The advent of the New Year 2007 in Vietnam comes with repeated good tidings from external relations. Vietnam has successfully hosted the Economic Leaders’ Meeting of APEC 14, become a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and has been nominated by Asian countries to represent the continent as a non permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2008-2009 tenure and won acceptance of Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) from the United States. The country has thus obtained a higher profile and stature on international arena. It’s predicted that there will be an influx of investment capital into Vietnam in the coming time. It suddenly occurs to me the Party and State’s fundamental lines and policies in the renovation process to release all domestic resources and to enhance international economic integration by regarding internal strength as a decisive factor whereas external resources are very important for development. Let’s scrutinize this guiding principle in the new context.

While reviewing the renovation process, everyone is aware that in order to maintain a high economic growth rate, financial capital is one very important element. Some even offer a figure that for a certain level of growth rate, it requires a source of investment capital three times higher. Capital here is meant for both domestic social capital and foreign investment capital. But we talk about international economic integration and attraction of external resources, we all cite capital, modern technologies and advanced management skills and experience for rapid and sustainable development and high competitiveness, not only financial capital. Economic integration goes alongside cultural exchange which attracts not only material conditions but also spiritual values conforming to national development. So we understand that the process of door opening and comprehensive integration requires not only capital even though foreign investment is of great significance. External resources are important but we attract them to strengthen national potentialities national development. Internal strength is decisive because this factor guarantees the acquisition and effective use of external resources, combining internal resources with external resources into immense a general resource synthetical power for development.

Internal strength of the nation is primarily the will of the entire nation, and at this time, it is the will to make the country prosper, never succumb to poverty and backwardness. This will is permeated into each individual, each family, collective and management level to become a concerted strength. Despite the needs for continual high growth rates, Vietnam always aims to reach the ultimate goals of “Wealthy people, powerful nation, with an equitable, democratic and civilised society”, to ensure harmony for socio-economic development, environmental protection for sustainable development, a constantly raised living standard and higher people’s quality of life, with political stability and socio-economic development. Some say that taking too much will into account may lead to subjectivism but the nation’s history has proved that the will of a nation and the strength of great unity always stand for invincible strength to gradually turn the small into big and weak into strong. Attaching importance to external resources, the Party always regards internal strength as decisive, now as before, as proven by reality. But we must clarify what internal strength is like in the new stage of development.

National internal strength enhances when it brings into full play national resources. No countries grow with mere external resources, as it is often advised by many world economists and sociologists.

Vietnam is still poor with limited State finance but resources from the population have no limits as proven during the renovation process when internal resources mobilised were much higher than foreign investment capital and the population’s resources keep growing. In the meantime, it is necessary to save natural resources in an effective way.

Human labour force is the biggest input from a country of more than 80 million people who are often referred to as a young, knowledgeable, intelligent and dynamic labour force. Apart from these advantages, there remain quite a few constraints such as limited skilled labour, low quality labour, and low industrial labour discipline. These disadvantages will be removed when education and training are expanded and when these forces are trained in a more industrial and competitive environment.

Business ability is also an important element for the resources at this time. For different historical reasons, Vietnam has no age-old tradition of commerce but in any particular era, there have been merchants, traders of strong will and a high sense of competitiveness. In the new era, hundreds of thousands of businesses have been established. Although they are still at medium and small scale, they are gradually growing. The generation of once opportunist business people as a result of loose State policies, is gradually giving way to the young, ambitious and knowledgeable entrepreneurs. Twenty years of the Renovation have seen qualitative growth of the business circles who have become adapted to more competitive environment and make their brand names known far and wide in the region and even in the hard-to-please markets of developed countries.

In fact, opportunities and challenges are latent possibilities. Realising precisely what opportunities and challenges lie ahead is important forecast but better still is the ability to seize opportunities. That’s why, it rests with internal capabilities, leadership and management skills of the Party and State. It is recalled that at the onset of the Renovation process, when developing the 1991 Platform, the Party pointed to a profound experience that is correct Party leadership constitutes a decisive factor for the Vietnamese revolution. That historic lesson becomes even more significant in the new stage of development of the renovation process with the development of socialist oriented market economy. Without precautions or creativity, that may lead to collapse. Throughout the twenty-year renovation process, facing harsh challenges and newly emerging problems, the Party and State have led the nation to record major achievements of historic significance, asserting their correct lines and leadership. These merits have been recognised by the world community as well. The Party’s correct leadership will further enforce the all people’s unity, mobilising the will of the entire nation, effectively tapping capital, labour, natural minerals and resources, science and technology and make businesses more competitive and able to global trade. Socio-economic development towards the goals of wealthy people, powerful nation, equitable, democratic and civilised society will ensure balanced prosperity and happiness. However, when joining the global trade programme, the Party has referred to the 10^th National Party Congress Resolution to analyse opportunities and challenges to point out the do’s and don’ts. In the spirit of the Politburo Directive, the Prime Minister, in his newspaper article, published on November 7, 2006, when Vietnam signed the Protocol to join WTO, pinpointed opportunities, challenges and an 11-point action plan. The plan includes perfection of the legal system and management mechanism, administrative procedure reforms, expansion of democracy, human resource development, development of transport infrastructure, energy, agriculture and rural areas, raising enterprises efficiency, fighting corruption and profligacy. Raising the Party’s leadership capacity, State governance in order to seize opportunities and overcome challenges, enhance internal strength in the economic integration process.

If we see internal strength from that angle, then internal strength or resources would be decisive in making full use of general strength to “uphold the sense of independence, self-reliance, safeguard of national territorial sovereignty and development orientations” in the new stage of development as stated by the Prime Minister.

Source: Nhan dan