Ho Chi Minh's Light Guides Our Path

On May 19, 2026, the entire Party, people and armed forces celebrate the 136th anniversary of the birth of the great President Ho Chi Minh at a time of special significance. The 14th National Party Congress was successfully concluded, setting out strategic orientations to lead the country into a new era, building a Vietnam of peace, independence, democracy, prosperity, affluence, civilization and happiness, firmly advancing toward socialism. The election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026–2031 term has opened a new chapter, requiring strong renewal in thinking, improvements in institutional quality, governance effectiveness and the capacity to serve the people.

The political system is gradually operating under a new organizational model that is more streamlined and more coherent, requiring greater efficiency, effectiveness and performance, closer ties with the people, and better responsiveness to the country’s development requirements in the new situation.

Amid this major transition, we are becoming increasingly aware of the enduring value of Ho Chi Minh Thought — the spiritual foundation, the guiding torch and the compass for every victory of the Vietnamese revolution and the Vietnamese nation. If the documents of the 14th National Party Congress define the country’s new development path, then Ho Chi Minh Thought is the light illuminating that path, enabling us to move forward with firm determination, correct objectives, scientific methods and profound faith in the people.

President Ho Chi Minh was not only the person who found the path for national salvation and liberation, but also the thinker who laid the ideological foundations for the cause of building, defending and developing Vietnam in the modern era. For him, national independence was inseparable from freedom and happiness for the people, and from socialism.

National liberation was merely the beginning of a greater journey: building a peaceful, unified and independent Vietnam where the people are the masters of the country, enjoy a prosperous, free and happy life, have access to education, comprehensive development opportunities and the fruits of the revolution.

This represents the profound humanitarian dimension, enduring value and contemporary vitality of Ho Chi Minh Thought. His thought not only illuminated the path toward national independence and reunification in the 20th century, but continues to guide efforts to safeguard sovereignty and territorial integrity, pursue reform, and achieve rapid and sustainable development in the 21st century.

In the new era, as the country faces the requirement to rise strongly, enhance strategic autonomy and keep pace with global development trends, Ho Chi Minh Thought has become an essential spiritual foundation, a framework for thinking and a direction for action of decisive significance.

The 14th National Party Congress represents a particularly important milestone in Vietnam’s development process. The Congress not only reviewed the country’s development journey and reflected on the great and historically significant achievements after 40 years of renewal (Doi Moi), but also established methodologies, visions and strategic decisions for the coming period of development.

This is the path of rapid and sustainable development; building a clean and strong Party and political system with greater efficiency, effectiveness and performance; building a socialist rule-of-law state of the people, by the people and for the people; developing the country based on science, technology, innovation and digital transformation; developing Vietnamese culture and people as a foundation, endogenous resource and important driving force; building an independent and self-reliant economy while proactively and deeply integrating into the international community; and strengthening national defense and security.

Looking deeper, these strategic orientations represent the inheritance, application and creative development of Ho Chi Minh Thought under new historical conditions.

Ho Chi Minh Thought is not a set of rigid, closed doctrines, but a living system of viewpoints that is always connected with reality, taking practice as its starting point, the interests of the nation and the happiness of the people as its highest goal, and self-reliance, democracy, innovation, creativity and action as the means to realize revolutionary ideals.

First and foremost, President Ho Chi Minh’s thought that “the people are the root” continues to serve as the central axis guiding all policies, orientations and decisions in the current period.

In his thought, the people are the subjects of history, the inexhaustible source of revolutionary strength, and the highest object of service of the Party and the State. All interests are for the people. All powers belong to the people. Government at all levels, from the central to the grassroots level, must serve as servants of the people. Cadres and Party members must stay close to the people, understand the people, trust the people, respect the people, learn from the people, work for the people and bear responsibility before the people.

This spirit sets out clear requirements for the current process of renewal: all reforms must place the people at the center, take better service of the people as their goal, and use people’s satisfaction, trust and happiness as the measure of evaluation.

Streamlining the organizational apparatus is not merely about reducing administrative units, layers or costs; more fundamentally, it is about bringing the apparatus closer to the people, staying closer to grassroots realities, handling work faster, and providing better services to citizens and businesses.

Decentralization and delegation of authority must ensure clarity in people, tasks and responsibilities, while promoting the initiative, creativity and accountability of each level, sector and locality.

Digital transformation aims to modernize governance tools, creating a management system that is more transparent, convenient, equitable, attentive and efficient.

Second, President Ho Chi Minh’s thought on independence, self-reliance and self-strengthening continues to illuminate Vietnam’s development path amid strategic competition, global supply chain shifts, the Fourth Industrial Revolution and profound changes in the world.

During his lifetime, President Ho Chi Minh consistently emphasized that national independence must be associated with self-reliance and self-strengthening; that the nation must rely primarily on its own strength while making use of international support and cooperation; and that national strength must be combined with the strength of the times.

Today, this thought has been developed into the requirement of building an independent and self-reliant economy with high resilience and international competitiveness — one that actively integrates deeply into the global economy without dependence; promotes science, technology, innovation and digital transformation; masters strategic technologies; and develops new productive forces and new modes of production.

The aspiration to “stand shoulder to shoulder with the powers of the five continents”, which President Ho Chi Minh entrusted to generations of Vietnamese people, has now become a practical development requirement. It calls upon the entire Party, people and armed forces to strongly renew their thinking, take decisive action and overcome complacency, while avoiding the risk of falling behind — particularly in technology, productivity and the quality of development.

Third, Ho Chi Minh Thought on Party building continues to serve as a particularly important foundation for the work of building and rectifying the Party and the political system in the new period.

President Ho Chi Minh reminded that the Party is the ruling party; every cadre and Party member must truly absorb revolutionary ethics, embody diligence, thrift, integrity, righteousness and selflessness; must preserve the Party’s purity; and must deserve to be both the leader and the truly loyal servant of the people.

He regarded morality as the foundation of revolutionary people and considered the close bond with the people as the source of strength and a condition for the Party’s existence and development.

Under current conditions, these requirements have become even more vital.

A country that seeks rapid and sustainable development must have a truly clean and strong Party with sufficient political steadfastness, intelligence, morality, prestige and leadership capacity.

A streamlined political system can only operate effectively when it has a contingent of cadres with adequate qualities, capabilities and responsibility — people who dare to think, dare to act and dare to take responsibility for the common interests.

A modern governance system can only succeed when it is built upon discipline, order, integrity, transparency and accountability.

Therefore, preventing and combating corruption, wastefulness, negativity and bureaucracy is not only a task of Party building, but also a task of national development.

Fighting corruption is aimed at cleansing the apparatus, strengthening people’s trust, protecting national resources and creating a healthy environment for development.

Fighting wastefulness is aimed at unlocking resources, using public assets and public time effectively, and maximizing development opportunities for the country.

Combating negative phenomena means preserving discipline, preventing the abuse of power and creating a foundation of fairness and civilization for sustainable national development.

Combating bureaucracy means ensuring that the apparatus does not become distant from the people, that policies do not become detached from reality, and that officials do not become indifferent to the people’s lives.

Fourth, President Ho Chi Minh’s thought on great national unity continues to serve as a strategic source of strength in the new era.

He affirmed that unity is an extremely precious tradition of the Vietnamese nation and a decisive factor in the success of the revolution.

Unity within the Party, unity among the entire population, national unity, international solidarity; unity among different classes, social groups, ethnic communities and religions, among Vietnamese people at home and overseas — these were both the methods of gathering forces and the art of building national strength developed by President Ho Chi Minh.

In the current period, great national unity is not only a political requirement, but also a resource for development.

For the country to rise, it must awaken and maximize the intelligence, determination, aspirations, creativity and spirit of dedication of every Vietnamese person.

Workers, farmers, intellectuals, entrepreneurs, artists, young people, women, veterans, ethnic communities, religious communities and overseas Vietnamese all represent important forces in the cause of building and defending the Fatherland.

National development in the new era cannot rely solely on state resources; it requires mobilizing, unleashing and connecting all social resources and all creative potential of the people.

Fifth, President Ho Chi Minh’s thought on culture and human development continues to illuminate the requirements of sustainable national development.

For him, culture does not stand outside politics, economy and society; rather, it must “light the way for the nation to move forward.”

People are both the goal and the driving force of the revolution.

National development is not merely about economic growth, but also about raising intellectual standards, cultivating character, building morality, developing culture and caring for the material and spiritual well-being of the people.

In the new era, rapid development must go hand in hand with sustainable development; economic growth must accompany social progress and equality; technological innovation must be linked with human development; and international integration must go together with preserving national cultural identity.

A nation can only truly become strong when it possesses a powerful economy, a modern institutional system, strong national defense and security, a culture rich in identity, comprehensively developed people, and a humane society characterized by compassion, discipline and creativity.

From this perspective, the recent reform decisions — from streamlining the organizational structure of the political system, rearranging administrative units and operating the two-tier local government model; to renewing institutions and improving the legal system; promoting decentralization and delegation of authority, administrative reform and digital transformation; developing science, technology and innovation; developing the private sector, improving the efficiency of the state economy and building an independent and self-reliant economy; developing culture and people, improving education quality, healthcare and social security; to proactively integrating internationally, strengthening national defense and security, and preventing and combating corruption, wastefulness and negative phenomena — all need to be viewed through the lens of Ho Chi Minh Thought.

Viewed through that lens in order to maintain the right goals.
Viewed through that lens in order to choose the right methods.
Viewed through that lens in order to ensure that every reform remains close to the people, every development preserves national identity, and every transformation remains connected with the ideals of national independence and socialism.

Therefore, commemorating the 136th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh’s birth in the current context is not merely an occasion to remember and express gratitude for his immense contributions.

It is also an opportunity for the entire Party, people and armed forces to reflect upon themselves through his thought, morality and style; to strengthen confidence in the chosen path; to enhance responsibility before the Fatherland and the people; and to transform Ho Chi Minh Thought into concrete revolutionary actions in every agency, locality, cadre, Party member and citizen.

Studying and following Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality and style today cannot stop at correct words, appealing slogans or formal campaigns.

More importantly, it must be transformed into public service ethics, discipline in implementation, a culture of integrity, a spirit of innovation and creativity, responsibility in serving the people, organizational capacity and concrete results in social life.

Every correct policy must enter into practice.

Every policy must reach the people.

Every cadre must take people’s satisfaction, trust and happiness as the measure of their work.

The era of national rise places very high demands on the entire political system.

We must remain steadfast but not conservative; innovate but not deviate from our direction; develop rapidly but sustainably; integrate deeply with the world while maintaining independence and self-reliance; build a streamlined apparatus while ensuring better service to the people; and promote strong economic development while guaranteeing social progress, equality and people’s happiness.

This is also the spirit of Ho Chi Minh Thought under new conditions: steadfast in objectives, creative in methods, practical in action, humane in purpose, placing the people at the center and treating national interests as the highest priority.

The greater the historical transition we are experiencing, the more firmly we must uphold Ho Chi Minh Thought.

The further we advance on the path of modernization, the more deeply we must return to the fundamental values that President Ho Chi Minh left behind: independence and freedom; the people as the root; unity; self-reliance and self-strengthening; diligence, thrift, integrity and righteousness; a clean Party; a State that serves the people; and development for human beings and for the happiness of the people.

Under the light of Ho Chi Minh, with Vietnamese determination, intelligence, will and aspiration, the entire Party, people and armed forces will certainly successfully implement the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress, achieve the two strategic centenary goals, and realize the aspiration of building a prosperous and powerful Vietnam that stands shoulder to shoulder with the powers of the five continents, as beloved President Ho Chi Minh always wished.