Combining economic development with strengthening national defense and security potential - From the perspective of state management

The Military Industry - Telecommunications Group ( Viettel ) officially launched Viettel Digital Services Corporation_Photo: VNA

The interaction of market economy on national defense and security

The process of developing a socialist-oriented market economy has two-sided impacts on strengthening the country's defense and security potential. Regarding positive impacts:

Firstly , the defense and security potential of a country depends largely on the level of economic development of that country. Economic development creates the material, technical, technological and human resources foundation for defense and security. When the economy develops, accumulated capital and budget revenue are constantly increased, which are the conditions for the country's development in all aspects. From there, it contributes to consolidating and enhancing the defense and security potential. Economic development associated with technical and technological innovation is the basis for technical and technological innovation in the defense industry, producing weapons and technical means for defense and security. Economic development is also the basis for developing high-quality human resources to strengthen the armed forces.

Second , developing a market economy contributes to improving the material and spiritual life of the people, thereby consolidating and strengthening the people's trust in the Party and the State, consolidating the great national unity bloc, enhancing social stability and national defense and security potential. When people's lives in all aspects are improved, progress, fairness and democracy are enhanced, people and social forces are assured and confident in the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's policies and laws, and are steadfast against the enticement, incitement and incitement of hostile forces. A prosperous, free, happy life with opportunities for comprehensive development for the people is a solid political foundation for strengthening national defense and security potential.

Third , the development of the market economy unleashes economic potentials, affecting the strengthening of the military and police forces both materially and spiritually. In terms of material, economic development will improve and enhance the lives of officers and soldiers in the armed forces and their families, which is the basis for enhancing the physical and intellectual capacity of officers and soldiers in all aspects. In terms of spirit, economic development will improve the lives of the people, including the families of officers and soldiers in the armed forces, helping officers and soldiers feel secure in serving the military and police; at the same time, creating opportunities for them to focus on training, practicing, and studying to improve their technical and tactical skills, have enough knowledge and skills to master modern means, weapons, and equipment, and improve their readiness, fighting ability, and victory.

Fourth , the market economy associated with opening up and international integration promotes domestic economic development through promoting advantages, creating material premises for strengthening national defense and security potential. At the same time, opening up and international integration creates understanding, cohesion and mutual binding on economic, investment and trade interests, limiting the risk of war. In addition, the trend of international integration poses the possibility and objective requirement to link countries in regional and global institutions. Proactive international integration according to the development requirements of the market economy, responsible participation in the activities of international organizations, in addition to expanding bilateral economic and diplomatic relations, also contributes to consolidating the country's position and strength in building and defending the Fatherland.

The development of the market economy also has negative impacts on the country's defense and security potential, specifically:

Firstly , the development of the market economy leads to the polarization of the rich and the poor, and social stratification. This is inevitable due to the operation and promotion of the effects of objective economic laws. The polarization of the rich and the poor gives rise to negative manifestations and dissatisfaction - opportunities and conditions for hostile forces and criminals to take advantage of to lure, entice, bribe, and incite people to cause complicated situations regarding security and social order, destroy the great national unity bloc, and negatively affect the building of the national defense posture and the people's security posture.

Second , the development of the market economy affects the thoughts and feelings of officers and soldiers in the armed forces. The market economy creates conditions for every individual in society to get rich legally and many people, with their talents, strength and resources, are becoming rich. However, there are also many individuals who get rich illegally and a number of officers, civil servants and public employees take advantage of their positions to commit corruption, accept bribes and have many illegal assets. This affects the political awareness, thoughts, feelings, psychology and ethics of each person, including officers and soldiers in the armed forces, especially those with difficult family circumstances.

Third , international investment and trade, in addition to the positive results they bring to the economy, also have negative impacts on the defense and security sectors. Through investment and trade cooperation, hostile and reactionary forces can take advantage of this to infiltrate the country, connect with disgruntled and reactionary figures, and organize sabotage activities. Also through investment and trade activities, hostile forces seek to bribe and control officials and civil servants in key agencies of the Party and State to provide them with information related to defense and security, serving their sabotage and overthrow plots. Through investment, especially investment in the fields of education, training, culture, arts, etc., to spread harmful ideology and culture, and implement the strategy of peaceful evolution.

The current situation of combining economic development with strengthening national defense and security potential - From the perspective of state management

Cargo transportation activities at Tan Cang Saigon, belonging to Tan Cang Saigon Corporation (Navy) - a pioneering defense enterprise in production, effective development of marine economy and logistics_Photo: VNA

From the requirement of combining economic development with strengthening national defense and security potential, in recent times, state management work has achieved quite comprehensive results.

In institutional building , the State has issued a system of institutions for developing the market economy, creating a favorable legal corridor to liberate production capacity in society, exploiting the country's potential along with attracting capital, technology and management experience from outside, helping the economy to have enormous changes. The average annual GDP growth of our country in the period of 2016 - 2019 reached around 7%, a high level in the world. The socio-economic infrastructure system is constantly being developed. These are favorable conditions for the Party and the State to invest comprehensively in the people's armed forces, in which the People's Army and the People's Public Security are the core forces, from means and modern technical equipment to human resources to consolidate and strengthen the country's defense and security potential.

Machine State management of socio-economic and The state management apparatus for national defense and security at the central and local levels is strengthened with tasks, powers and responsibilities for national defense and security work according to the provisions of the Law on National Defense and the Law on National Security, in which the tasks are clearly defined: Organizing the implementation of the State's plans and projects on national defense in peacetime and wartime according to assigned tasks; closely combining national defense with economy, economy with national defense in the development and implementation of plans and projects of ministries, branches and fields assigned to be in charge; protecting security in the fields of economy, national defense, foreign affairs and other national interests; protecting state secrets and important national security targets.

Medium and long-term strategies , plans and projects for socio-economic development investment are always researched, developed and implemented in relation to the national defense and security strategy. This is an important step forward, institutionalizing the Party's viewpoints in a synchronous manner, especially new thoughts and viewpoints on national defense, security and national protection through legal documents - an important legal basis to strengthen national defense and national protection in the new situation, contributing to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of state management in the field of national defense and security. At the same time, it is also the basis for directing all levels, sectors, forces and localities to implement the task of socio-economic development associated with strengthening national defense and security potential and national protection.

In perfecting income distribution policies and the cultural and social fields , the State proactively addresses the relationship between economic growth and social justice. As a result, the material and spiritual life of the people has been improved; the gap between rich and poor as well as the gap in living standards and development opportunities between regions, ethnic groups, and between rural and urban areas has been partly limited. The regime and policies for officers and soldiers in the armed forces and their families have received special attention so that officers and soldiers can serve with peace of mind and are ready to fight to protect the Fatherland. The mechanism and policies for the development of science, technology and the environment are not only aimed at improving technological level and labor productivity but also prioritize the goals of rapidly modernizing the military and police forces, especially the level of national defense against traditional and non-traditional security risks (cyber warfare, biological and chemical weapons, environmental pollution, etc.).

In implementing international integration policies , the Party and State proactively make the market economy that Vietnam builds an organic part of the world market economy, "selectively inheriting the achievements of humankind's market economic development", "the legal system, mechanisms, policies and market factors, all types of markets are complete, synchronous, operate smoothly, closely linked with the economies in the world" ⁽¹⁾ , comply with the common principles and standards of the world for development. International integration policies, market expansion to, on the one hand , develop the country's economy quickly and sustainably; on the other hand , create mutual understanding, strengthen economic interests, friendly diplomatic relations between our country and countries in the world, contribute to the formation of a new world order in the direction of ensuring security, common peace for development, equality in international relations. At the same time, on the basis of cooperation in investment and trade, there is a policy of selecting partners for cooperation in defense and security to strengthen weapons, technical equipment, modern defense and security technology and human resource training to serve the modernization of the armed forces.

The combination of economic development with strengthening national defense and security potential in the economic development strategy is reflected in the planning of national development goals, in resource mobilization, in the selection and implementation of strategic solutions. However, some policies have not yet specifically identified solutions for implementation. Therefore, some economic plans, projects, economic zones, and industrial zones are located in areas that do not meet the requirements of the national defense and security strategy. On the other hand, when developing economic development plans and investment plans, central and local agencies pay attention mainly to the economic benefits aspect, without fully considering the impact of those projects on the issue of ensuring national defense and security.

The cause of this limitation comes from the fact that officials and civil servants of some central and local agencies have not fully recognized the importance of combining economic development tasks with strengthening national defense and security potential; they do not fully understand the requirements for ensuring national defense and security in the construction of some investment projects. The agencies responsible for coordinating the examination and appraisal of investment projects, due to lack of responsibility, insufficient capacity, or both of the above reasons, have not detected potential risks in those investment projects for national defense and security. It is not excluded that, for personal interests, group interests, local interests of the industry or locality, or being bribed, the agency or civil servant in charge of the construction, appraisal of the project, the civil servant with the authority to approve and organize the implementation of the project has intentionally ignored the risks of negative impacts of the project on the country's national defense and security.

Coordination between ministries and sectors in the development of institutions, policies, plans and schemes for socio-economic development, sectors and fields related to national defence and security is not tight. State management agencies in many localities only focus their efforts on local economic growth and revenue increase without really paying attention to national defence and security issues.

Viewpoints and solutions to perfect state management to enhance the combination of economic development with strengthening national defense and security potential

Corporation 789, Corps 11 (Ministry of National Defense) constructs the headquarters of the Lao National Assembly_Photo: VNA

To promote the positive impacts, minimize the negative impacts of the development of the market economy on national defense and security, harmoniously combine and ensure the successful implementation of the two strategic goals of building the country and firmly protecting the Fatherland, it is necessary to have a system of synchronous viewpoints and solutions. In particular, the especially important solution is to perfect the work of state management.

Perfecting state management of the market economy, meeting the requirements of combining economic development with strengthening national defense and security potential, must originate from the Party's main viewpoint on national defense, security, and national protection as expressed in the Party Platform, Statutes, resolutions, and directives, and be perfected through Party congresses. The 12th National Party Congress identified the key goal of national defense and security as: “ Strongly promoting the combined strength of the entire nation and the entire political system, maximizing the consensus and support of the international community, resolutely and persistently fighting to firmly protect the independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the Fatherland, protect the Party, State, people and socialist regime; protect the renovation process, the cause of industrialization and modernization, protect national interests; protect national culture; maintain a peaceful environment, political stability, national security, social order and safety” ⁽²⁾ .

At the same time, it is necessary to thoroughly understand the following viewpoints:

Firstly, the Party has absolute and direct leadership in all aspects of national defense, security, and protection of the Fatherland. The Party Platform, Statutes, and Party Congress documents highlight the principle: The Party has absolute and direct leadership in all aspects of national defense and security. This is a basic principle, regulating the Party's leadership function in national defense and security, from building and planning guidelines and strategies on national defense and security to organizing implementation.

Second, the tasks of socio-economic development and strengthening national defense and maintaining national security have a dialectical relationship, impact, support and promote each other. This is the consistent viewpoint in the leadership and direction of the Party's revolutionary cause, especially in the new context and situation. Our Party continues to affirm that the task of economic development is the center, strengthening national defense and security is an important and regular task. In particular, strengthening national defense and security potential to create a solid environment and premise for economic, cultural and social development; conversely, each achievement of the task of building and developing the economy, culture and society will create solid conditions for the cause of strengthening national defense and security.

Third, the legal system, socio-economic development policies, national defense and security policies must be synchronous and effective. The socialist rule of law state of the people, by the people, for the people, is organized and operates on the basis of the Constitution and laws. Therefore, the State needs to have a synchronous legal system, socio-economic development policies, and laws and policies on national defense and security; organized and implemented seriously and effectively, meeting the requirements of firmly protecting the independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the Fatherland in all situations.

Fourth, consistently implement a national defense and security policy of a peaceful and self-defensive nature. The policy of our Party and State is not to use force or threaten to use force in international relations, to resolve all disagreements and disputes with other countries by peaceful means. Build national defense and security potential based on the combined strength of the whole country, the great national unity bloc, and the entire political system under the leadership of the Party; combine national strength with the strength of the times, the strength of the armed forces and the national defense posture, and the people's security posture.

On the basis of thoroughly grasping the main viewpoints and the above-mentioned viewpoints, in the coming time, to strengthen the combination of economic development with strengthening national defense and security potential, and perfecting state management, it is necessary to focus on the following main solutions:

Firstly, strengthen the Party's leadership in combining economic development with strengthening national defense and security. Thoroughly grasp the Party's policies and guidelines, develop and implement strategies, plans, and plans for economic, sectoral, and local development in conjunction with strengthening national defense and security in a suitable manner. Strengthen inspection and supervision of the implementation of policies and guidelines on combining economic development with strengthening national defense and security. Strictly discipline officials and civil servants who violate or fail to fulfill their duties in advising and formulating economic development policies that harm the country's national defense and security potential.

Second, perfecting the legal system on economic development, ensuring the combination of economic development with strengthening national defense and security potential. All policies and guidelines of the Party related to the combination of national construction and defense, economic development with strengthening national defense and security must be institutionalized into a system of legal documents in a synchronous and unified manner for effective and efficient management and implementation throughout the country. Mechanisms and policies to ensure the combination of economic development with strengthening national defense and security potential must be built according to the viewpoint of national defense and people's security. The allocation of investment budget for the combination of socio-economic development with strengthening national defense and security must focus on key targets and projects with high dual-use to meet both socio-economic development and strengthening national defense and security, both in the short and long term. Develop policies to encourage material and spiritual benefits for organizations, individuals, and investors with scientific topics and technological projects of high dual-use significance, serving the cause of national construction and defense.

Third, perfecting the overall strategy combining socio-economic development with strengthening national defense and security in the new period. To combine economic development with strengthening national defense and security throughout the process of promoting industrialization and modernization of the country in a fundamental and unified manner nationwide and in each locality, it is necessary to continue perfecting the overall national strategy. planning and plans on combining economic development with strengthening national defense and security. This should be considered one of the most important bases for leading and directing effective and efficient state management activities. In perfecting the overall strategy, planning and plans on combining economic development with strengthening national defense, security and foreign affairs in the new period, there must be synchronous coordination between ministries, branches and localities from the stage of surveying and evaluating resources (both internal and external), on that basis, determining development goals and directions and proposing policy solutions, such as: Resource exploitation policy; investment and investment allocation policy; human resource mobilization and population arrangement policy; preferential policy for dual-use science and technology.

Fourth, improve the effectiveness of state management of authorities at all levels in combining economic development with strengthening and consolidating national defense and security. First of all, each sector and each level must perform its functions and tasks in accordance with the provisions of law and Decree No. 119/2004/ND-CP of the Government ⁽³⁾ ; at the same time, research and develop a Decree amending and supplementing this Decree to suit the requirements of tasks in new conditions (the development of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, globalization and strong international integration; the emergence of non-traditional defense and security issues). Develop and direct the effective implementation of plans and schemes to combine economic development with strengthening and consolidating national defense and security in sectors, localities and establishments. Innovate the management and operation methods of authorities at all levels from planning and planning to situational awareness, information collection and processing, orienting activities, organizing guidance and inspection at all stages and steps of the implementation process, combining economic development with strengthening national defense and security. Strengthen the supervisory role of the National Assembly, People's Councils at all levels, the Vietnam Fatherland Front and political and social organizations.

Fifth, innovate and improve the quality of training in knowledge and experience in combining economic development with strengthening national defense and security for civil servants, especially leaders and managers at all levels. Based on the training subjects and the requirements of the tasks, select appropriate and practical training content and programs to improve both knowledge, experience and practical capacity in line with the positions held by each type of cadre. Combine theoretical knowledge training with practice through experimental and practical exercises in ministries, branches, localities and bases to improve the understanding and organizational capacity of the cadre team and the entire people and army in combining economic development with strengthening national defense and security in the new situation.

Sixth, consolidate, improve and promote the advisory role of specialized state management agencies on national defense and security at all levels. It is necessary to study and supplement the functions and tasks of specialized state management agencies on national defense and security in general and on combining economic development with strengthening and consolidating national defense and security in particular. Combine organizational rectification and consolidation with training, capacity building and responsibility of specialized agencies and cadres doing advisory work on combining economic development with strengthening and consolidating national defense and security to match the requirements of the tasks in the new period./.

------------------------------
(1) Resolution No. 12-NQ/TW, dated June 3, 2017, 5th Conference of the 12th Party Central Committee, On continuing to restructure, innovate and improve the efficiency of state-owned enterprises
(2) Documents of the 12th National Congress of Delegates , Central Party Office, Hanoi, 2016, p. 33
(3) Decree No. 119/2004/ND-CP, dated May 11, 2004, of the Government, on national defense work in ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government agencies and localities.

Nguồn: https://tapchicongsan.org.vn/web/guest/quoc-phong-an-ninh-oi-ngoai1/-/2018/817025/ket-hop-phat-trien-kinh-te-voi-cung-co-tiem-luc-quoc-phong%2C-an-ninh---tu-goc-do-quan-ly-nha-nuoc.aspx