Thoroughly grasping the Party’s strategic lines on building provinces and cities into strong defensive zones, Thai Nguyen province has been decisively, synchronously implementing various solutions for this important task.

After the merger with Bac Kan province, Thai Nguyen province now enjoys expanded space and outstanding advantages for development in many aspects. In terms of defence and security, the enlarged and interconnected area creates strategic depth and substantial resources for the province to build its potential and posture. This is both a favourable condition and a demanding requirement for the provincial armed forces in carrying out defence - military tasks and building the provincial defensive zone, commensurate with the province’s important position as the centre of the Northern Midlands and Mountainous Region and a “safety belt” protecting the capital city of Hanoi.

Delegates at the Provincial Military Party Congress visit the exhibition on training equipment

Promoting its revolutionary traditions, existing potential and advantages, and  great achievements in various fields attained by the two localities prior to the merger, apart from socio-economic development, the province has always attached importance to strengthening defence and security, especially enhancing the strength of the defensive zone, achieving fairly comprehensive results. Notably, defence and security education for various target groups has been regularly emphasised and proven highly effective; awareness and a sense of responsibility among Party committees, authorities, citizens, and the armed forces in building the defensive zone have been considerably improved; socio-economic development has been closely combined with defence and security consolidation, thereby yielding comprehensive, sustainable results. Defence and security potential and posture, especially the “people’s hearts and minds posture” and military posture in the defensive zone, have been strengthened; the provincial armed forces have been built in an adept, compact, strong fashion.

However, alongside opportunities and favourable conditions, the province still faces numerous difficulties and challenges; in some remote, isolated areas, infrastructure remains degraded and unsynchronised; the quality of human resources is low; the people’s livelihoods remain difficult; rural and urban security, ethnic and religious issues still harbour potential destabilising factors; natural disasters and epidemics are complex and unpredictable.

Against that backdrop, in order to build Thai Nguyen into a strong defensive zone, all sectors and forces, with the provincial armed forces playing a core role, will focus on synchronously, effectively implementing the following key solutions.

First, building and consolidating political - spiritual potential as a foundation for enhancing the strength of the defensive zone. The Provincial Military Command (PMC) will closely coordinate with departments and sectors to give advice to the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People’s Council, and the Provincial People’s Committee on directing all-level Party committees and organisations to renew their working styles and methods, enhance their capabilities in leading, managing, and performing defence - military tasks, thereby contributing to improving the strength of the defensive zone. At the same time, it will continue effectively conducting the work of defence and security education to create clear, sustainable changes in awareness and responsibility among cadres, Party members, and citizens regarding the building of the defensive zone.

The PMC will give advice to the province on properly implementing the State’s ethnic and religious policies and laws, and promoting democracy in order to cement social consensus and the people’s faith in the Party’s leadership and the success of the cause of national construction and defence, thereby building a firm “people’s hearts and minds posture”. Due attention will be paid to proactively preventing, detecting, and promptly handling emerging issues at grass-roots level to maintain local stability and create a foundation for socio-economic development. Education and training, information work, culture, press, and sports will be developed to contribute to improving intellectual standards and human resource quality within the province.

The provincial armed forces will continue promoting their function as an “army ready for work”, intensifying propagation work, actively participating in socio-economic development, hunger eradication, and poverty reduction, and improving the people’s material and mental life, especially in remote, extremely difficult areas. Great value will be attached to preserving and promoting the cultural identity of ethnic groups in Thai Nguyen province, actively combating social evils and violations of law, and building a healthy cultural and spiritual life in residential communities. Due regard will be paid to resolutely preventing and thwarting hostile forces’ “peaceful evolution” strategy, tactics of promoting “self-evolution” and “self-transformation”, and activities aimed at undermining great national unity, building Thai Nguyen into a “stronghold of politics and ideology”.

Second, closely combining socio-economic development with defence and security consolidation. With new administrative boundaries and expanded development space, Thai Nguyen has many advantages and rooms for rapid, sustainable socio-economic development and defence - security consolidation. Hence, the PMC will continue working with relevant agencies to advise the province on reviewing and adjusting the master plan for socio-economic development in conjunction with defence - security consolidation. It will take part in closely appraising socio-economic development projects and programmes, especially foreign-invested projects in the key areas of defence and security. It will advise the province on mobilising resources to develop a synchronous, modern infrastructure system, with a focus on strategic transport infrastructure for regional connectivity, such as Hanoi - Thai Nguyen Expressway, Cho Moi - Bac Kan route, Ring Road 5 of the Capital Region, the route connecting Thai Nguyen, Bac Ninh, and Phu Tho, Ba Be Lake and Nui Coc Lake tourist areas, creating breakthroughs in socio-economic development and serving defence and security tasks when situations arise.

Emphasis will be placed on developing metallurgy and mechanical engineering in Thai Nguyen iron and steel complex, closely managing natural resources and minerals, and fostering forest protection and development associated with carbon credit exploitation. Priority will be given to developing and expanding industrial clusters and parks, especially in the southern area, such as Yen Binh, Song Cong I, Song Cong II, Diem Thuy, Quyet Thang, Southern Pho Yen, Phu Binh, realising the goal of building Thai Nguyen into a modern industrial centre by 2030 under the Resolution of the 1^st Provincial Party Congress, for the  2025 - 2030 term, contributing to improving local livelihoods and creating resources for defensive zone construction and defence - security tasks.

The PMC presents gift to a policy beneficiary at Na Ri commune

Third, building an interconnected and firm military posture within the defensive zone. Based on the Military Region’s defensive posture, the deployment of units of the Ministry of National Defence in the area, and the province’s socio-economic development master plan, synchronous solutions will be implemented to build the military posture within the defensive zone. In the immediate future, defence works will continue to be supplemented and built according to the road map of the Project on building the military posture within Thai Nguyen province’s defensive zone for the period of 2017 - 2025, with a vision to 2035, in a close, secret, safe, effective manner. Priority will be given to constructing military works in the main defensive directions and key projects with high dual-use value to meet both immediate and long-term task requirements.

The PMC will actively upgrade key works, such as combat bases, rear bases, manoeuvre road systems, tunnels, and logistics - technical bases. It will promote the dual-use nature of underground and solid structures in urban areas and industrial clusters, especially in the southern part of the province, as command posts at all levels, key defensive areas, logistics - technical sub-bases, and defensive strongpoints, creating an interconnected, firm posture with frontage and depth.

Besides, great weight will be added to strictly implementing regulations on the management and use of defence land, regularly reviewing and grasping the status of tactically valuable heights in the province, preventing socio-economic development activities by locals from affecting or reducing their operational value when combat occurs. The PMC will direct commune-level military commands to frequently review and grasp dual-purpose and civilian works planned for defence purposes in contingencies, turn each village, hamlet, residential quarter, commune, and ward into a “fortress”, and effectively promote the “combat village and commune posture” in defensive operations.

Fourth, regularly improving the provincial armed forces’ synergy and combat power. The Provincial Military Party Committee and the PMC will remain steadfast in building politically strong armed forces with a reasonable structure, great synergy, and high combat readiness. In the immediate future, they will give advice on effectively selecting cadres for and consolidating commune-level military commands in accordance with the Politburo’s lines and the directions of the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defence, and the Military Region. They will continue directing the building of “exemplarily, typically” comprehensively strong offices and units as well as pure, strong Party organisations at all levels, promoting the pioneering, exemplary role of cadres and Party members, especially all-level key leaders in task execution. Due attention will be paid to building a “powerful” reserve force with reasonable size and high quality, ready for mobilisation when ordered. The Project on building the militia and self-defence force in Thai Nguyen province for the period of 2026 - 2030 issued by the Provincial Party Committee will continue to be effectively implemented, with a focus on building and expanding self-defence units in industrial parks and improving the quality and effectiveness of permanent militia squads within key communes of defence and security, thereby well performing defence and military tasks right at grass-roots level.

Breakthroughs in raising the quality of training and exercises for all target groups will be made; in the immediate term, the Provincial Defensive Zone Exercise in 2026 will be well prepared and organised. Consideration will be given to stepping up regularity building, discipline management, and combat readiness, firmly grasping situational developments, promptly handling incidents, and avoiding passivity and surprise. In addition, due regard will be paid to effectively implementing civil defence, responding quickly and efficiently to non-traditional security challenges, especially preventing natural disasters, conducting search and rescue, and forest protection operations, well performing the task of “combat in peacetime”.

With the motto of proactively grasping situational developments, giving sound advice and direction, and taking resolute action, the provincial armed forces will continue promoting their core role in coordinating with Party committees, authorities, and ethnic communities of Thai Nguyen province to enhance the strength of the defensive zone and meet the requirements of Fatherland construction and protection in the new situation.

Sr. Col. NGO TUAN ANH

Commander of the PMC