Vietnam Defense White Paper 2019, old stories remembered

Five years ago, the Ministry of National Defense published the 2019 Vietnam Defense White Paper. This event brought back memories of the process of building and publishing an important document on Vietnam's defense policy.

The 2019 Vietnam National Defense White Paper contributes to enhancing understanding and building trust between Vietnam and countries in the international community; it is an important document to improve the understanding of the country's defense for Vietnamese citizens. (Photo: Do ​​Thoa)

Timely, sufficient, clear, transparent

10 years after the 2009 Vietnam National Defense White Paper (third time), the international and domestic situations and strategic context have changed and developed a lot. After the Resolution on the Strategy for National Defense in the new situation (2013), in 2018, the Party issued synchronous resolutions on the National Defense Strategy, Military Strategy, protecting the Fatherland in cyberspace and protecting national borders. The new context requires and the ripe conditions promote the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defense to lead and direct the compilation of the 2019 Vietnam National Defense White Paper. The publication of the White Paper on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Army (1944-2019), the 30th anniversary of the National Defense Day (1989-2019), is even more meaningful. The Vietnam National Defense White Paper affirms the basic viewpoint on assessing and forecasting the relevant international and domestic situation; on the subjects and partners; on defense policy, including building a national defense, the People's Army and the Militia, under the leadership of the Party and the management of the State. Synchronized with the document is the 2019 Vietnam National Defense photo book, vividly illustrating the basic contents, increasing the attractiveness. The White Book provides complete and clear information on Vietnam's defense, meeting the needs of countries to learn. At the same time, it demonstrates the policy of transparency in defense policy of the Party and State of Vietnam, aiming to enhance understanding, build trust between Vietnam and other countries, and create conditions to improve the effectiveness of international integration and cooperation in defense. Overcoming historical events and contemporary challenges, Vietnam has established and maintained balanced relations with major countries; has an increasingly high role and prestige in the region and the world. Therefore, the announcement of the 2019 Vietnam National Defense White Paper attracted widespread and deep attention from the international community, especially officials and defense and foreign affairs experts. The Vietnam National Defense White Paper is also an important document to raise awareness of the rights and responsibilities of agencies, units, organizations and the entire population in the cause of strengthening national defense, building and protecting the Fatherland, for the happiness of the people, for peace, friendship, cooperation and development of humanity. That further highlights the significance and people's nature of Vietnam's defense policy.

The publication of the 2019 Vietnam National Defense White Paper demonstrates Vietnam's desire and determination to develop friendly, cooperative, and equal relations with all countries in the world on the basis of mutual respect, for peace, national independence, democracy, and social progress. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

“4 no” and “1 yes”

The White Paper affirms that Vietnam's defense policy is peaceful, self-defensive, active, proactive in preventing and repelling the risk of war, and the motto of the Optimal Defense Strategy is to protect sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity, and national interests without having to wage war. Prominent in Vietnam's defense policy is the "4 no's" viewpoint: not participating in military alliances; not allying with one country against another; not allowing foreign countries to set up military bases or use Vietnamese territory to fight against other countries; not using force or threatening to use force in international relations. These viewpoints concretize the Party's policy of independence, autonomy, peace, friendship, cooperation and development in the defense field; and are the basis for implementing the motto of not choosing sides, resolving all disputes and disagreements by peaceful means on the basis of international law, receiving widespread consensus and support. In the discussion, there were also concerns that alliances, associations, and cooperation are the world's trends, so are our "4 no's" "tying our own hands" or being passive? The Vietnam National Defense White Paper clearly states that building and preparing a strong country in all aspects; promoting international integration, foreign affairs, and defense cooperation; actively and proactively preventing and repelling the risk of war; proactively responding to plots and tricks of hostile forces; being ready to fight against aggressive wars; using all necessary measures to defend ourselves when sovereignty, territory, and national interests are violated... What we emphasize is that Vietnam cooperates in defense for the legitimate interests of the nation and the common interests; in accordance with international law; contributing to peace and stability in the region and the world. Thus, such "foresight" is completely unfounded. However, to avoid the above feeling, the Editorial Board added at the end of the “4 no’s” (p.25) the following paragraph: “At the same time, strengthen defense cooperation with other countries to improve the country’s ability to protect…”; “Depending on the development of the situation and under specific conditions, Vietnam will consider developing necessary defense and military relations at an appropriate level…”. Therefore, some people have generalized the defense policy as “4 no’s and 1 yes”.

The launching ceremony of the 2019 Vietnam National Defense White Paper was held in Hanoi on November 25, 2019. (Source: People's Army Newspaper)

Deterrence by what means?

At the announcement ceremony of the 2019 Vietnam National Defense White Paper, many questions from domestic and international reporters and scholars were clearly answered. The document was also introduced and analyzed in newspapers, magazines, and television channels. At the request of the Military Attaches of various countries in Vietnam, representatives of the Ministry of National Defense had a discussion about the National Defense White Paper. A Military Attache asked: You said that Vietnam advocates consolidating and developing national defense strength, in which military strength is the core, "capable of deterring and defeating all acts of aggression and war" (Conclusion of the National Defense White Paper, page 106). So what types of weapons does Vietnam have and will have to "deter"? According to the concept of the West and major countries, talking about deterrence means talking about superior military power, with strategic weapons such as intercontinental missiles (range over 5,500 km), strategic bombers, weapons of mass destruction, especially nuclear weapons. The late Senior Lieutenant General, Deputy Minister of National Defense Nguyen Chi Vinh, who chaired the discussion that day, answered. He said that Vietnam is committed to implementing the Agreement on the Prohibition of Weapons of Mass Destruction. We are researching, manufacturing, and purchasing a number of advanced weapons in accordance with the defense policy of peace, self-defense, and national defense strategy. Vietnam protects the Fatherland with the combined strength of the entire nation combined with the strength of the times; building a comprehensive, modern, solid, and synchronous national defense in terms of potential, force, and posture; preventing, repelling risks, and being ready to defeat aggressive wars, forcing hostile forces to consider that they will suffer great losses if they wage war. That is Vietnam's deterrence. His general and clear answer received the agreement of the participants in the discussion. Afterwards, he told the editorial department to pay attention to scientific concepts, express them tightly and clearly, to avoid misunderstandings, especially with foreigners.

***

The 2019 Vietnam National Defense White Paper makes an important contribution to widely introducing Vietnam's defense policy, enhancing understanding and building trust between Vietnam and other countries, promoting international integration and defense diplomacy, developing equal and mutually beneficial relations for national independence, peace, friendship, cooperation and development of the world and the region. After 5 years, the international and domestic situation has changed a lot. The 14th National Party Congress will pave the way for the country to enter a new era, an era of national growth. The new strategic context and Vietnam's defense policy in the new period both inherit and supplement and develop. Those issues will be presented in the Vietnam National Defense White Paper at the appropriate time.

---

Vietnam Defense White Paper 2019

window.fbAsyncInit = function() { FB.init({ appId : '277749645924281', xfbml : true, version : 'v18.0' }); FB.AppEvents.logPageView(); }; (function(d, s, id){ var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) {return;} js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); Source: https://baoquocte.vn/sach-trang-quoc-phong-viet-nam-2019-chuyen-cu-nho-lai-296540.html