Thanks to the interaction between the two ways, the Renewal process has been implemented without any “disputes” and “shocks” generated by too hard policies and voluntary macro-adjustment measures from the leadership like in several other countries. This is a distinctive characteristic of Vietnam’s Renewal process. 

Unlike the former Soviet Union and East European countries, renewal in Vietnam stemmed from economic requirements rather than the consequences of political changes. At the beginning, the Communist Party of Vietnam identified that renewal does not mean abolishing socialism, but creating conditions for socialism to perfect itself given the country’s historical and social characteristics and requirements to renew theoretical thinking on socialism and the path to socialism in Vietnam.

Renewal in Vietnam is not a process that stereotypes a model of a certain country. It is a process that replaces elements of the old model with a new one suitable according to the specific characteristics of Vietnam.

The notable characteristic of the Renewal process in Vietnam is that the country considers socio-political stability the prerequisite for the renewal cause, which eventually creates new stability.

Documents presented at the 6^th National Party Congress in 1986 stressed: “We must carry out renewal, first in our thinking.” To do this, the Congress pointed out: “The Conservatism and inactiveness in the old concepts are big obstacles, particularly for those who promote individualism and conservatism in their minds. It is necessary to create favourable social conditions for a renewal of thinking and democratic atmosphere in society, particularly in Party organisation activities and scientific research. It is necessary to promote the spirit of respecting truth and conducting criticism and self-criticism regularly and seriously. An important thing is that theoretical work must be prioritised to support a renewal of thinking.”

In brief, the renewal of theoretical thinking plays a very important role in the Renewal cause in Vietnam. During the Renewal process, we have made important gains in the area.

First, we shifted from thinking of a material economic mechanism closely linked with 100 percent State and collective ownership. The dominant development of the production relationship over the productive force was renewed forwards building a multi-sector commodity economy, in which the State economy keeps the leading role in dialectical unity with a diversity of ownership and distribution modes.

This is a basic renewal of thinking as it respects the objective rule regarding the harmonious relationship between the production relationship and development levels of the productive force. This means we establish corresponding production relationships based on the development levels of the productive force. Thanks to this, social potential and production strengths are fully tapped. The most important element of the productive force is human beings. Workers are the owners and are encouraged by the rule of interests, in which individual interests are the direct force and foundation to implement and develop the interests of collectives and the entire society.

Second, we shifted from the management model of a concentrated, planned and subsidised economy into a new multi-sector commodity economy, operating in line with the socialist-oriented market mechanism under the State management. Accordingly, human beings, acting as producers, traders and consumers, enjoy similar opportunities to develop their talents, abilities, activeness, dynamism and creativity in economic activities. The market mechanism requires the inevitable existence of competition, which leads to disparities in incomes and gaps between the rich and the poor. They are the drawbacks of the market mechanism. The thing is that we should have proper policies so that the market mechanism does not cause disparities between the rich and the poor to go beyond legal limits in order to ensure social equality – a goal that we have to pursue while building the path to socialism in Vietnam.

Third, we carried out a renewal of thinking regarding the political regime by shifting from the concentrated and bureaucratic mechanism into democratisation of all aspects of life, in which democracy is closely linked with a respect for laws and social principles, while promoting people’s mastery rights.

The major content of renewal of the political system in Vietnam is to fully exercise people’s mastery rights to build a socialist democracy. The 9^th National Party Congress mapped out plans to build a socialist State governed by laws. That is the State of the people, by the people and for the people.

The Party has persistently carried out Party building and rectification campaigns to cement the relationship between the Party and people, promote the influence and prestige of the Party in society, build the national great unity bloc and increase the State’s management capacity in all aspects of life.

Fourth, the renewal of theoretical thinking helps make clear the concept of establishing and developing socialism in a country that has embarked on Marxist-Leninism, given its historical conditions and circumstances. We should combine nationalism and internationalism, and tradition and modernity. This also serves as the core of the country’s external policy of both co-operation and struggle. It opens up opportunities for Vietnam to integrate into the global economy and penetrate international exchanges and co-operation.

To maintain our socialist orientation, we must not only overcome the impacts of dogmatism, but also fight against dark schemes, “peaceful evolution” of hostile forces for example, and maintain principles and viewpoints of Marxist-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought, while being flexible in strategies.

Fifth, the renewal of theoretical thinking helps make clear new concepts regarding the human factor – the decisive factor of all success in the renewal process. The new theoretical thinking lit up the humanitarian, scientific and revolutionary ideas of Ho Chi Minh. While criticising and persistently fighting individualism, we accept and protect the legitimate interests of individuals, considering them a direct motive force to spur socio-economic development and concretise the common interests of collectives and the entire society.

Human beings are the basic element of all resources. They are both the motive force and objectives of all socio-economic development policies. Investment in human beings is investment in development. Investment in education and training, science and technology is in-depth investment, meeting and anticipating the requirements of development during the cause of national industrialisation and modernisation.