The combination of strengthening national defense and security, consolidating the whole people's defense posture in association with the people's security posture and the popularity-winning defense posture is always considered the root of the national protection strategy, Vietnam’s unique military art, the decisive factor to create an unbroken, comprehensive and widespread posture, which can mobilize the strength of the whole nation to firmly protect the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
Through revolutionary periods, the Party's theoretical thinking on the tasks of strengthening national defense and security and protecting the country has continuously been improved, aiming at the highest goal of firmly protecting national independence and sovereignty, unification, territorial integrity and national interests. In particular, the armed forces are tasked to protect the Party, the State, the people and the socialist political system as well as to proactively prevent and defeat all conspiracies and sabotage activities of hostile forces, prevent risks of war and conflict from afar, and avoid being driven to a disadvantage or strategic surprise.
Over the past years, the Vietnam People’s Public Security Forces and Vietnam People’s Army have always followed Uncle Ho’s teachings, “The police and military are the two arms of the people, Party and Government,” and “The military and police always join forces, promote unity and coordination in executing the national defense and security missions entrusted by the Party, State and people. The two forces thoroughly grasp the situation, advice the Party and State to improve polices and laws on consolidating national defense and security and building the people defense posture and people security posture in the national construction and protection of the Fatherland.”
Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Defense and Ministry of Public Security have also issued a number of documents aimed at promoting unity and coordination between the two forces. The very strong unity and close coordination between the Vietnam People’s Public Security Forces and Vietnam People’s Army have created a favorable conditions for the two forces to accomplish their assigned tasks and mobilize the comprehensive strength of the political system and people to further consolidate the whole people's defense posture and whole people's security posture.
At the same time, the two forces have coordinated closely in advising the Government and National Assembly to promote international cooperation and sign agreements in line with the Party’s guidelines and State’s policies on the good combination between ensuring national defense and security and promoting national socio-economic development.
Regarding the common mission of ensuring public order and security, the two forces have regularly exchanged information about security situations in localities and the country as a whole, worked together on plans to ensure safety and security for major events, important projects, visiting foreign delegations, and joined hands in addressing issues relating to national defense and security, particularly those occurring in the East Sea (South China Sea), border areas and other flash points, contributing to maintaining a stable and peaceful environment in the country for national socio-economic development.
Over the past years, the Ministry of National Defense and Ministry of Public Security have also join efforts to build strong Vietnamese revolutionary armed forces. The two ministries have shared with each other experience in building a strong, regular, elite and gradually modernized army and strong, regular, elite and gradually modernized public security forces. Facts have showed that the two forces have developed continuously and strongly over the past years but they have still preserved the nature of the revolutionary armed forces, which are always loyal to the Party, the socialist Fatherland and the people.
At this point, the Vietnam People’s Public Security Forces and Vietnam People’s Army are able to defeat any sabotage conspiracies and plots of hostile forces or military attacks from foreign countries.
The situation in the world and the region continues to see rapid and complicated changes. Further, strategic competition among major countries, arising populism and nationalism as well as increased traditional security and non-traditional security threats continue to be major challenges to the security of nations, including Vietnam. Meanwhile, the domestic security situation also faces various manifestations of "self-evolution" and "self-transformation" and potential destabilizing factors in some areas and fields. In this circumstance, strengthening national defense and security and firmly protecting the Socialist Republic of Vietnam are key and regular tasks of the Party, the State, the political system and the entire population. These situations and tasks also require the Vietnam People’s Public Security Forces and Vietnam People’s Army to promote their unity, coordination and play the core role in further strengthening the whole people's defense posture in combination with the whole people's security posture.
The specific missions that the two forces should successfully fulfill are clarified as follows:
Firstly, to thoroughly and comprehensively and effectively implement Resolution No.28-NQ/TW issued on October 25, 2013 by the Party Central Committee of the 11th on the Strategy for National Defense in the new situation, as well as guidelines, policies and strategic solutions of the Party and State on national defense, military development, national security, national border protection, cyber security and network security, the Law on National Defense, the Law on People's Public Security Forces. In particular, the two forces should concretize the objectives and measures to build the whole people's defense posture in couple with the whole people's security posture and the “people’s heart” posture.
Secondly, to enhance the overall, direct and absolute leadership of the Party and the centralized and united management of the State as well as to mobilized the mastership of the people in strengthening national defense, security, national construction and protection of the Fatherland. Especially, the leadership of the Party is always perceived as the decisive factor to win every achievement in the Vietnamese revolution and to mobilize the masses to build and develop the whole-people defense posture and the whole-people security posture. In this context, the two forces should restlessly consolidate their collaboration with Party committees and civilian authorities at all levels, participate actively in cementing the political system and proactively advice Party committees and civilian authorities at all levels on the implementation of national defense and security missions.
Thirdly, to put a special emphasis on popularizing the legal documents, Party’s guidelines and State’s policies on national defense and security across communities, frequently improving all organizations, businesses and people’s responsibility and vigilance to sabotage conspiracies and activities of hostile and reactionary forces as well as to mobilize all organizations, businesses and people from all walks of life to participate in safeguarding national sovereignty and border security, preventing and combating crimes, ensuring public order and security. To meet this end, the two forces should expand their coordination in conducting the mass mobilization and bolstering revolutionary movements and emulation movements in communities, and consider these movements as important approaches to bring into full play the national unity bloc, comprehensive strength of the entire political system and entire nation, basic foundations to successfully develop and firmly safeguard the country.
Fourthly, to expand their coordination and strengthen their relations for more practical fruitful outcomes. Thus the two forces should regularly meet to review the joint implementation of Resolution 03/2019/ND-CP issued on September 5, 2019 by the Government on the coordination between the Ministry of National Defense and Ministry of Public Security in protecting national security, ensuring public order and security, preventing and combating crimes, national defense consolidation. The two forces should also be active in preventing and fighting any sabotage conspiracies and activities of reactionary and hostile forces, minimizing disadvantage factors to the country, increase defensive drills, joint force exercises on dealing with complex national defense and security situations, and making their forces prepared and ready to protect the Fatherland in case the national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity are breached.
Fifthly, to join efforts in building a revolutionary, comprehensively strong, regular, elite, gradually-modernized military and revolutionary, comprehensively strong, regular, elite, gradually-modernized public security forces, which serve as the key armed forces in protecting the Party, State and people, implementing national defense and security missions, and building and safeguarding the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
Written by General To Lam, Doctor, Professor, Minister of Public Security
Translated by Thu Nguyen