Strategic autonomy for a strong Vietnam - Part 1: New vision in development thinking

In the context of a rapidly changing world and increasingly fierce strategic competition between major countries, Vietnam is preparing to enter the 14th Party Congress with the requirement of shaping the country's development vision until the mid-21st century. One of the key contents mentioned in the Draft Documents of the 14th Congress is the issue of "strategic autonomy", a concept that represents a new development in the thinking, mettle and foreign vision of our Party.

VNA has published a series of articles on "Strategic autonomy for a strong Vietnam" to clarify the urgency, theoretical and practical basis and action orientation for Vietnam to realize the goal of strategic autonomy, contributing to maintaining independence, sovereignty , stability and sustainable development in the new context.

Flags and flowers brightly decorated Ba Dinh Square. Photo: Minh Quyet/VNA

Lesson 1: New vision in development thinking

The country is entering an important stage of preparation for the 14th National Congress of the Party - a major political event that will orient a new period of development. In the draft documents submitted to the Congress, the phrase "strategic autonomy" is emphasized as a core ideology, a new step in the Party's vision of national independence and autonomy in the turbulent era of globalization. This is not only a new concept, but also a manifestation of the stature of leadership thinking in a period of comprehensive integration and fierce strategic competition - where each country can only stand firm if it knows how to proactively position itself and master its own development destiny.

New developments in leadership thinking

In many Congresses, our Party has always been consistent in its viewpoint of "maintaining independence and autonomy", considering it an immutable principle in planning the country's development path. However, entering the preparation stage of the 14th Congress, the Draft Document has for the first time raised the issue of "strategic autonomy", a concept with a broader meaning, demonstrating the Party's new thinking on national independence in the era of global integration.

In the draft documents of the 14th Party Congress, the theme of the Congress is determined as: "Under the glorious flag of the Party, join hands and unite to successfully implement the country's development goals by 2030; strategic autonomy, self-reliance, self-confidence, and strong progress in the era of national growth, for peace , independence, democracy, wealth, prosperity, civilization, happiness, and steady progress towards socialism".

The determination of the above Congress theme represents an important step forward in the Party's theoretical thinking on the path of national development in the context of a volatile world. If in previous periods, our Party emphasized the spirit of innovation and integration, now, when the world enters a new stage of development, with profound changes in politics, economics, science and technology... Our Party has proposed a new theme with new connotations: "strategic autonomy, self-reliance, self-confidence, and strong progress in the era of national development". This affirms the spirit of initiative, shaping Vietnam's position in the regional and global structure; reflecting the mettle and aspiration of the Vietnamese people to stand shoulder to shoulder with the world powers.

If "independence and autonomy" means not depending on any force, then "strategic autonomy" is the ability to proactively determine, shape and manage one's own development strategy in a complex and volatile world. It is not only a posture of "preserving oneself", but also the ability to "self-orient, self-create and self-lead" national development.

At the national level, strategic autonomy is the ability to maintain independence in strategic decisions, both protecting the core interests of the nation and flexibly responding to take advantage of external opportunities for development. This is the highest expression of independent thinking, self-reliance and creativity, which Vietnam has been steadfastly implementing for nearly 40 years of renovation.

The world is now entering a period of strategic competition between major powers, along with fluctuations in supply chains, energy crises, regional conflicts, and non-traditional security challenges. In such a context, a country without the capacity for strategic autonomy will easily be caught in a spiral of dependence.

Therefore, the Party's inclusion of "strategic autonomy" in the draft documents of the 14th National Congress is a step forward in theoretical thinking, and at the same time a command of the country's development practices - affirming that only when the nation can master its direction, master its resources, master its foreign relations and security, can it truly ensure independence, freedom and sustainable development.

Autonomy is associated with self-reliance, self-confidence and national character.

Since assuming the responsibility of General Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Comrade To Lam has repeatedly emphasized new requirements on development thinking, in which "building a comprehensive strategic autonomy for the country" is considered one of the key orientations.

General Secretary To Lam has promoted and aroused the strong will and aspiration for a new era, "the era of the Vietnamese people's rise" starting from the 14th National Party Congress. That is the era of breakthrough development towards realizing the goal of prosperity and wealth, bringing the Vietnamese people to stand shoulder to shoulder with the world powers on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the country's founding, under the leadership of the Party with the mindset of "self-reliance, self-confidence, self-reliance, self-strengthening, national pride". That is also the era in which Vietnam will contribute more and more, proactively and positively to the world's peace, stability and development. That implies and affirms that Vietnam is consistent with the tradition of independence, self-reliance, self-strengthening, but will put itself in the flow of the times, taking advantage of the factors of the times to realize the aspiration for prosperity, while affirming a new role, position, and greater responsibility for the peace and development of humanity.

At the Opening Session of the 13th Conference of the 13th Party Central Committee (October 6), when mentioning the content of the discussion of the Draft Documents of the 14th Congress, General Secretary To Lam reminded delegates to add content for the orientation of "strategic autonomy, innovation in development models, and effective accounting thinking in national development".

On October 13, in his speech at the 1st Congress of the Government Party Committee for the 2025-2030 term, General Secretary To Lam also emphasized that in the new context, it is necessary to take shortcuts using Vietnamese intelligence combined with the progressive knowledge of humanity, soon establishing a state of "strategic autonomy", achieving and maintaining a high and sustainable growth rate, for the country and the people.

The General Secretary's guiding viewpoint shows that strategic autonomy is not only about maintaining political independence or ensuring national security and defense, but also about endogenous economic, scientific, technological and cultural capacity - the fundamental factors for the country to not be passive in the face of international fluctuations. This thinking shows that strategic autonomy is placed in the overall "self-reliance - self-confidence - self-reliance", demonstrating the aspiration to bring Vietnam to rise strongly in the new era.

Sharing the same spirit, in many speeches at international and domestic forums, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also mentioned the issue of strategic autonomy. At the ASEAN Future Forum 2025 on February 26, 2025, sharing the significance of strategic autonomy for Vietnam and ASEAN in the context of many changes in the world, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that any country or association must put the issue of self-reliance, self-strengthening and strategic autonomy first.

The Prime Minister affirmed that "self-reliance, self-reliance, and self-confidence are the foundation of sustainable development and proactive integration. The Prime Minister also emphasized that: Vietnam never chooses the path of isolation or isolation, but always proactively integrates and cooperates on the basis of independence, equality, and mutual benefit, for the benefit of the nation and people. According to the Prime Minister, strategic autonomy is the ability to shape one's own development path, while still deeply participating in the global economic network, both open and steadfast. That is the mettle of a nation of stature, knowing how to rely mainly on its own strength, but not afraid to integrate and take advantage of the strength of the times for rapid and sustainable development.

From leadership thinking to action orientation, "strategic autonomy" is becoming the red thread in the process of preparing documents for the 14th National Party Congress. It is not only a political requirement, but also an inclusive development philosophy that crystallizes the wisdom, mettle and aspiration of the Vietnamese people after nearly four decades of renovation.

A country with strategic autonomy is a country that: Decides its own development path based on national and ethnic interests; Builds its own solid endogenous capacity, especially in science, technology, education and independent economy; Positions itself in international relations with the courage of dialogue, cooperation and responsibility.

At a deeper level, “strategic autonomy” is also the cultural capacity of a mature nation, daring to think, daring to do, daring to go its own way, not being swept away by imposed trends. It reflects the Vietnamese spirit – the spirit of a nation that has won in war, and now continues to win with peace, with intelligence and confidence.

Including this content in the draft documents of the 14th National Congress is a strategic and far-sighted move. It is an affirmation that, in a volatile world, Vietnam does not choose to stand aside, nor be swept away by it, but proactively takes the position of a creator - a planner of its own future.

The upcoming 14th National Congress will be an important milestone, where "strategic autonomy" is not only seen as a theoretical concept, but also as a motto for action, the foundation for building a Vietnam that is sustainably developed, strong and has an important voice in the international arena.

Lesson 2: Inevitable Choices in Times of Change

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/tu-chu-chien-luoc-cho-mot-viet-nam-hung-cuong-bai-1-tam-nhin-moi-trong-tu-duy-phat-trien-20251102194526792.htm