Vietnam’s Thirteen Party Congress- Outcomes and Possibilities

The party congress started on January 26, and in his opening remarks Politburo member and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc opined that issues related to non-traditional security such as climate change, pandemics and technological advances he was referring to challenges and the need for economic reforms as well as developing scientific rigor and acumen to be the major economy by 2045. Nguyen Phu Trong Party General Secretary, and State President clearly said that Vietnam need to popularisation and implementation of the objectives and decisions taken by the 13^th Party Congress. He was the man behind Vietnam’s extensive anti-corruption drive in 2016. The 13^th Party congress collated wide variety of opinions, consultancy papers and research reports to come to a cohesive agenda for the next five years. With the Party Congress motto of “Solidarity - Democracy - Discipline - Creativeness - Development”, the agenda was to make structural changes while adhering to the objectives of party and making the lives of the Vietnamese people more prosperous and secure.  This nearly a week-long meeting decided about future course of action in terms of new party leadership and how Vietnam is going to play a pivotal role in maintaining peace and tranquility in South China Sea while at the same time engaging the two major powers-US and China in the Southeast Asian region.

With nearly 1500 case and 35 deaths, Vietnam has successfully countered the pandemic through strict measures and is looking forward to reaping the dividends of its extra effort in containing the pandemic. The important challenge for the party leadership would be strengthen medical and reporting facilities while at the same time making extra efforts for developing medicines and importing vaccines from countries such as India. India has one of the least cost vaccines with a cost of barely USD 4-5 dollars. The challenge would be to vaccinate the people and also work on establishing itself as a safe country for investment and trade. The China is still going to take a little bit more time to recover giving Vietnam the space to promote its garment industry and work on the norms related to the Small and Medium enterprises. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement which would be bringing 11 participating countries in the trade and economic agreement would require extra efforts on the part of the country to look for benefits while developing complementarities with other participants in the RCEP.

The coming of Joe Biden as the US President is also an issue which Vietnam would have to grapple with. Biden would be raising issues related to religious and political freedom in Vietnam. However, just like Donald Trump, Joe Biden is not going to undermine the pivotal role that Vietnam is likely to play in the Southeast Asian region. The possible signing of the strategic partnership agreement with the US might be actualized in the coming years. Biden has made it very clear that it would look for peace and prosperity and therefore the initial statements and speeches and the democrats in the US congress would set the template for the US interactions with China.

The party leaderships have also looked into shaping of its relations with China in the coming five years. China has been an important trade partner of Vietnam and also the party leadership has good relations with the Communist Party of China leaders. China would be reinvigorating the Belt and Road initiative and would try to make better relations with its ideological brother but the new leaderships in Vietnam would be looking for an equal and balanced tie rather than Vietnam playing the role of a younger brother. While the tensions in South China Sea and the assertive posture of China in Vanguard bank, Reed bank and adjoining areas continues unabated, Vietnam would have to think hard to reformulate its ties with the rising power. Further, the oil blocks which Vietnam has demarcated for oil and gas exploration has suffered a jolt both because of the COVID-19 pandemic and Chinese aggression, Vietnam would seek better arrangement with oil companies so that those area which lie exclusively in its EEZ should not be threatened by Chinese threats.

Vietnam has also signed the agreement with EU which got formalized in August 2020, Vietnam would seek to engage EU countries for promoting its trade and investment especially its exports related to garments, fisheries and other marine products. These would require better sanitary and phytosanitary measures so that Vietnam can benefit from opening of the European markets. The party congress would also have to decide about the own additions and formulations in its foreign policy and also allocating resources for its military modernization. Vietnam need to modernize its military to counter any threats in its EEZ and adjoining maritime zones while making extra efforts to engage the international audience. During the last year, it has done commendable job in engaging the ASEAN countries and bringing Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia on board with regard to the extended continental shelf issues where even Brunei also admitted that peace and tranquility in the contested waters of South China Sea was important. This initiative resonated through support from France, UK, the US and Germany on South China Sea issue. Vietnam also engaged the international media and academics across board to highlight Chinese activities in South China Sea. It was an exemplary effort on the part of government establishment, scholars and the policy mandarins.

The issue of dams on Mekong and the depleting fisheries yield in the Mekong river has been an important issue. The critical aspect would be to allocate financial support and make provision for Vietnamese armed forces to conduct exercises with other countries and prepare the Vietnam military forces for the next generation of warfighting. The induction of new fighter aircrafts, submarines and smart frigates would require national attention and guidelines for managing forces. ASEAN has been discussing the issue of 4^th industrial revolution and therefore Vietnam would also have to prepare for it accordingly. The expansion of services sectors and developing software and technology parks would figure high on the next five years agenda.

Vietnam has shown extremely important leadership role in the last few years and this year it would have to raise issues related to Southeast Asian and Pacific region as it will continue to be in the UN Security Council non-permanent member. While Vietnam is aspiring to be a fast-growing economy (with projections of more than 7 per cent growth), it would have to play a responsible international role at global forums. The issue of generating employment and providing better facilities to the young population would also be on cards. Further, owing to tectonic reforms in 2016 against corruption in Vietnam would have to make way for more digitization and accountability as it develops itself to be the leading power in the Southeast Asian region.

Pic Courtesy - https://vietnamnet.vn/

(The views expressed are personal.)