Recently, Vietnam has continuously welcomed international delegations visiting and working in the country, such as the delegation of General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping; the delegation of French President Emmanuel Macron; the delegation of Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra...
Looking further ahead, from 2023 to the present, more than 60 delegations of heads of state have visited Vietnam, along with hundreds of high-level meetings at multilateral forums and conferences. Besides the political and diplomatic achievements, it is impossible to overlook the work of ensuring security and safety for international delegations and events.
In this context, the Department for the Protection of Special Events and International Guests of the Guard Command is the core unit responsible for carrying out this task.
Russian President Vladimir Putin poses for a commemorative photo with the Presidential Guard Command before concluding his visit to Vietnam in June 2024 (Photo: Presidential Guard Command).
The Vietnamese officer is especially trusted by General Secretary Xi Jinping.
In April and May alone, Vietnam welcomed seven delegations of heads of state from various countries. Among them, the two-day visit of General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping was considered extremely important.
Colonel Tran Xuan Thinh, Head of the Department for Protecting Special Events and International Guests, said that before the visit took place, the Guard Command had worked with the advance team from the visiting country.
The meeting between the security forces of the two countries went smoothly, with an agreement reached on plans and strategies for protecting and supporting General Secretary and President Xi Jinping during his visit to Vietnam.
Lieutenant Colonel Hoang Van Tu (in the blue vest on the left) provided close protection for General Secretary Xi Jinping during his visit in April this year (Photo: VGP).
"Notably, the security forces of the host country proactively proposed and specifically selected Lieutenant Colonel Hoang Van Tu - an officer of the International Guest Protection Team - to assume the role of the main close protection officer for General Secretary and President Xi Jinping," Colonel Thinh shared.
According to Colonel Thinh, Lieutenant Colonel Tu was the person who directly protected General Secretary and President Xi Jinping during the two most recent visits to Vietnam. "This is not only a testament to the trust of the Chinese security forces in Lieutenant Colonel Tu personally, but also to their absolute trust in the Vietnamese security forces," Colonel Thinh said.
This trust was further reinforced when Lieutenant Colonel Tú recounted that General Secretary and President Xi Jinping happily told him, "Next time I come, please continue to protect me."
Female officer Dang Hong Nhung (behind Mrs. Peng Liyuan) provided close protection for the wife of General Secretary Xi Jinping during her visit to Vietnam in 2015 (Photo: Dan Tri).
Not only President Xi Jinping, but also First Lady Peng Liyuan once shared that she felt "as safe as being in her own country" with female officer Dang Hong Nhung - who was assigned to provide close protection for the First Lady during her visit to Vietnam at the end of 2023.
"We are very pleased with your seriousness, professionalism, accuracy, and meticulous attention to detail in every aspect of your work," Ms. Peng Liyuan told Officer Nhung.
Similarly, Lieutenant Colonel Pham Van Thang, an officer in the International Guest Protection Team, recounts that officers from the two countries seem to share an invisible bond with the Russian security forces.
"Even in a crowd, we recognized each other. We didn't need to exchange many words, but through our eyes and nods, we understood each other's messages, and we shared absolute trust and deep affection," Lieutenant Colonel Thang shared.
What makes someone successful?
These stories would only happen if Vietnam were a safe and hospitable country.
From then on, the world could witness images of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte happily cycling with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Hanoi's most picturesque street - Phan Dinh Phung - in November 2023; or the moments of strolling and sightseeing in Hanoi's neighborhoods by the Presidents of France and Hungary...
Behind those impressive moments lies a meticulous and elaborate process of preparation, planning, and deployment of forces by the Department for Security of Important Events and International Guests.
French First Lady Brigitte Macron, along with Mrs. Ngo Phuong Ly, wife of General Secretary To Lam, visited the Temple of Literature - National University (Photo: Guard Command).
Colonel Tran Xuan Thinh stated that the targets of security officers and soldiers' combat and prevention efforts are very diverse, potentially including political targets, criminals; those with mental disorders or high on drugs; dangers from rabid or wild animals; or even objective factors such as weather, natural disasters, and floods.
"Therefore, through professional consultations, the unit develops protection plans and organizes drills to handle operational situations, ensuring they are close to reality; training officers and soldiers in professional work skills, observation and situational judgment abilities, and proactiveness and flexibility in performing their duties, in order to ensure absolute safety for the protected person," Colonel Thinh said.
According to Colonel Thinh, in order to have a team of highly professional officers and soldiers with strong political convictions and the ability to work independently in an international environment, the unit has researched and pioneered the training and practice of effective protection plans tailored to each security target.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte cycled with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Hanoi's most picturesque street - Phan Dinh Phung - in November 2023 (Photo: Dan Tri).
For example, in the recent security detail for the Thai Prime Minister's delegation, for the first time, the unit deployed an all-female security detail consisting of relatively young officers.
According to Colonel Thinh, the Command's viewpoint is that all innovations and creative approaches in professional work originate from and are directed towards the soldiers, ensuring the best possible material conditions, technical equipment, and support tools to help security officers and soldiers excellently fulfill their duties.
Meanwhile, commanders of units under the Command always put themselves in the position of officers and soldiers, to understand and share the difficulties and hardships in the process of performing their duties, as well as in their lives.
A contingent of Vietnamese female security guards protects the Prime Minister of Thailand (Photo: Guard Command).
From there, commanders will provide close leadership and guidance; unite and inspire a collective spirit, responsibility, and enthusiasm; motivate and encourage officers and soldiers to actively and continuously learn and train to improve their skills in all aspects, meeting the increasingly high demands of security work.
"A united team with individuals who strive tirelessly is a particularly important factor, the foundation and source of the continuous successes in the unit's protection operations," Colonel Tran Xuan Thinh shared.
Dantri.com.vn
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/xa-hoi/si-quan-viet-nam-3-lan-bao-ve-tong-bi-thu-chu-tich-trung-quoc-tap-can-binh-20250606101019140.htm
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