The Hanoi Times would like to introduce some views of scholars around the world who are interviewed by the Vietnam News Agency.

Vietnam's Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Photos: VNA

Amiad Horowitz, a reporter of the People’s World and member of the Communist Party USA:

He said this is an extremely important piece, not just for Vietnam and the CPV, but also for communists around the world. It explains the unique conditions Vietnam has had to deal with and how it approached these conditions with Marxist-Leninist perspective. 

From the outside, many people will look at Vietnam and not understand how a mixed market economy is an integral part of building socialism in Vietnam. There is a lot of anti-communist propaganda that tries to slander Vietnam and claim that it has abandoned its Marxist principles or given up on building socialism.

“Anyone that really wants to understand the path Vietnam and the CPV are taking to building socialism and improving the lives of the people of Vietnam must read this very important article by General Secretary Trong,” he said. 

He said a number of points stood out to him. Firstly, the importance that socialism in Vietnam is rooted in material reality with the goal of making the lives of the people of Vietnam materially better.

The goals of building a free, prosperous, happy life for the people are practical goals that talk to the very needs of all humanity. “As we have seen through the past few decades, the CPV has lead Vietnam steadily in this direction, every year improving on the year before.”

Secondly, it is important that General Secretary Trong highlighted the specific difficulties of Vietnam’s path. Marxist-Leninist do not hide from difficulties. The mixed market approach comes with specific challenges. As General Secretary Trong laid out, the goal of the CPV is to understand them and respond to them appropriately.

Lastly, General Secretary Trong reminds the reader that the essence of the vanguard party is to serve the people. This is an important point to remember that without being connected to the people and their needs, a party cannot be the vanguard and will fail to achieve its goals. However, the CPV always seeks to ensure that the connection remains strong and this is a big part of the successes we have seen in Vietnam under the leadership of the CPV.

“The achievements are truly remarkable. In just a few decades, Vietnam has gone one of the world’s poorest countries to a country with one of the most dynamic and fastest-growing economies in the world,” he said. 

The reporter said even more remarkable is that all the progress Vietnam has made happened in a world that remains hostile to communists. Despite these difficulties, because of the continued principled use of Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought, the CPV has lead Vietnam to many great successes. 

Faisal Ahmed, Associate Professor of International Business at FORE School of Management in New Delhi:

According to the professor, in the pandemic-hit world, the countries which have embraced a socialistic structure have responded well to emergent social needs.

“Today, we need a people-centric policy, which is characterized by social equality, rule of law, strong institutions, and a cohesive social ecosystem. A growing GDP or FDI must translate into improved social well-being and better living standards”.

Faisal Ahmed, Associate Professor of International Business at FORE School of Management in New Delhi.

“Doi Moi enhanced Vietnam’s international trading position and helped it improve its role in global economic governance. The domestic productive capacity has enhanced over the years, and it has helped Vietnam gain from exports too,” he said. “The FDI inflows have happened and contributed to improving the living standard of the people. Today, it is only because of its socialist-oriented market economy that Vietnam is a fast developing country in Southeast Asia and has increased participation in the Global Value Chains”.

To achieve a socialist society, the Indian professor suggested Vietnam step up economic diversification and industrialization, boost its competitive collaboration with larger economies in Asia, focus on convergences on the global and regional strategic front, and enhance impetus on science and technology studies.

Rui said the article has received special attention from China’s political circle and ideologists, contributing to further enriching Marxism-Leninism and contributing to the ideological system of socialism in the world.

In the article, Trong delved into the nature of capitalism, saying that capitalism itself could not remedy its own existing basic contradictions.

The CPV stays consistent with its stance that the State is “of the people, by the people, for the people”, with people as a center. Every thought and action should originate from public interests which are also the highest goal. It also coincides with the Communist Party of China’s ruling stance on “looking toward the people”, he said.

Rui added that achievements in economic development and improvement of people’s lives in both Vietnam and China, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, have proved the superiority of the socialist regime.

Over the past years, China has been Vietnam’s top trade partner for 16 consecutive years while Vietnam has also been the largest trade partner of China in ASEAN. In the first five months of this year, two-way trade surpassed 64 billion USD, up 44.3 percent year-on-year, according to him.

About opportunities and challenges faced by Vietnam, Rui said under the leadership of the CPV, concentrated management of the State, and consensus of the entire political system and people, Vietnam has reaped great achievements, basically looking towards a strong country with wealthy people, democracy, equality, and civilization, striving to accomplish national development goals on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the CPV.

To such end, he highlighted a need to have a favorable international environment.

Canadian scholars:

They said that the article has raised a number of issues with broad and diverse connotations on both theoretical and practical basis, and emphasized that the socialism mentioned in the article is scientific socialism based on the Marxist-Leninist doctrine in modern times.

Professor Julie Nguyen, President of the Canada - ASEAN Initiatives at York University, said that the article showed the heart of the leader who has a deep concern for the people and the wish of leaving no one behind, especially in the context that the country is still poor and has to compete economically with the outside world. This is a decisive factor ensuring the people's support to the Party, she stressed.

According to the professor, a socialist-oriented market economy is a right way for leaders to achieve the goal for the people.

Vietnamese people of many ethnic groups hold the national and Party flags. Photo: bantuyengiao

She expressed interest in the Vietnamese Party chief’s opinion stating that a fundamental characteristic and important feature of the socialist orientation in Vietnam’s market economy is the combination of economy and society, the coordination of economic and social policies, and the economic growth is accompanied by social progress and equality in every stage, every policy, and throughout the development process.

Trong’s highlighting the importance of social policies in the socialist-oriented market economy is of special significance in human and human resource development to build the country, and is a strategic direction for the future of the country and the happiness of the people, Julie Nguyen said.

Meanwhile, Luis Silva, an expert on government relations, suggested Vietnam recognize the accompanying rewards and risks as the country seeks to achieve more social and economic progress for its people.

According to the expert, Vietnam has demonstrated how is well-equipped the country is in managing a public health crisis that has gripped the entire world with the outbreak of COVID-19. By applying evidence-based, scientific, and technological solutions in the fight against COVID-19, Vietnam has positioned itself as an ideal place in East Asia to attract more investments from the scientific and technological industries in the future as the world slowly emerges from the pandemic.

The opportunities for greater investments in the Vietnamese economy by these industries will provide better standards of living for the Vietnamese people and more prosperity for Vietnam, he said.

Silva noted the potential risks of nationalist governments withdrawing from trade agreements in the future can pose a serious threat to the international investments made in Vietnam, and thus hamper Vietnam’s economic prosperity.

Vietnam can minimize the threat of this potential disruption by diversifying and expanding the number of international trade agreements with more countries, he suggested.