General Secretary To Lam: If the Party wants to lead for the long term, it must constantly improve itself, renew itself, and maintain its revolutionary nature and pioneering spirit.
Following the resounding success of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the entire Party, people, and army celebrated the 96th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam (February 3, 1930 – February 3, 2026) with a spirit of special joy. This 96th anniversary of the Party is even more significant as we enter the first year of a new term – a crucial year in concretizing the resolutions of the 14th Party Congress and turning strategic goals into reality. The pride in the glorious 96-year journey under the glorious banner of the Party is providing strength, igniting new momentum and confidence for us to move forward with unwavering resolve.
Throughout 96 springs since its founding, and especially over 80 years of the Party's rule, our Party has demonstrated enduring vitality, unwavering resolve, and correct leadership, leading the Vietnamese revolution from one victory to another. Since the Party's inception, our nation, with its thousand-year-old cultural tradition, has continued to write glorious chapters in history: leading the people to successfully launch the August 1945 General Uprising, establishing the Democratic Republic of Vietnam; leading the entire nation to victory against colonialism and imperialism in protracted wars of resistance, reunifying the country and leading the nation in the process of renovation, construction, development, and protection of the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland. Each rise and fall of history has been a test that has tempered our Party, making it ever more mature and stronger on the path of serving the Fatherland and the people.
The past 96 years have affirmed that no political force other than the Communist Party of Vietnam possesses the prestige, capacity, and leadership for the revolution, with the goal of serving the people. The Party's comprehensive leadership and governing role is the decisive factor in all victories in the cause of national construction and defense. The Party's strength and prestige lie not only in its glorious achievements but also in its open-mindedness, its willingness to confront the truth, its courage to acknowledge shortcomings, and its determination to correct them. Thanks to this, our Party constantly renews and rectifies itself, becoming increasingly clean and strong.
The Party's 96-year journey has yielded many valuable lessons. First and foremost, the banner of national independence and socialism must always be steadfastly upheld – these are two strategic goals, closely intertwined throughout the revolutionary process. National independence is a prerequisite for building socialism, and socialism is the solid foundation ensuring genuine and lasting independence for the nation. Imbued with this truth, our Party has always remained steadfast on the path chosen by President Ho Chi Minh and our people: resolutely defending national independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, while persistently building socialism for the happiness of the people.
A profound and particularly important lesson is that the revolutionary cause belongs to the people, is carried out by the people, and is for the people. The people are both the creators of historical victories and the inexhaustible source of strength for the Party's existence and development. All of the Party's policies and guidelines must stem from the legitimate interests and aspirations of the people. Our Party has been entrusted with this mission by the people, and the Party has no other interests than serving the Fatherland and the people. President Ho Chi Minh once emphasized: "The Party is not an organization for seeking power and wealth. It must fulfill the task of liberating the nation, making the Fatherland prosperous and strong, and bringing happiness to the people." Uncle Ho's teachings remain just as valuable, reminding us that the Party must always be closely connected with the people, taking the people as its foundation and the people's happiness as its highest goal. Practical experience also shows that bureaucracy, corruption, and alienation from the people pose an immeasurable threat to the nation's destiny and the very survival of the Party. Therefore, maintaining a close relationship with the people and relying on the people to build the Party is always a vital principle. The support and trust of the people are the measure of prestige, the source of strength, and the "secret" to the Party's victory in every stage of the revolution.
Furthermore, our Party has always valued and continuously strengthened the great national unity. "Unity, unity, great unity – Success, success, great success" – President Ho Chi Minh's rallying cry encapsulates the truth: unity is a precious tradition and the greatest source of strength for the Vietnamese revolution. The Party must know how to maximize the strength of great national unity, harmonizing national strength with the strength of the times. This is both a lesson and a guiding principle for the Party to lead the people in overcoming all difficulties and bringing the country to new heights in the current context of globalization.
General Secretary To Lam delivered a speech at the closing session of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam on the afternoon of January 23, 2026.
The overarching lesson is: the correct leadership of the Party is the primary factor determining all the victories of the Vietnamese revolution. The past 96 years have affirmed the pioneering role and "leading army" of the Communist Party of Vietnam in the cause of national liberation, national construction, and development. For the Party to lead for the long term, it must constantly improve itself, renew itself, and maintain its revolutionary nature and pioneering spirit. Our Party must continuously study and creatively apply Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought, constantly enhancing its intellect, political acumen, moral character, and practical organizational capacity to effectively address the new challenges posed by revolutionary practice. At the same time, the Party must constantly be vigilant and fight against major threats, especially errors in its policies, deviations from the correct path, economic backwardness, bureaucracy, corruption, and the decline, "self-evolution," and "self-transformation" within its ranks. Building a clean and strong Party in terms of politics, ideology, ethics, organization, and personnel continues to be a key task, of decisive importance to the survival of our Party and regime.
At every historical turning point, the Party has promptly formulated correct policies and rigorously corrected mistakes and shortcomings. This courageous "self-reflection and self-correction" has helped the Party avoid dogmatism and stagnation, enabling it to continuously grow stronger to meet the demands of the revolution at each stage. Drawing on historical lessons, our Party has always proactively made timely decisions; a prime example being the Doi Moi (Renovation) process since the 1980s, which has lifted the country out of crisis and led to strong development. More recently, in the face of corruption and moral decay among some cadres and Party members, the Party has issued numerous resolutions and conclusions and is determined to implement them to rectify the situation and intensify the fight against corruption with the spirit of "no forbidden zones, no exceptions, everyone is equal before the law."
Today, looking back over the past nearly a century, we are proud to recognize that, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, from a nation enslaved and impoverished, Vietnam has risen to become an independent, unified, and self-reliant country with an increasingly prominent position on the international stage. From a country exhausted after wars, we have implemented the Doi Moi (Renovation) reforms of 1986, lifting Vietnam out of crisis and transforming it into a middle-income developing country, with the people's living standards continuously improving. Looking at the world, it can be affirmed that Vietnam's foundation, potential, position, and international prestige are steadily increasing. Friends around the world know Vietnam as a heroic nation in its struggle for independence, as well as a reliable partner, a peace-loving nation, and a rapidly developing economy. These great and historically significant achievements affirm the truth: the correct leadership of the Party is the decisive factor in all the victories of the Vietnamese revolution, and is the "banner that unites the strength of the entire nation" on the path of building and defending the Fatherland.
The 14th National Congress of the Party has set forth important strategic directions and goals for the coming period, especially the determination to successfully achieve the two centenary strategic goals. The historical responsibility placed on the shoulders of the entire Party, the entire people, and the entire army is to realize these goals and aspirations into vibrant reality. Every Party organization, every cadre and Party member – especially those in leadership positions – needs to uphold a high sense of responsibility, set a leading example in implementing the Resolution of the 14th National Congress, be proactive and creative, dare to think and act, and dare to take responsibility. The entire Party must continue to resolutely strengthen Party building and rectification, maintain discipline and order; further enhance leadership capacity and fighting strength; consolidate the close relationship with the people, relying on the people to control power and rectify the ranks. At the same time, the entire political system must participate synchronously and effectively to bring the Party's resolutions into life. Continue to promote the patriotic emulation movement, arousing the aspiration for a prosperous and happy country in every Vietnamese citizen.
For nearly a century since its founding, struggle, and growth, our Party has truly been the leader and loyal servant of the people. The road ahead will be fraught with difficulties and challenges, but with the courage, wisdom, and experience of the ruling Party, with the heroic traditions and unity of the entire nation, we will certainly overcome all obstacles, seize opportunities, and continue to achieve even greater victories. The entire Party, the entire people, and the entire army will continue to work together, maximizing patriotism, revolutionary heroism, and the creativity of the Vietnamese people in the new era. Under the glorious banner of the Party, we will march forward, determined to successfully implement the Resolution of the 14th National Congress, and determined to successfully build a peaceful, independent, democratic, prosperous, civilized, and happy Vietnam, steadily advancing towards socialism.
Steadfastly marching under the glorious banner of the Party, the entire Party, the entire people, and the entire army pledge to dedicate all their heart, intellect, and courage to building a strong and prosperous Vietnam, to integrating Vietnam more deeply into world politics, the international economy, and human civilization, so that we can stand shoulder to shoulder with the great powers of the world in the new era. The spring of our nation will forever be beautiful and enduring when every Vietnamese person – regardless of their position – strives to build an increasingly prosperous homeland and joins hands in building our Party to be increasingly clean and strong. So that in the future, every cadre, Party member, and citizen of Vietnam can proudly look back and have made a worthy contribution to the noble cause of the nation, having lived and dedicated themselves worthily to the Fatherland and the People.
To Lam
General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam
