13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam and its significance

CPV
The delegates voted and approved the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress. (Photo: VNA)

The results of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), with Nguyen Phu Trong re-elected as General Secretary of the 13th Party Central Committee, have made headlines around Asia, according to Vietnam News Agency (VNA). It began on Jan 25 and concluded on February 1 after eight days of working. The congress fulfilled its agenda and wrapped up with highly successful outcomes.

Nguyen Phu Trong was re-elected General Secretary of the 13th Party Central Committee.

A total 1,587 delegates representing more than 5 million Party members attended. Of the delegates, 191 are members of the 12th tenure Party Central Committee, 1,381 were elected at Party congresses of provinces, centrally-run cities and centrally-run Party organisations, and 15 are from overseas Party organizations.

There were 1,365 male delegates, or 86.01 percent, and 222 females, or 13.99 percent.

The number of ethnic minority delegates stands at 175, or 11.03 percent. While Kinhs constitute about 85 percent of Vietnam’s around 100 million (2020) population, there are over 50 other  ethnic groups making up 15 %.

Three delegates are heroes of the people’s armed forces, 13 are eminent teachers, and 15 have been honoured as people’s doctors and eminent doctors.

Nearly 500 reporters and technicians from 191 Vietnamese news agencies and some 160 reporters from more than 110 foreign media outlets, of whom nearly 100 will cover the event online, it was reported.

On the second working day, the delegates heard the Party and State leaders deliver opening remarks and present a report, including one reviewing the leadership and direction of the 12th Party Central Committee, according to Vietnam News Agency.

Delegates agreed on several goals and tasks for the country’s future development, including making Vietnam a modern industrialised country with upper-middle incomes by 2030 and a developed country with high incomes by 2045.

On February 3, the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations, headed by Hoang Binh Quan, held a meeting in Hanoi to inform diplomatic missions and international organisations in Vietnam about the outcomes of the 13th National Party Congress.

The congress continued to affirm the persistence in and the creative application and development of the Marxism – Leninism and Ho Chi Minh’s ideology in accordance with the reality in Vietnam, the persistence in the goal of national independence in association with socialism, the continuation of comprehensive promotion of “Doi moi” (Renewal), proactive and active integration into the world, and the fast and sustainable development of the country in the new period,  a party official said.

Quan underlined that the documents adopted at the 13th congress identified the strategic vision and national development aspirations for not only 2025 but also 2030 and 2045.

The documents adopted at this congress had been prepared very early and thoroughly with opinions of people from all social strata and overseas Vietnamese taken into consideration, he said, noting that they are the essence of the wisdom, will, and aspirations of the entire Party and people in making guidelines and policies for national development.

Targets for Future

The event targets that by 2025, when Vietnam celebrates the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification, it will become a developing country with modernity-oriented industry and move up out of the lower-middle income level; by 2030, when the Party marks its centenary, Vietnam will be a developing country with modern industry and upper-middle income; and by 2045, when the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, turns 100, the country will become a developed one with high income.

To realise those targets and vision, the congress identified 12 national development orientations for 2021 – 2030, he added.

With regard to external relations, the Congress upheld the consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, diversification and multilateralisation of foreign relations; being a friend, a trustworthy partner, and an active and responsible member of the international community; ensuring to the utmost the country and people’s interests on the basis of the fundamental principles of the UN Charter and international law, equality, and mutually beneficial cooperation; and making proactive and active efforts to intensively and comprehensively integrate into the world. 368 congratulatory letters and messages received indicated the friendly relations.

He also notified diplomatic delegations and international organisations of the results of the election of the Party Central Committee, the Politburo, the Secretariat, and the Inspection Commission for the 13th tenure.

Trong, 77, was re-elected for another five-year term, the third in a row “with almost absolute votes” during the first plenum of the 13th Party Central Committee Jan 31 morning.

Trong, who is older than the age requirements, was among the “special cases” introduced by the 12th Party Central Committee for re-election to the 13th Party Central Committee, Vietnam media reported.

He became General Secretary of the Party Central Committee in 2011, and was re-elected to the position in 2016. He was elected president in October 2018, simultaneously heading the Party and executive branches of the governance, following the death of President Tran Dai Quang due to serious illness.

Free Malaysia Today described the Party General Secretary as spearheading a “blazing furnace” crackdown on corruption over the last five years, while Malaysiakini highlighted the election of new leaders.

Japan’s Asia Nikkei said the CPV decided on January 31 to give Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong a third term as the country’s top leader. Trong, it said, has been credited for stably managing State affairs, including the containment of the novel coronavirus and the management of the anti-corruption campaign.

It quoted Le Hong Hiep, a fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, as saying that Vietnam will maintain its current foreign policy trajectory, pursuing strategic diversification and international economic integration while deepening ties with major powers and supporting the role of ASEAN.

Large media outlets in Hong Kong (China) also touched on the anti-corruption campaign the CPV is running, saying that Trong will further intensify the campaign in the time to come.


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