Chinese expert: Vietnam undergoes great transformation after half a century

Sewing goods for export to the Spanish market at Ho Guom Garment Company (Hung Yen). Photo: VNA

The above is the opinion of journalist Lang Duc Quyen, a researcher on Vietnam and former head of the Xinhua News Agency's Hanoi bureau, when interviewed by a VNA reporter in Beijing about the achievements that Vietnam has made after 50 years of national reunification.

Journalist Lang Duc Quyen, who was honored to witness and participate in reporting on the resistance war against the US by the Vietnamese army and people to save the country as a reporter for Xinhua News Agency, said that 50 years ago, the Vietnamese army and people, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, launched the famous historical "Ho Chi Minh Campaign" and led to the victory on April 30, 1975.

The last helicopter of the American invaders fled in panic. The puppet president of the Saigon regime announced unconditional surrender. This event marked the complete victory of the 21-year resistance war against the US to save the country of the Vietnamese people.

President Ho Chi Minh's last will to "liberate the South and unify the country" has come true.

The Vietnam War was the longest and most fierce local war during the Cold War period.

The Vietnamese army and people responded to the decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam led by President Ho Chi Minh to “liberate the South and unify the country”. They fought bravely, not afraid of sacrifice and hardship, launching a great people's war against invaders, setting a shining example for progressive forces around the world.

According to journalist Lang Duc Quyen, this event was a great victory, a historical monument of the Vietnamese people and became hot news in the world media at that time.

This victory wrote a brilliant chapter in the history of the struggle against imperialism and invasion of the Vietnamese people and the world. Vietnam liberated the South, unified the country, and created the premise for the renovation initiated by the 6th Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

Journalist Lang Duc Quyen affirmed that Vietnam has undergone a great transformation in the 50 years since reunification, marked by the 6th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam in 1986, opening the path to reform and development.

Vietnam has gradually transformed from a highly centrally planned economy to a socialist-oriented market economy, expanding from economic reform to comprehensive reform.

Over the past 50 years, Vietnam has achieved remarkable achievements under the leadership of the Communist Party with an average annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of 6.37%, ranking first among Southeast Asian countries.

Vietnam's economic scale and national strength continue to grow, from 6.3 billion USD in 1989 to 476.3 billion USD in 2024, becoming the 32nd largest economy in the world and one of the top 20 countries in trade and attracting foreign investment.

The living standards of Vietnamese people have improved significantly. In the early days of reform, the average annual income per capita was only 250 USD, but by 2024 it had reached 4,700 USD, ranking 5th in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Cultural and social fields develop in a positive direction, socialist democracy is constantly expanded, and the people's right to master the country is better implemented.

Journalist Lang Duc Quyen quoted the late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong as saying many times: “Our country has never had such a foundation, potential, position and international prestige as it does today.” According to him, this conclusion has made the Vietnamese people very proud and was included in important documents of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

Vietnam has joined the group of middle-income countries and aims to increase economic growth from 6.5-7.0% to 8% in 2025 and achieve double-digit annual growth in the next 5 years. The 13th National Party Congress also set a target of striving to make Vietnam a high-income developed country by 2045.

Would these historic achievements have been possible without the strong leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam? Without the liberation of the South and the unification of the country, would Vietnam have had the current development and prospects? Journalist Lang Duc Quyen posed the question, but also implied the answer.

According to him, currently, under the leadership of the Central Executive Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam headed by General Secretary To Lam, Vietnam is preparing for the 14th National Congress of the Party, so summarizing experiences and building directions to open a "new era, an era of national growth" is very important.

The decisive factor for the success of the great cause of liberating the South and unifying the country was the correct leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the solidarity and struggle of the entire Vietnamese people.

Combining politics, military, diplomacy, promoting the strength of the nation and the times is one of Vietnam's successful experiences in the war against America to save the country.

During the resistance war against the US to save the country, President Ho Chi Minh and the Communist Party of Vietnam mobilized the strength of the entire nation extensively, while at the same time striving to gain the sympathy, support and broad assistance of the world. In today's terms, this means promoting internal strength and taking advantage of external strength. Of course, external factors must influence through internal factors.

During nearly 40 years of Renovation after national reunification, Vietnam's foreign policy and foreign relations have also undergone tremendous changes.

According to the Documents of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the guiding ideology of Vietnam's foreign affairs in the new era is to maintain a peaceful and stable international environment, focus on economic development, "implement a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, multilateralize and diversify international relations, become a reliable and responsible friend and partner of the international community".

Vietnam emphasizes that “self-reliance and self-strengthening are fundamental and long-term decisive factors; support, assistance and resources from outside are extremely important.”

Looking at Vietnam's 2024 economic report, the statistics are impressive: Total import-export turnover reached 786 billion USD, up 15.4% over the same period last year. Of which, exports reached 404.8 billion USD, imports reached 381.1 billion USD, and the trade surplus reached 23.7 billion USD. This achievement cannot be separated from Vietnam's important role in the global supply chain.

Citing data from the General Statistics Office of Vietnam, journalist Lang Duc Quyen said that the realized capital of foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in Vietnam is estimated at about 25.35 billion USD, a record high. The total newly registered, adjusted, invested and purchased FDI capital for the whole year reached nearly 38.23 billion USD.

Foreign capital inflows have created a strong impetus for the Vietnamese economy. GDP per capita reached 4,700 USD, an increase of 377 USD compared to 2023. This growth not only reflects the general improvement of the economy but also shows that the living standards of Vietnamese people have improved significantly.

The world political and economic situation is very complex and ever-changing, with many unstable and unpredictable factors. Like any other country, Vietnam's economy also has limitations and shortcomings in terms of institutions, infrastructure, environmental pollution, human resources... and is also facing many difficulties and challenges.

However, under the wise leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the Vietnamese people are full of aspirations and faith in the development vision. According to the World Bank's forecast, by 2030, Vietnam's GDP is expected to exceed 1,000 billion USD, becoming an important economic locomotive in Southeast Asia.

Vietnam's comrades, friends and partners around the world are full of expectations and look forward to Vietnam's "new era" development plan and opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation.

Source: https://baophuyen.vn/kinh-te/202504/chuyen-gia-trung-quoc-viet-nam-trai-qua-cuoc-chuyen-minh-to-lon-sau-nua-the-ky-908282b/