development story that Vietnam is facing. That is only the "break free from the old" – to help the economy and the country overcome the constraints and obstacles of the historically inherited and currently operating system. That is not yet the institutional system needed, commensurate with the "new era." To have a "new era," we must overcome the old institutional system, but more importantly, build a new institutional system, truly befitting the new era.
Simply looking to the past to overcome it, while correct, is insufficient, very insufficient. We must prepare an institutional system for the future, for the rapidly approaching "new era," with its uncompromising logic regarding speed and time.
This is a genuine challenge – one that is worthy of this nation's aspirations for resurgence.
A historic opportunity
From that perspective, how do you assess the opportunities for Vietnam to make this historic "rise"?
This issue requires thorough research before a correct and complete answer can be given. Here, I will only briefly outline a few points.
Firstly, the Globalization - Modern Era allows Vietnam, a country lagging behind, the opportunity to surpass others, according to the non-linear principle. Vietnam can - and we are - move directly into the high-tech era, the digital age, the era of creative intelligence, and artificial intelligence even before completing the classical industrialization process.
Secondly, Vietnam has the advantage of being a latecomer, making its efforts to surpass others feasible and a reality.
Thirdly, after 40 years of reform, Vietnam has built the necessary development strength and established a positive and solid development momentum. These factors, if properly utilized, will become powerful driving forces. They help transform potential advantages and aspirations into resources with immense synergistic power.
Fourth, Vietnam's open-door policy and integration, guided by the spirit of "risk sharing and benefit harmonization" as a responsible nation, are gaining increasing and effective support from the world. Vietnam's global connections are expanding into strategic partnerships not only with major powers but, in particular, with many leading global technology corporations and powerful global supply chains.
Fifth, and most importantly, is the consensus and cohesion of the rising national strength, which is being driven by valuable "historically transformative" actions of the Party and the State.
Many other opportune and favorable factors could be mentioned. However, what needs to be emphasized is that the present moment is a rare opportunity in the history of national development for the integration, combination, and convergence of these factors. We must correctly identify this historical opportunity, seize it, and transform it into a process of "growth and acceleration" befitting our potential.
Along with opportunities come challenges, and I think the very nature of the process of self-improvement is also a significant challenge. What challenges will Vietnam face in this era of self-improvement, in your opinion?
Indeed, the very nature of the process of self-improvement is an unprecedented challenge. Even the rare opportunities mentioned above, before being realized as developmental benefits, carry the risk of "turning into challenges." The nobler the purpose, the more difficult the task.
In the midst of a powerful resurgence, there is always the potential to overlook or underestimate challenges, leading to delusion. Coupled with "communist arrogance"—as the General Secretary has warned—this will lead to an inaccurate, incomplete, or even distorted assessment of the risks and challenges.
But we must always remember that Vietnam's domestic economy is still very weak. 50-60% of the national GDP comes from the weakest and least efficient economic sectors. Meanwhile, Vietnamese businesses face many difficulties and continue to experience discrimination. Not to mention the low quality of human resources, the inadequate national governance system, an unbalanced and flawed economic structure, underdeveloped market institutions, and a strong system of favoritism and corruption...
Not to mention the increasing risks arising from the modern economy, and the ever-growing obstacles to its development.
With such weaknesses, the idea that "opportunities can turn into challenges" is not an illusion. These challenges need to be addressed so that serious preparations can be made to overcome them.
If this is considered the second wave of reforms, what does he envision Vietnam to be like in this new era?
I think the grand goals outlined at the 13th National Congress allow us to envision the basic outlines of a portrait, including: culture, civilization, prosperity, democracy, and happiness. The quantitative goals also clearly express specific aspirations such as becoming a developed, high-income country...
Recently, that portrait has been supplemented with very significant and new features such as green development, digital transformation, the power of artificial intelligence (AI), and semiconductor chips... It is noteworthy that these features are all national formats with very strong political and international commitments. Certainly, the upcoming 14th National Congress will shape the national strategic direction and framework with these new, large-scale, and concretized development lines.
I want to emphasize the commitment here, meaning "we will actually do it," "we're not just talking," and we won't let these noble goals remain merely distant dreams. This means the credible realism of the portrait of the country. It also means the responsible approach of the Party and the State towards the people and the nation.
That explains why people's confidence in the country's future is growing strongly. Because they believe in the reality of their own future.
Thanhnien.vn
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/dong-luc-de-viet-nam-vuon-minh-trong-ky-nguyen-moi-185241231222332395.htm
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