Every military officer, Party member and soldier should fully and deeply understand that the Vietnamese Army is the "revolutionary force of the people, from the people and for the people under the close leadership of the Party," says Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

Nation's pride: Vietnam Coast Guard force on a parade in Ha Noi. The Vietnamese Army is the "revolutionary force of the people, from the people and for the people under the close leadership of the Party", says Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in an article to mark the founding anniversary of the army (December 22).

Extolling "70 glorious years" of the Vietnamese People's Army (VPA), Trong says in an article to mark the founding anniversary of the army (December 22) that the Party, State and people always trust and wish that the army exerts itself to the maximum in building a revolutionary and modern fighting force.

Trong reaffirms that the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV)'s leadership over the army is comprehensive and absolute.

The leadership covers all aspects, including politics, ideology, organisation and personnel through a strict, suitable mechanism.

The article was titled "The Party's leadership is the deciding factor in all successes, maturity and development of the Vietnam People's Army."

Trong, who is also Chairman of the Central Military Commission, notes that at its very first political platform in 1930, the Party stated that forming a worker-farmer army was a matter of urgency.

He recalls that in early 1944, President Ho Chi Minh, or Nguyen Ai Quoc at that time, stressed the need for the Party Committee to take leadership over the nation's main armed force, which was then known as the Vietnam Armed Propaganda Unit for National Liberation.

The article also reviews important milestones in the Vietnam People's Army (VPA)'s history, including those in the resistance wars against French colonialists and US imperialists as well as in modern times.

At all times, the resolutions and documents issued by the Party reflected the consistent view that it is the CPV, with its prime leading bodies – the Politburo and Secretariat – that exerts supreme, overall, and direct leadership over the armed forces.

It highlights the fact that over the past 70 years, the Party has maintained its firm leadership over the army in all circumstances and during every historical period.

This leadership has been as the decisive factor in determining the maturity, fighting capacity and victories of the VPA, making it a sharp revolutionary tool and a loyal political force of the Party and the fatherland that serves the people, stands by the people and fights for the people, it said.

Trong highlights the fundamental principles for maintaining and strengthening the Party's leadership to ensure the army retains its revolutionary nature as well as fighting purpose and ideals while fulfilling the tasks of constructing and defending the fatherland in the current situation.

Firstly, the principle of the Party having absolute, overall and direct leadership over past 70 years, the Party has maintained its firm leadership over the army in all circumstances and during every historical period.

This leadership has been as the decisive factor in determining the maturity, fighting capacity and victories of the VPA, making it a sharp revolutionary tool and a loyal political force of the Party and the fatherland that serves the people, stands by the people and fights for the people, it said.

Trong highlights the fundamental principles for maintaining and strengthening the Party's leadership to ensure the army retains its revolutionary nature as well as fighting purpose and ideals while fulfilling the tasks of constructing and defending the fatherland in the current situation.

Firstly, the principle of the Party having absolute, overall and direct leadership over the army stays unchanged in all circumstances and conditions.

He says it is the Party that comes up with guidelines and orientations for the development of the national military, define purposes and ideals as well as measures to improve the combat capacity of the armed forces.

The Party also directs the implementation and realisation of viewpoints and guidelines to build a revolutionary, regular, elite and modern army, he says.

He further underscores the fact that the Party, especially the Politburo and Secretariat, decides major issues relating to the building of a strong army in terms of politics, ideology and organisation.

Meanwhile, the State manages the army in accordance with the Constitution and law, he adds.

"The CPV is the only organisation that leads the VPA," the Party chief emphasizes, declaring that the leadership cannot be undertaken by any individual or any other political force.

He notes that State management of the army is based on the principle of democratic centralism under the leadership of the Party.

Trong stresses the need to constantly improve the overall leadership of the army Party committee towards ensuring that the army always stands loyal to the Party, the nation, and people. The army should also remain steadfast in its commitment to the Party's goals and ideals including the building and renewal of socialism, he says.

Furthermore, the army should serve as a key force in the fight against wrongful views, protect Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought, and uphold the Party's guidelines as well as the State's policies and laws, Trong says.

The third principle is the sound State management of the army, the Party chief says, explaining that the State keeps control of the army with laws, policies and plans based on Party resolutions and guidelines. It needs to revamp the administrative apparatus from the grassroots to central level, he adds.

Trong reiterates the need for reinforcing the Party's absolute, overall and direct leadership as well as strengthened State management of the army, saying they are crucial, closely-linked, and vital to building a "revolutionary, regular, elite, and gradually modern army".

The Party and State need to supplement, develop, and fine-tune their main methods and management mechanisms and policies for the army while developing a system of healthy and strong Party organisations and reinforcing a military command system at all levels, he says.

Fourthly, efforts must be stepped up to thwart "peaceful evolution" schemes in general and an "apolitical army" scheme hatched by hostile forces in particular.

Such schemes are an "extremely wicked plot against Vietnam's revolution," attempting to separate the army from the Party leadership and disempowering the army as a sharp tool and a trustworthy political force of the Party and State, he says.

"The lessons learnt from the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe still hold their value for us," Trong says.

The goal of the army is to fight for national independence, socialism, and the well-being of people, which is also the goal and ideal of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the Party leader says.

In his article, he stresses that what it takes to intensify the Party leadership over the army is to build a healthy and strong military Party Committee in terms of politics, ideology and apparatus.