National great unity is the gathering and cohesion of all social classes, ethnic groups and religions, encompassing all members of society — both Vietnamese citizens living within the country and those working and residing abroad — into a unified bloc of thought, will and action.

Teachers and students of Viet Bac High School for Ethnic Minorities (Thai Nguyen Province) in a practical lesson on promoting the strength of great national unity.

The great national unity based on the alliance between the working class, the peasantry and the intellectuals is a grand strategic ideology and the source of strength that has led to every victory of the Vietnamese revolution.

It was diligently nurtured by the beloved President Ho Chi Minh and carefully built and protected by the Party. This unity is a miraculous weapon which has been forged and maintained over thousands of years of history to create the strength of our nation and people.

Because of its significance, throughout the history of the nation and the Vietnamese revolution under the leadership of the Party, hostile forces have always sought insidious and aggressive schemes to undermine national unity.

They attempt to distort the truth, deny the leadership role of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and ultimately eliminate the revolutionary achievements and the socialist path chosen by the Vietnamese people.

Nearly 40 years of national renewal have demonstrated that inheriting and promoting President Ho Chi Minh’s ideology of great national unity under the Party’s leadership has resulted in the principle that “Our unity is not only broad but also enduring. Unity is a national policy, not a mere political tactic.”

Great national unity is a consistent political ideology and a completely correct revolutionary method. Thanks to this, the Party has successfully mobilised the full potential of every citizen while ensuring that no one is left behind, thereby consolidating the strength of the entire people.

The reality of nearly 40 years of national renewal has proven that national great unity remains a decisive factor in ensuring the success of national development and defence.

This not only effectively upholds the Vietnamese people’s long-standing tradition of unity and patriotism but also reflects the Party’s responsiveness in innovating its theoretical thinking on national unity.

It is rooted in the perspective of “placing the people at the centre”, as demonstrated by the Party’s efforts in mass mobilisation, expanding socialist democracy, strengthening the people’s right to mastery, and fostering a close-knit relationship between the Party, the State and the people — all for the well-being and happiness of the people.

In recent years, hostile forces have relentlessly intensified their propaganda to undermine the Party, the State and national unity. Through various tactics, they claim that Marxism-Leninism is outdated and attempt to discredit its revolutionary and scientific essence.

They distort and reject Ho Chi Minh’s ideology as well as the Party’s viewpoints and policies — especially those regarding great national unity.

More dangerously, these organisations and individuals frequently engage in slander and ideological sabotage, aggressively implementing “peaceful evolution” strategies.

They falsely claim that the Communist Party of Vietnam is authoritarian and outdated, incapable of leading the revolution or representing the people’s interests.

They attempt to discredit the role of the people, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and the Party’s connection with the people, while inciting ethnic and religious tensions.

In the era of Industry 4.0, hostile forces have exploited social media platforms to disseminate misleading and false information through posts, images, articles, discussions, open letters, and interviews.

Their goal is to distort achievements, exaggerate shortcomings in governance, and create public scepticism and division, ultimately weakening and dismantling the great national unity bloc.

They deliberately misrepresent Party and State policies, instigate conflicts among ethnic and religious groups, and create doubts about the Party’s leadership.

For instance, in cases where local governments struggle with land disputes, inadequate compensation, or large-scale protests, such as in the Central Highlands or the Mekong Delta, these forces immediately exploit the situation to claim that the Party is authoritarian and that its policies are oppressive.

More insidiously, some hostile forces actively seek to sow discord between officials and the people, promote ethnic divisions, and spread falsehoods suggesting that Vietnam lacks religious freedom.

Their ultimate goal is to deepen resentment, distort national reconciliation policies, and erode public trust in the Party’s leadership, thereby dismantling national unity.

Over nearly 40 years of national renewal, one undeniable achievement has been the expansion of socialist democracy across all aspects of Vietnamese society.

Numerous policies and legal frameworks have been established to enhance individual autonomy, leverage economic potential, and allow the people to engage in lawful economic activities freely.

Alongside economic democracy, political democracy has empowered citizens to exercise their rights through direct and representative democracy. This includes the right to run for office, vote, and participate in discussions and policymaking with the Party and the State.

However, hostile forces deliberately ignore these facts. They exploit inefficiencies in certain areas or instances where direct and representative democracy has not been fully effective to exaggerate problems, tarnish the regime’s reputation, and undermine the entire socialist democracy system.

More dangerously, they manipulate the concept of democracy to incite unrest, falsely portraying democracy as being in opposition to discipline, law, and unity.

They aggressively advocate for extreme forms of democracy, promote Western democratic models, and create confusion about the legitimacy of socialist democracy in Vietnam.

Their ultimate objective is to divide and sabotage national unity, separate democracy from solidarity, and ultimately destabilise both the political system and the socialist democracy that Vietnam has painstakingly built.

To ensure that national great unity remains a key driving force and a long-term strategic issue, national development must be accompanied by firm resistance against all hostile plots and schemes aimed at disrupting unity.

Given the current domestic and international context, it is essential to enhance propaganda and mobilisation efforts throughout the Party, the army, and the people.

This will foster national pride, self-reliance, and the strength of great national unity. It is crucial to raise awareness that national unity is a collective responsibility shared by all people and the entire political system. This is the most effective way to counter and defeat the schemes of hostile forces.

Furthermore, policies and laws must be continuously improved while the management of social media must be strengthened. This will ensure that social media can be effectively utilised to promote the Party’s policies, spread positive and progressive ideas, and encourage innovation and development while simultaneously identifying and countering harmful content.

Developing a high-quality e-government, digital government, and digital economy will also play a vital role in promoting national development.

At the same time, equipping the public with the knowledge and skills to identify and counter misinformation will help in strengthening national unity.

Finally, consolidating national unity must be accompanied by international solidarity. Vietnam should leverage global support, combine national strength with international progress, and integrate patriotism with internationalism to maintain national independence while advancing socialism.