National standing, potential, position, and reputation after 40 years of renewal

The 14th National Party Congress marks 40 years since Vietnam embarked on its comprehensive renewal policy. Since then, Vietnam has made remarkable strides, achieving robust development across all sectors. As such, a thorough review of the past four decades is a crucial undertaking. It serves not only to highlight the progress made, but also to clearly identify the challenges that remain and to formulate appropriate policy responses moving forward. In this context, the draft documents submitted to the 14th Congress dedicate an entire section to evaluating “the national standing, potential, position, and reputation after 40 years of renewal.”

The 14th National Party Congress not only reviews 40 years of national renewal, but also marks a pivotal turning point as Vietnam strives to build a strong, prosperous nation in a new era of development. In photo: A view of downtown HCM city.

 The 6th National Party Congress laid the foundation for Vietnam’s sweeping renewal efforts. In its aftermath, a series of new policies were introduced to address production and business bottlenecks. Thanks to these sound policy decisions, by 1988, the economy began showing signs of clear improvement. Inflation and price hikes started to ease, and living standards gradually rose. Of particular note was “Directive 10,” which quickly took effect in revitalizing agricultural productivity. Just one year into its implementation, Vietnam not only achieved food self-sufficiency but also exported over one million tons of rice by 1989.

From an economy plagued by inflation exceeding 700%, crumbling agriculture and industry, and a population reliant on farming while still needing to import millions of tons of food annually, Vietnam has made a stunning turnaround in the 40 years since renewal. It is now among the world’s top rice and agricultural exporters. Having once been classified as a low-income, underdeveloped country, Vietnam officially graduated from the low-income group in 2008. The poverty rate fell from 58% in 1993 (under the old criteria) to just 1.1% in 2025 (under the multidimensional poverty standard). By the end of 2024, the economy's size had grown nearly 100-fold compared to 1986, placing Vietnam fourth in Southeast Asia and 32nd globally. GDP per capita is now nearly 25 times higher than four decades ago. Life expectancy rose from 62 years in 1990 to about 74.7 in 2025, while the Human Development Index (HDI) places Vietnam in the upper-middle tier globally. Defense and security capabilities have continued to strengthen, while political stability and social order remain firmly maintained. Under the Party’s leadership and its foreign policy of diversification and multilateralization, Vietnam now maintains diplomatic ties with 194 countries and has established comprehensive strategic partnerships with 13, four of which are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.

The 14th Party Congress not only marks the culmination of 40 years of national renewal but also signals a critical turning point in Vietnam’s ambition to build a strong, prosperous nation in a new era—a time defined by the vigorous rise of the Vietnamese people.

To realize this aspiration, especially as the country moves toward key milestones like the 100th anniversary of the Party in 2030 and of the nation in 2045, Vietnam’s goal of becoming a high-income developed country demands an honest and comprehensive assessment of the past 40 years. This includes understanding global and regional contexts as well as the aspirations and sentiments of both domestic and overseas Vietnamese communities. Only with such clarity can the Party formulate appropriate and effective strategies. Consequently, qualitative generalizations must be minimized in favor of concrete, quantifiable data.

New mindset, new vision

The draft political documents, particularly the assessment of 40 years of reform, must clearly identify the challenges Vietnam is likely to face, at least through 2045. Even the country’s economic growth in recent years should be examined candidly, with an honest look at both successes and shortcomings. Issues such as sustainability, environmental protection, and the alignment of social policies with economic growth require rigorous scrutiny.

In this new era, what’s needed is a fresh mindset and strategic vision, one that must be logically and consistently reflected throughout the documents submitted to the Congress. For example, the report’s theme, also the Congress's overarching theme, states: “Under the glorious flag of the Party, united and determined to successfully realize national development goals by 2030; self-reliant, confident, and advancing boldly in the era of national resurgence, for peace, independence, democracy, prosperity, civilization, happiness, and steadfast progress toward socialism.”

However, during the 12th Plenum of the Party Central Committee (13th tenure), aside from refining the draft documents, certain phrases were revised to enhance their clarity and impact. Notably, the word “determined” was removed to make room for a more forceful, concise, and rallying message that reflects the Congress's core directive. It is evident that general slogans such as “enhance,” “promote,” “further strengthen,” or “resolutely boost” should be used sparingly. Instead, strong, clear, and definitive language should be prioritized.

From its review of 40 years of renewal, the draft documents identify five key lessons “with theoretical significance for Vietnam’s renewal pathway.” This is perhaps one of the most critical highlights of this Congress’s documents, as the Party, based on extensive real-world experience, has gradually shaped and refined its renewal theory over the past four decades.

An objective and in-depth analysis of the country’s standing, potential, position, and reputation after 40 years of reform, along with a precise assessment of existing challenges and difficulties, and a distillation of key lessons learned, particularly in clarifying the theoretical foundation of Vietnam’s renewal pathway, is essential to further strengthening the nation's stature and credibility in this new era of national development.

Dr. Vu Trung Kien, Deputy Head of Faculty of Party Building at Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, Region II.