Building a strong and modern all-people national defence is a strategic policy of our Party and State in order to strengthen the national defence, improve the defence capability to firmly safeguard the Fatherland in the new era. Grasping and implementing this policy, the Party Committee and Command of Military Region 2 (MR2) have been intensely leading, directing and implementing many contents and solutions which are scientific and suitable to the local features.

Military Region 2 formerly consisted of 9 provinces in the Northwestern midlands and mountainous region. Implementing the policy on running the two-tiered local governments and adjusting the administrative boundaries, the MR2’s boundaries have been expanded since 01 July 2025. Its area of operation is of strategic position regarding the defence, security and foreign affairs of the North and entire country. Hence, building the strong all-people national defence, maintaining the peaceful environment, social order and safety, and creating conditions for the local development seem to be crucial. Thoroughly understanding this, for the past few years, the Region’s Party Committee and Command have paid attention to leading and directing all departments and units to bring into play their main roles, make coordination and consultation, together with the local party committees, governments and people to implement all solutions to build the all-people national defence, and gained important results. The awareness and responsibility of cadres, soldiers and the entire people for the task of safeguarding the Fatherland have been raised. The combination of economic, cultural and social development, and the improvement of defence, security and foreign affairs have been effectively conducted. The potentials, posture and defence strength, especially the MR’s armed forces have been built in an “elite, compact, strong” way, high quality and combat readiness; the “people’s hearts and minds” posture has been reinforced, contributing to firmly protecting the Northwestern “fence” of the Fatherland.

Sr. Lt. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien, Deputy Minister of National Defence congratulates MR2 on the success of its Party Congress

Currently and in the future, the security and political situations in the area of MR2 are forecast to be stable, socio-economic development is maintained, security and defence are strengthened, and foreign affairs are enhanced, etc. However, the hostile forces will continue to increase their sabotage activities in order to carry out the scheme of “depoliticising the Army” and dividing the great national unity bloc; the security in rural areas, social evils, drugs trafficking activities in the borders still pose many potential risks, etc. Meanwhile, the mission of building and safeguarding the Fatherland in the new era has demanding requirements; the operation of the two-tiered local government and the adjustment of the administrative boundaries raise many issues to solve for the local defence and military work. This situation requires the MR’s armed forces to continue to thoroughly grasp the resolutions and directives of the Party, State, Central Military Commission, Ministry of National Defence, comprehensively implement solutions for building the strong and modern all-people national defence, focusing on several solutions as follows:

Firstly, promoting the propaganda and education to improve the cognition and responsibility of cadres, party members, the people and armed forces for the task of building the strong and modern all-people national defence. Building the strong and modern all-people national defence is a great policy which represents the strategic thinking and vision of the Party; an objective requirement for safeguarding the Fatherland in the new era. Therefore, the MR’s Party Committee and Command have intensely led and directed departments and units to enhance the coordination among functional forces, and central and local press agencies to promote their propaganda and education for all cadres, party members, the people and armed forces to clearly understand the position, roles, importance and necessity to build the strong and modern all-people national defence in the new era, through which, to improve their awareness and responsibility, bring into play the overall strength of all departments, organisations and the entire people in the leadership, direction and implementation. The propaganda contents should be large, comprehensive but focused, emphasising the seniors’ resolutions, directives, guiding documents on the two strategic tasks of building and safeguarding the Fatherland, the people’s war strategy, policies on building the strong and modern all people’s national defence, the all-people defence posture combined with the people’s security posture and the policy on building the military regions, provinces and cities into strong defensive zones.

Secondly, closely combining socio-economic development with defence and security enhancement. MR2 directs all departments and units, especially the provincial military commands, to closely coordinate with other agencies and services to advise the local party committees and governments, intensely build, review, complete and effectively implement plans, mechanisms, policies and projects on the socio-economic development combined with defence security assurance, focusing on large projects of economic development in border gates and areas in provinces of Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Tuyen Quang regarding the fields of forestry, high-tech agriculture, eco-tourism, etc. Together, the MR advises the localities to restructure the professions in a modern way; speed up the construction of strategic infrastructure; enhance the development of the knowledge economy and digital transformation according to Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW, dated 22 December 2024 by the Politburo; combine the urban, industrial and service development with the defence and security assurance; continue to develop the high-quality human resources, combine the vocational training with defence requirements; enhance the research, development and application of modern scientific and technological advances into the military science.

The MR closely coordinates with the localities to focus investments into dual-used projects and infrastructures, creating the close connection between the economy, defence and security and vice versa; reviews and adjusts the projects on residential clusters which are close to the border guard posts and stations, militia posts in the borders; establish the resettlement areas to evacuate the people from the areas highly endangered by floods and soil erosion; improves the activity effectiveness of the economic-defence units, boosts the socio-economic development, alleviates poverty and eradicates hunger, creating foundations to build the military and defence potentials and postures.

Leader of MR2 visits product at the 9th Innovation Contest in 2025

Thirdly, building the strong and modern defence forces in the MR and the MR’s armed forces as the cores in building the all-people national defence. The MR directs all departments and units to advise provinces, strengthen the leadership of the party committees and the direction of all-level governments, especially the synchronous and effective operation of the mechanism of the Party leading, government managing and military agency presiding, coordinating with other departments to advise and create breakthroughs in building the all-people national defence, focusing on renovating methods and improving the leadership capability of party organisations, the operation of all-level governments, fronts and unions; strengthen the national unity bloc; bring into play the democracy at the grassroots, and timely satisfy the people’s legitimate aspiration; build the contingent of cadres, especially presiding cadres at all levels, who have comprehensive abilities, highly professional knowledge to meet the task requirements in the new situation.

Building the  armed forces of the MR which are elite, compact, strong, modernised, owning strength and high combat readiness, being the core forces to build the strong and modern all-people national defence. For regular soldiers, the MR directs departments and units to follow the new organisational charts; assure the synchronous and appropriate organisation; prioritise the manpower, weapons and technical equipment, especially the new and modern weapons and equipment for units doing their combat readiness tasks, or being located in key areas and strategic directions. For local soldiers, the MR continues to make the arrangement and adjustment which are suitable to the two-tiered local governments, close to the tasks and local features; purchase new weapons and equipment to meet the requirements of regional defence. The MR directs the building of the strong and large reserve forces which have sufficient quantity, correct background and military profession, ready to be expanded when a situation arises; reorganises the militia and self-defence forces according to the seniors’ instructions, making them in high quality and suitable to the localities, be able to solve any situations of defence and security, focusing on building the strong self-defence forces in all economic sectors, production facilities and businesses.

Fourthly, building the solid defence posture, ready to be transferred to the posture of people’s war when there is a situation. The MR directs all departments and units to actively take part in building the strong political foundations, helping the people develop their production, eradicate hunger and alleviate poverty; take part in building the new rural areas and preventing the natural disasters and calamities; together with the people struggles against the schemes and sabotage activities by the hostile forces, especially in remote and difficult areas, contributing to building the strong posture of “people’s hearts and minds”. Besides, the MR’s armed forces continue to preserve the traditions and noble qualities of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” in the new situation; cement the relationship with the people, create their trust to the local party committees and governments, and the armed forces, contributing to building the strong all-people national defence and the people’s security.

Leader of MR2 visits and encourages soldiers participating in the A80 Parade

The MR directs the departments and units to research, adjust and complete the combat determination and plans, and the civil defence plans due to the new administrative boundaries, and complete the projects on the military posture of defensive zones; advises the local party committees and governments to allocate enough budget and mobilise all investment sources to build and upgrade all military structures in the defensive zones, focusing on the key defensive structures, the specialised economic-political centres, the essential military and defence goals, and other important buildings such as headquarters, rear bases, key defence areas, systems of trenches and battlefields, combat positions in borders, etc. and other dual-used structures including the systems of reservoirs, dams, traffic infrastructure, telecommunication, health care and urban infrastructure. In the construction process, it is necessary to achieve the goals of being solid in the structure, and protected by a strong-enough system of air defence which could intercept various types of missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles.

Fifthly, strengthening the foreign affairs, creating a solid foundation to build the strong and modern all-people national defence. Together with defence and security, foreign affairs are considered as an essential and regular mission, contributing to safeguarding the Fatherland from afar and developing the country quickly and sustainably. Bringing into play the achieved results and experience, the MR directs departments and units to continuously advise the local party committees and governments in the borders to enhance the people’s foreign affairs and defence relations according to the foreign policies of the Party, based on the international law, mutual respect and understanding, making contribution to building the borders in peace, friendship, cooperation and development. Together, the MR continues to maintain and bring into play the friendship, special solidarity and the Vietnam - Laos comprehensive cooperation, the Vietnam - China friendship, the defence tasks and foreign affairs in the year 2026; closely coordinates with all units and military commands in all provinces in the North of Laos to successfully organise the Joint Conference in 2026; helps Laos build the political institutions, strengthen the defence and security; helps Lao people develop the economy, eradicate hunger and eliminate poverty; continues to build and complete all sessions of the Project on building the groups of villages in Laos, assuring the closeness, quality, effectiveness and schedule.

Besides, the MR directs the departments and units to promote the application of information technology in doing their tasks of defence and security; enhances the digital transformation combined with the information security and cybersecurity; continues to implement and complete all criteria and tasks according to the Project on digital transformation in the MR’s armed forces.

Bringing into play the achieved results, the armed forces of MR2 continues to keep their leading role, together with the local party committees, governments and people in the Northwest to overcome all difficulties, stay united to build the strong and modern all-people national defence, contributing to firmly safeguarding the Fatherland in the new era of development.

Major General TRAN VAN BAC, Commander of the Military Region