Under the leadership of the Party, throughout its development, combat, and growth, the Vietnam People's Army has always performed well its three functions as a force for combat, a force for work, and a force for labour and production. This is an objective requirement of the revolutionary cause and a precious tradition of our Army. Therefore, any distortion denying this important function of the Army is wrong and must be resolutely countered and refuted.

Unreasonable arguments and insidious conspiracies

With insidious schemes to undermine the Party, the State, and the Army, hostile and reactionary forces constantly repeat their rhetoric that the Army “should only conduct fighting” to protect the Fatherland, and “should not participate in production”; and that if it involves in production, the Army will neglect its training duties and undermine its combat strength. They also deliberately distort the nature of military-economic enterprises and corps as falsely accusing them of “playing both sides”, enjoying “privileges and special benefits” and “unfair competition”. Moreover, the term “military economic activity” is abused to infer to corruption and group interest. More dangerously, hostile forces also make use of this issue to promote the idea of ​​a “professional army” like Western style, by eliminating production from the military's functions.

Those arguments are, by nature, completely false, fabricated, baseless, and aim solely to deny the good nature and fine traditions of our Army. Their goal is to cause doubt among cadres, Party members, soldiers, and all strata of the people, leading to the denial of the Army's production function, break the solidarity between the military and the People, and gradually “depoliticise” the armed forces, neutralise the Army's combat strength and the country's defence potential.

Vietnam Military high ranking delegation led by senior lieutenant general Nguyen Truong Thang, Deputy Minister of National Defence, visit Viettel store at the International Defence and Aerospace Exhibition 2026 held in Istanbul, Turkey (Photo. qdnd.vn)

Production - A fundamental function of our Army

The production function of our Army is not a subjective choice, but theoretical and practical grounded. Based on the views of K. Marx and F. Engels, V.I. Lenin also affirmed that the army's participation in production is very urgent. He demanded on the “deployment of labour armies” in the new circumstances, and considered this a necessary step for national construction.

Throughout our history of national construction and defence, the Vietnamese feudal dynasties effectively promoted their troops’ participation in production and labour, manifested in the policy of “arms in war, farming in peace”, in which troops are stationed among the People as reserves and participate in the production of localities, and when the country is in danger, they are recalled to protect the sovereignty and territory. Creatively applying and developing Marxism-Leninism, inheriting and promoting national traditions, President Ho Chi Minh also clearly stated: Our army is the one of the People, stems from the People, and fights for the People. Therefore, the Army duties are not only limited to combat but also include labour and production to improve their living standards, assist the People, and develop the country. From the early days of its establishment, he reminded the Army to effectively perform three basic functions, namely: a force for combat, a force for work, and a force for production. At the first Military-wide Supply Conference held in June 1952, he emphasised that: Promoting production and exercising thrift is the prime policy of the Party, the Government, the People, and the Army. “Army units must strive to cultivate crops and raise livestock to partially supply for themselves and lessen the burden on the people”.

Based on those grounds, our Party has consistently pursued the policy of combining economics with national defence, and national defence with economy. At the same time, it clearly stated that the Army has three basic functions, namely: a force for combat, a force for work, and a force for labour and production as stipulated in Resolution No. 79-NQ/ĐUQSTW, dated 27 August 1992, of the Central Military Party Committee (now the Central Military Commission). The 14th National Party Congress further affirmed: “Maintaining and promoting the traditions of the People's Army, the noble qualities of “Uncle Ho's Soldiers”…; effectively performing the functions of a fighting force, a working force, and a productive force”. The Resolution of the 12th Military Party Congress also stated: The Army must “constantly be vigilant, ready to fight and fight victoriously in all situations; effectively perform the functions of a fighting force, a working force, and a productive force.” This confirms that labour and production is a fundamental function of the Vietnam People's Army, playing a crucial role in the cause of national liberation, construction, and defence.

The Army's great contributions in its economic activities

Following the Party's guidelines and President Ho Chi Minh's teachings, over the past 80 years, alongside fulfilling its functions as a fighting force and a working force, our Army has also consistently performed well its function as a production force. From its early days, and throughout the resistance war against French colonialists, army units simultaneously fought and farmed, thereby self-supplying for part of their food demand, and prepared well on-site logistical supply.

During the resistance war against the US imperialists for national liberation, the Army's production function was conducted on a larger scale. Accordingly, units throughout the army simultaneously fought and produced, actively built rear bases and on-site logistics bases in strategic areas, especially in Zone 5, the Central Highlands, the Southeast, the Southwest, etc. After the country was unified, military units once again pioneered in overcoming the consequences of war, in socio-economic development, and in the implementation of key programmes and projects, such as: the North-South Railway; new economic zones; land reclamation for forestry, fishery and food production in the Southeastern, Southwestern, the Central Highlands and the Northern Delta regions, etc.

In the period of reform and international integration, the Army's production function has been ever more promoted with outstanding achievements. In particular, implementing the Party's policy, tens of economic-defence units and economic-defence zones were established in strategic areas, remote regions, border areas, coastal areas, and islands. These units have closely coordinated with local Party committees and governments to make plan and resettlement, and found thousands of concentrated residence clusters in strategic areas, while offering jobs and sustainable livelihoods for hundreds of thousands of households, helping the People overcome poverty, develop production, etc., and contributing to building increasingly solid political foundation and “people's heart and mind posture”.

Besides, military enterprises have also overcome difficulties and taken the lead in the development of key economic sectors of the country, such as: telecommunications, information technology, shipbuilding, engineering, etc. Notable examples include: the Military Industry and Telecommunications Group (Viettel), the Saigon New Port Corporation (now the 20th Army Corps), the Vietnam Helicopter Corporation, the Song Thu Corporation, the Truong Son Construction Corporation, the Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MB), etc. These enterprises have affirmed their position as an important part of the national economy, contributing to accelerating the cause of industrialisation and modernisation, strengthening the country’s economic and defence potentials, etc.

It can be affirmed that the above-mentioned achievements are the most convincing evidence for the correct policies and strategic vision of the Party and President Ho Chi Minh, as well as the great contributions of the Army in labour and production, economic development combined with national defence. This reality has refuted all distorted and subversive arguments of hostile forces.

Visitors experience full view of the Sai Gon New Port through virtual reality (Photo: qdnd.vn)

For the Army to better fulfill its production function

At present, the world and regional situations are witnessing complex and unpredictable evolutions and this is likely to continue in the coming time. Our country is entering a new era of development with opportunities and difficulties, advantages and challenges.

To contribute to building and firmly defending the Fatherland in the new era, the Army should better implement its function as a force of labour and production in addition to effectively fulfilling its functions as a force for combat and a force for work. To achieve this goal, Party committees, Party organisations, and relevant agencies should strengthen propaganda and education, further raising the awareness of cadres, soldiers, and the people about the role, importance, great achievements and contributions of the Army in fulfilling its labour and production function. Promote the role and responsibility of cadres, soldiers, and the People in labour and production associated with defence and security; consolidation; resolutely counter and refute the erroneous and hostile viewpoints.

Military enterprises should actively innovate, improve their operational efficiency, strictly comply with State laws, and prioritise the development of spearhead sectors and fields to their advantage, such as: high technology, dual-use technology, mechanical engineering, telecommunications, and logistics, directly serving defence and security tasks and building an independent and self-reliant economy. Along with this, they should promote the expansion of the economic-defence zone model, linked to the socio-economic development strategy and strengthening national defence and security in strategic areas, remote areas, border regions, islands, and areas inhabited by ethnic minorities.

Regular units should also further promote production in a concentrated and sustainable manner; actively apply science and technology to improve productivity and product quality, in accordance with the strengths and capabilities of each unit. This contributes to improving and enhancing the lives of soldiers, assisting the people in the areas where they are stationed, and building an increasingly solid “people's heart and mind posture”.

It can be affirmed that production and labour is not only a function but also a precious tradition of our Army. The more regular and modern the Army gets, the better it must perform this important function, thereby contributing to building and firmly defending the Fatherland in the new era.

Colonel, Dr. PHAM DINH DUYEN, Deputy Head of the Department of Military Psychology, Political Officer College