Party chief’s article offers insight into Vietnam’s pathway to socialism
German journalist Gerhard Feldbauer has said Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s article “Several theoretical and practical issues on socialism and the pathway toward socialism in Vietnam” has offered deep and thorough insights into the road chosen by Vietnam.
The journalist mentioned the Vietnamese Party leader's article in his two articles published on the Jungewelt newspaper on August 12.
In his first article entitled “Principles of socialism”, Feldbauer wrote that the goal set in the Political Platform of the Communist Party of Vietnam since its foundation in 1930, has never been changed. That goal is to advance to socialism skipping capitalism according to Vietnam’s specific conditions.
The author quoted Trong's article as saying that socialism is an objective requirement and an inevitable path of the Vietnamese revolution. With rich practical experience and scientific theory of Marxism-Leninism, President Ho Chi Minh concluded that only socialism and new communism could thoroughly deal with national independence, bringing freedom and well-being for all citizens.
Feldbauer's second article highlighted Vietnam’s socio-economic and education achievements since the adoption of the renewal policy in 1986, saying that after the socialist system in the Soviet Union-Eastern Europe collapsed, Vietnam expanded ties with capitalist economies to draw investment, ensure imports and access new export markets. The country gradually established bilateral partnerships, joined the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
Recently, Vietnam has signed a free trade agreement with the European Union (EU), which is expected to enable it to build on its position as the second largest trade partner of the EU in ASEAN. With high trade surplus, Vietnam has become not only a material supplier but also an important manufacturing hub.
With an annual growth of 6-8%, Vietnam is among the fastest growing economies in Southeast Asia. The country's per capita GDP increased from US$550 in 2002 to US$3,400 in 2019, according to statistics of Statista. The Vietnamese people now have a better life with guaranteed food supply and education opportunities open to youths. In Ho Chi Minh City alone with a population of 9 million, there are about 50 universities.
According to the author, Vietnam has defeated all plots aiming to violate its economic sovereignty and its control of the national economy. The CPV now has more than 5.1 million members, 60% of them are young people, which refutes the allegation that young Vietnamese are no longer interested in socialism, he wrote.
