Vietnamese people work together to protect national sovereignty

Vietnam needs to promote its citizens’ patriotism and solidarity in order to safeguard national sovereignty, as was affirmed at a ceremony announcing the results of a national research project “Protecting national sovereignty in new situations”. The project was carried out by the Ministry of Defense.

The research project “Protecting national sovereignty in new situations” analysed the achievements and limitations of measures taken to protect Vietnam's national sovereignty over the past 30 years. Based on the project's findings, researchers stressed the need for Vietnam to call on participation of all Vietnamese citizens. 

"In order to effectively safeguard national sovereignty, we need to build up trust and confidence among our people, particularly those who are working near national borders. With these efforts, we could find the strength to protect our nation", said Major General Nguyen Hoang Dam, Coast Guard Commander.

"In the current climate, we need to prioritise the national objectives of eliminating poverty and raising the living standard for people, because the Vietnamese people are the source of the strength that the Party and the State need to achieve their goals", said Major General  Hoang Xuan Chien, Border Guard Commander.

The project is expected to provide practical information so that the government can create national strategies to resolve complex situations relating to national sovereignty on land and sea.

"In the past, we focused mostly on building our military force. But now, it is clear that we also need to invest in strengthening our fishing vessels and supporting our fishermen. 10 submarines are not as effective as 1 million fishing boats in terms of safeguarding territorial waters", said Major General Le Van Cuong, Former Director, Institute of Strategy, Ministry of Public Security.

At the event, experts also suggested that the government needs to balance the military's budget to enhance its efficiency. Long-term efforts will be required in order to raise awareness among Vietnamese citizens as well as the whole political system.