Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) has always served as thecore force to, together with the Party and the people, achieve splendidaccomplishments in national liberation and construction and defence throughoutits 75-year history, Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong hassaid. 

Inan article published on the occasion of the 75th foundinganniversary of the VPA (December 22, 1944), the Party and State leader stressedthat those accomplishments were the results of multiple factors, of which the CommunistParty of Vietnam (CPV)’s comprehensive, absolute and sound leadership is adecisive one.

Trong,who is also Secretary of the Central Military Commission, said the Party hasflexibly applied Marxism-Leninism and President Ho Chi Minh’s thought to builda new-style army that suits the specific situation in Vietnam. The Party alsoaffirmed the inevitable need to turn the army into the key force in the causeof national liberation and defence.

Duringthe resistance war against the invading French colonialists, the VPA wonglorious feat of arms, including the 1953-1954 Winter-Spring Campaign with thepeak of the Dien Bien Phu victory that forced the French government to sign theGeneva Accords in 1954, ending the war and restoring peace in Indochina.

Thiswas the first time in the contemporary history that an army equipped withrudimentary weapons had defeated a professional counterpart, which marked thebeginning of the collapse of colonialism and provided a strong boost to thenational liberation movement in the world, he stressed.

Inthe anti-US war, the VPA, along with the entire Party and people consecutively foiledwar strategies. Such great victories won by the Vietnamese army and people drovethe US to sign the Paris Peace Accords that committed to put an end to the war,and created a premise for the Spring General Offensive and Uprising in 1975,culminating with the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign, leading to the full liberationof South Vietnam, national reunification and the end of the 30-year resistancewar, the top leader said.

Notonly fighting to liberate their own country, with a pure proletarianinternational spirit, the VPA has also stood side by side with armed forces ofLaos and Cambodia in the fight against common enemies.

Rightafter the anti-US war ended, the VPA immediately embarked on another fiercebattle to protect the national border and performed its international missionof helping Cambodian people escape from genocide.

Duringthe cause of national construction and defence in the renewal period, the armyhas carried forward its role in combat and production, while serving as anadvisor of the Party and the State in military, national defence and draftingstrategic guidelines for national protection.

Atthe same time, it has made outstanding performance in defence diplomacy,contributing to building a peaceful and stable environment for national buildingand development, Trong said.

Overthe past 75 years, in any revolutionary period, even the toughest time, the CPVhas maintained its comprehensive, absolute and direct leadership over the VPA.

Thisis an important factor for the success of national building and safeguarding,and also the decisive factor for the growth, combat capacity and triumph of thearmy, he said.

TheParty General Secretary pointed out that unforeseeable and complex developmentsare lying ahead in the regional and global situation, along with increasingtraditional and non-traditional security challenges and fierce strategiccompetition between world powers.

TheEast Sea issue also contains many unexpected risks, he said, adding that thetrend of connectivity, globalisation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution have beenexerting profound impacts on all countries in various spheres.

Insidethe country, the macro economy has been stabilised but not quite sustainably.Although Vietnam’s internal strength has been consolidated and its prestige andposition in the international arena has been rising, the country still faces arange of difficulties and challenges.

TheParty leader also called attention to the fact that hostile forces have steppedup the so-called “peace process,” “self-evolution,” “self-transformation,”“non-politicalisation,” and “civilisation” of the army, especially after,during and before all-level Party congresses and the 13th NationalParty Congress.

Thecause of national construction and defence goes with heavy requirements, withthe struggle to safeguard the country’s sovereignty over its sea, islands andterritorial integrity forecast to be a tough, long-term and complex one.

In2020 and the years to come, the VPA will have to take tougher tasks, he said, requiringthe Party maintain and enhance its absolute, direct and comprehensiveleadership over the VPA in order to help the army complete its missions.  

“Webelieve that with its 75-year history of building and fighting under the Partyleadership, the VPA will continue to write more glorious historical pages forthe nation,” he concluded./.