FOREWORD

Over the course of thousand-year history, Vietnamese people have attached great importance to preserving internal stability together with promoting friendship with other nations for national construction and development. Whenever facing foreign invasions, the whole nation rises up against the aggressors to protect their territorial sovereignty, independence and freedom. Inheriting and bringing into full play the glorious tradition, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) and management of the State, Vietnamese people, with the Viet Nam People's Army (VPA) at the core, have built a strong all-people national defence, promoting international defence integration aimed at preventing the danger of war and safeguarding the Homeland from afar, protecting sustainable peace and realising the goal of a prosperous people and a strong, democratic, equitable and advanced country while maintaining a sufficient defence capability to fight and win any forms of aggressive war.

The VPA has been undergoing reforms, restructuring its organisation, upgrading weapons and equipment, tapping its military art for an enhanced overall power and a higher combat readiness, truly meeting its mandate as an army of the people, a political force, a loyal and reliable fighting force of the CPV, State and people, and the determinant of Homeland protection in the new situation.

In the coming years, the world, region, and country are to continue witnessing unforeseeable and complex developments. Many new destabilising factors arising in the political, security, and economic environment will have rapid, strong and sudden impacts. National defence and construction, besides presenting many opportunities and advantages, are also placed before a myriad of difficulties and challenges. Defined by this context, Viet Nam's National Defence Strategy is set to closely attach national peace and interests to regional and global peace, security, and stability. In addition to the goals of firmly protecting independence, sovereignty, territorial unity and integrity, peace, national interests, the CPV, the State, and people, Viet Nam actively and proactively participates in preserving peace and stability in the region and the world.

After the 2009 National Defence White Paper, Viet Nam releases the 2019 National Defence White Paper to continually affirm and elucidate the fundamental nature of peace and self-defence of Viet Nam's national defence. It also specifies challenges of Viet Nam's national defence and adjustments to its national defence policy and defence leadership and management mechanisms, structure of the Ministry of National Defence, force structure and future directions for the development of the VPA and Militia and Self-Defence Force as well as the build-up of defence capability while making it transparent as part of Viet Nam's national defence policy and capability.

The 2019 Viet Nam National Defence White Paper seeks to promote better understanding and confidence building between Viet Nam and other countries in the international community. It is an important document to raise Vietnamese citizens' awareness of national defence and facilitate better understanding among agencies, units, and social organisations about their rights and responsibilities to consolidate national defence for Homeland construction and protection, for the sake of people's happiness, for the peace, friendship, cooperation, and development of humankind.

CONCLUSION

Viet Nam's 2019 National Defence White Paper expresses the viewpoints, assessments and predictions of the global, regional and domestic situations relating to Viet Nam's defence challenges. It elaborates on fundamental issues of Viet Nam’s national defence policy and the changes in organisation and equipment of the VPA and the Militia and Self-Defence Force. The information provided in the Paper shows the CPV and State of Viet Nam's advocacy of transparency of the national defence policy, aimed at promoting mutual understanding and confidence-building between the VPA, and Vietnamese people and militaries and people around the world, facilitating the improvement of effectiveness of international integration and defence cooperation between Viet Nam and other countries as well as regional and international organisations to deal with emerging security issues for the sake of peace, stability, cooperation, and development.

In the unpredictable and complicated security situation in the region and the world, which has far-reaching effects on Viet Nam's national defence and security, Viet Nam's 2019 National Defence White Paper clearly shows the CPV and State of Viet Nam's determination to continue pursuing a national defence policy of peace and self-defence. Viet Nam is resolute and consistent in settling disputes and differences with other countries through peaceful means on the basis of international law. At the same time, Viet Nam advocates the consolidation and enhancement of the national defence strength of which the military strength plays a core part, ensuring sufficient capabilities for deterrence and defeating any acts of aggression and war. In the future, the VPA will be invested with necessary resources to continue playing the central role in the all-people national defence, being made strong enough to protect independence, sovereignty, territorial unity and integrity, national interests, and the socialist regime. Viet Nam accelerates international integration and defence diplomacy, seeking long-term solutions to settle disputes and differences through peaceful means, and contributing to maintaining peace, stability and prosperity in the region and the world.

The publication of the 2019 National Defence White Paper expresses Viet Nam’s desire and determination for the development of friendship, cooperation, and equal relations with all countries on the basis of mutual respect for the sake of peace, national independence, democracy, and social progress./.

2019 VIET NAM NATIONAL DEFENCE PHOTOBOOK

The Ministry of National Defence of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam publishes 2019 Viet Nam National Defence photobook with a view to illustrating the information provided in 2019 Viet Nam National Defence White Paper. In addition, the photobook provides vivid pictures in order to raise awareness of all levels, branches, military officers, soldiers and the whole people, especially the young generation, including the students and pupils of the viewpoints and guidelines of defence and military, and national defence policy of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV), the State, the Central Military Commission, and the Ministry of National Defence. It also publicises Viet Nam’s national defence, its policies and missions to safeguard the socialist Vietnamese Homeland to the countries in the world. Simultaneously, the photobook also aims to illustrate the history of the development of the Vietnamese military and national defence, the friendly and cooperative relations between the Viet Nam People’s Army (VPA) with other armed forces in the world in the context of international integration on the basis of mutual respect for independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and rightful mutual interests for peace, cooperation and development.