On the occasion of the Lunar New Year 2026, Party General Secretary To Lam has granted a special interview to Nhan Dan Newspaper.
Q: In 2025 and throughout the 2021-2025 term, Viet Nam faced numerous difficulties, but the entire Party, army, and people made efforts to overcome them and achieved proud accomplishments, creating new momentum and strength for breakthrough development in the coming period. In your opinion, what are the fundamental lessons learned that we should continue to build upon in the new phase?
A: Looking back at 2025 and the entire term of the 13th National Congress of the Party, we can affirm that: In the context of numerous intertwined difficulties and challenges, both external and internal, the entire Party, army, and people united as one, showing resilience and determination, and made efforts to overcome them and achieve important and comprehensive results, creating new momentum and strength for the next stage of development. From that experience, I believe there are several fundamental lessons with lasting significance that need to be continued in the new phase:
First, we must maintain and strengthen the comprehensive and absolute leadership role of the Party; consolidate unity and cohesion within the Party and the entire political system. This is the decisive factor for the country to stand firm in the face of all difficulties and challenges. Unity is strength; cohesion is the condition for swift, synchronised, and effective action. Along with that, we must continue to build a truly clean and strong Party; improve the leadership capacity and fighting strength of Party organisations and the quality of cadres and Party members.
Second, we must put the people at the centre and as the subject of all decisions and actions; we must rely on the people to build the Party and the political system. All policies and guidelines must stem from life, respect reality, listen to the opinions of the people; ensure a balance of interests, and care for the lives of the people, especially the vulnerable and those in difficult areas. When “the Party’s will aligns with the people’s will,” we possess immense resources to overcome challenges and make breakthroughs forward.
When ‘the Party’s will aligns with the people’s will,’ we possess immense resources to overcome challenges and make breakthroughs forward.
Third, maintain steadfast goals and principles, but be flexible and creative in methods and implementation. The experience of the past term showed that, in rapidly changing conditions, to stand firm and move forward, one must grasp the situation, make accurate predictions, and respond with timely and flexible policies; at the same time, remain steadfast on principled issues, not wavering in the face of difficulties, and not becoming complacent in the face of advantages. Maintain strategic initiative in all circumstances.
Fourth, value discipline and order; uphold the responsibility of setting a good example; match words with actions; and use tangible results as the measure. To create significant change, discipline and order within the Party and in state management must be emphasised; the tendency to evade, shirk responsibility, and fear accountability must be overcome. Cadres, especially leading ones, must be exemplary, work scientifically, decisively, and thoroughly.
Fifth, focus on removing bottlenecks and unlocking resources; consider institutional improvement as the “breakthrough of breakthroughs.” Where institutions are open, the apparatus is streamlined, responsibilities are clearly defined, coordination is close, and supervision is effective, development will be faster. Therefore, we must continue to promote administrative reform, improve legislation, ensure transparency and openness; create a favorable environment for people and businesses to confidently invest, produce, conduct business, and innovate.
Sixth, resolutely and persistently combat corruption, negative practices, and waste; build a culture of integrity within the Party and in society. This is not only a requirement for Party building and rectification, but also an important condition for consolidating trust, creating consensus, and mobilising and effectively utilising all resources for development.
Q: Viet Nam has truly entered a new era. The 14th National Congress of the Party defined strategic autonomy, self-confidence, self-reliance, self-strengthening, national pride, and strong progress in the new era, successfully achieving the goal of becoming a developing country with modern industry and high middle income by 2030; achieving an average GDP growth rate of 10% or more during the 2026-2030 period, and per capita income reaching 8,500 USD by 2030. What is the foundation for us to achieve that goal?
A: We have entered and are entering a new era of development with great opportunities and advantages, but also facing many difficulties and challenges. To realise the goals by 2030, the most important foundation, in my opinion, includes the following core elements:
First, the political and spiritual foundation is the correct leadership of the Party and the great national unity. This is a decisive factor in maintaining our independence, self-reliance, political stability, and social consensus; thereby creating a peaceful and stable environment for rapid and sustainable development. This is coupled with building a clean and strong Party and political system; strengthening discipline and order; continuing to promote the fight against corruption, waste, and negative phenomena; and consolidating the people’s trust in the Party and the regime.
Second, the institutional foundation is a modern, effective, and efficient socialist rule of law state; a comprehensive, open, transparent, and highly capable institutional framework. We must continue to improve the socialist-oriented market economy; remove bottlenecks in mechanisms and policies; reform administrative procedures; significantly improve the investment and business environment; decentralise power while maintaining oversight; encourage innovation; and protect those who dare to think and act for the common good. A well-developed institutional framework will unlock the potential of resources.
Third, the economic foundation is macroeconomic stability and solid major balances, along with a growth model based on productivity and quality. High growth requires maintaining macroeconomic stability, controlling inflation, ensuring public debt safety; while simultaneously promoting both traditional and new growth drivers, developing the private sector to become a truly important driving force; and enhancing the economy’s resilience to external shocks.
Fourth, the key foundation for “modern industry” is science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, and high-quality human resources. This is the key to increasing labor productivity, improving the quality of growth, and creating industries and products with high added value. Along with this, a strong innovation ecosystem must be built, effectively linking the “State - scientists - schools – businesses”; promoting innovative entrepreneurship; and training digital, technical, and modern management human resources. Attracting and utilising talent.
Fifth, the infrastructure foundation is a synchronised and modern strategic infrastructure system – including transportation, energy, logistics, digital infrastructure, urban infrastructure, and climate change adaptation infrastructure…
If infrastructure is developed ahead of time, regional connectivity improves, and costs decrease, national competitiveness will significantly increase. This is the “backbone” for expanding development space and forming new growth poles.
Sixth, the foundation for stability is ensuring national defence, security, foreign relations, and international integration; maintaining political and social stability and a peaceful environment to serve rapid and sustainable development. In the context of a volatile world, we need “strategic autonomy,” demonstrated by strong internal capacity, by our resilience and proactive integration, seizing opportunities while steadfastly pursuing national interests; elevating foreign relations to a new strategic level.
The socio-cultural foundation is the Vietnamese people, their cultural identity, and the strength of their will.
Seventh, the socio-cultural foundation is the Vietnamese people, their cultural identity, and the strength of their will. Rapid development must go hand in hand with sustainable development and progress, social justice; ensuring social security, improving the quality of healthcare and education; building a disciplined and safe society; and fostering aspirations for advancement and national self-reliance. When the “people’s support” is solid, all major goals can be realised with real strength.
Q: In 2026, the world will continues to undergo epoch-making changes, creating numerous opportunities, advantages, and intertwined difficulties and challenges; domestically, revolutionary strategic policies are being implemented, raising many new issues with higher demands. How should all cadres, Party members, and the people strive to seize these opportunities and contribute to the country’s rapid and sustainable development?
A: I would like to emphasise the following points:
First, each individual must first and foremost maintain unwavering faith and enhance their sense of responsibility. In times of change, the most important thing is to remain calm, composed, steadfast in their goals, and to work with principles and discipline. The spirit of “self-reliance, self-confidence, and self-strengthening” must begin with self-reliance in thought and action, without waiting for or relying on others.
Second, each cadre and Party member must truly set an example in the smallest, most everyday matters. Setting an example is not just a slogan. That means actions must align with words, fulfilling promises, and seeing things through to the end. It means daring to take responsibility, not avoiding, not shirking, and not passing the buck. It means being close to the people, respecting the people, listening to the people, and resolving their issues more quickly, accurately, and transparently. It means maintaining integrity and not damaging the reputation of the Party, the agency, or oneself. Every Party member must consider maintaining integrity and working diligently as a command from their conscience and a matter of honour.
Third, every official must change their working style: becoming more professional, providing better service, and being more efficient. I hope that every official, civil servant, and employee will uphold the spirit of public service discipline, work according to regulations, but more importantly, in the spirit of service; resolving procedures for citizens and businesses according to the principles of clarity, transparency, convenience, and no favouritism. We talk a lot about reform, but whether reform succeeds or not depends on the attitude and quality of service of each individual official.
Fourth, each individual must consider improving their own capabilities as the surest way to seize opportunities. The opportunities of the new era belong to those who know how to learn and innovate. Every citizen, especially the youth, workers, and producers, needs to improve their professional skills, digital skills, work discipline, and industrial work style; work more productively and with higher quality, creating real value, good products, and good services.
Every individual needs to respect the law, maintain order, discipline, and civility in social life; not abet negativity, not tolerate wrongdoing; live responsibly towards the community, know how to share and support each other, uphold morality, and preserve family identity and traditions.
Fifth, every entrepreneur, every business household, and every producer must cultivate a spirit of creativity and service. Rapid and sustainable development must rely on those who create material wealth.
I hope that the business community and producers will continuously innovate technology, improve management, enhance product quality, maintain credibility, build brands; comply with the law, be responsible to workers, compete fairly, develop sustainably, and “legitimately enrich themselves,” while proactively embracing digital transformation, green transformation, energy saving, and emission reduction… not for the sake of trends, but for the future of their own businesses and the country.
In short, to seize the opportunities of 2026 and the following years, I want to emphasise one very simple thing: The country grows stronger from the strength of each individual. Each exemplary cadre and Party member; each citizen striving harder; each enterprise more innovative; each family more disciplined and happier – together they will create a great force, generating new breakthroughs and driving the country’s rapid and sustainable development in the new era.
Thank you very much!
