88 springs have passed, and the Party endures alongside the nation.

In our journey alongside the nation on the path of socialism, for a prosperous people, a strong nation, democracy, justice, and civilization, despite numerous urgent shortcomings that need correction, and despite some less-than-pleasant aspects, every time Tet (Lunar New Year) arrives, and every anniversary of the Party's founding, we always remember President Ho Chi Minh - the founder and mentor of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Our people always remember his words, with a spirit of protection and a benevolent heart, safeguarding the Party as it was in its early days, hoping that the Party will become even more worthy of the people's trust, the nation's trust, his trust, and the affection of friends around the world.

For the past 88 years, following his teachings, the Party has strived tirelessly, always proving itself worthy as "the truly loyal servant and leader of the people," "the embodiment of morality and civilization. The embodiment of unity, independence, peace, and prosperity."

Facing the new opportunities of the nation, responding to the people's sentiments, within the sacred heart of the Fatherland, before the vast ocean of the world, leading the nation forward in 30 years of implementing the reform process and responding to the heartfelt demands of the people, the Party is striving to rectify and renew itself, working together with the entire nation, all for the strength of the country, for the happiness of the people, and for the development of the new regime of the people that the entire nation has painstakingly built and protected at all costs for over 70 years.

The Party is committed to rigorous, sincere, and profound self-criticism and criticism, with the spirit of the Resolution of the 4th Plenum of the 12th Central Committee "On strengthening Party building and rectification; preventing and repelling the decline in political ideology, morality, and lifestyle, and the manifestations of 'self-evolution' and 'self-transformation' within the Party" linked to Directive No. 05-CT/TW, dated May 15, 2016, of the 12th Politburo "On promoting the study and emulation of Ho Chi Minh's thought, morality, and style," with the immediate focus being on resolutely repelling the decline in political ideology, morality, and lifestyle, combating bureaucracy, corruption, and other vices among cadres and Party members; and honing itself to be worthy of the task of being the "leader" before history, entrusted and relied upon by the Vietnamese people. The Party must be worthy of being a revolutionary Party - united, resolute, and progressive.

On the path of national integration into the international community, not only in scale, speed, and depth, but more than ever, it demands from us a broad and dialectical vision, prudence, depth, and subtlety in every decision, humanity and sustainability in every step, loyalty and steadfastness in principles, and continuous creativity and flexibility in our strategies... but the most fundamental and vital issue, permeating all thoughts and actions of innovation, is to unconditionally uphold the immutable principle: protecting the position, territorial integrity, and sacred sovereignty of our nation and people, under any circumstances. This is the "fire that tests the gold" of the political vision and humanistic character of our Party and State, of the patriotism and love for our people of each Vietnamese person, and of the courage and self-sacrifice of each of our cadres and Party members.

We must proactively protect the nation before it is in danger, calmly upholding principles and adapting our actions to safeguard national interests—the ultimate goal—against any influence or pressure, from any side or by any individual, for the sake of the independence, freedom, unity, and territorial integrity of the Fatherland. We cannot blame the past, nor can we simply focus on the present; instead, we must anticipate and address now the solid and positive foundations for future generations.

We must preserve "the blessings for the future." To the contrary is to sow disaster for the future. Our entire Party and nation have been and are acting in this way, in the spirit of our ancestors who, generation after generation, steadfastly vowed to protect this Fatherland: "The mountains and rivers of the Southern land belong to the Southern Emperor"; Great Viet "dominated one region," inviolable... leading the cause of building socialism and defending the Fatherland, culminating in the cause of reform, to continue taking more important steps, with greater historical significance, in the future.

That is the ideal of life, the goal of action, and the historical responsibility of our Party.

Therefore, now more than ever, for the sake of national interests, for the interests of the nation, and for the rights and interests of the people, we, without exception, every Vietnamese person with a conscience, must join hands to condemn, stop, and eliminate these dangerous and deadly evils that destabilize, and even destroy, the nation. Otherwise, our vision and strategic political decisions will be undermined; the strategic interests of the nation and its people will be violated; the strategic opportunity for the country to take off will be missed, perhaps forever; our national standing in the international arena will be damaged and diminished... and, more painfully, this very danger is created by ourselves; while forces around us, and far away, some are plotting to make the Vietnamese nation weak and decadent, for the homeland of nearly 95 million of our compatriots to fall into chaos, even to become weak or enslaved. At that moment, one might ask, would any regret, however sincere, be enough to save the day?

And, never before has it been more crucial than now, when we are proactively and actively stepping out into the world, with the nation united in preparing itself with the strength to overcome all obstacles on the path to independence and prosperity, that the vital, life-or-death relationship between the Party and the people needs to be cared for and preserved more than ever. Because when the people's hearts are in agreement and united with the Party's will, it will create invincible strength, as our nation has experienced over the past century.

And, more than ever, the enemy is using every means to sow doubt, exploit, and plot to sever the natural connection between the Party and the people, weakening the Party by depriving it of its socio-political foundation, and inciting the people to turn their backs on their own "offspring." Because, as our ancestors said: Whoever wins the hearts of the people will hold onto the kingdom.

Therefore, morality and law must be twin children on this important and difficult journey. Those who violate them should be admonished, and if necessary, severely punished. We are not afraid of any force, no matter how insidious and brutal. We only fear that our Party will not live within the nation and that our Party will not form a unified bloc. Our nation's history, spanning thousands of years, shows that when the king and his subjects are united, the whole country contributes its strength, and people throughout the land live in harmony, no invader, no matter how brutal and insidious, will be able to defeat the Fatherland.

However, the task now is far more difficult and urgent than fighting foreign invaders, because we must defeat internal enemies – vested interests, the national scourge of corruption, alienation from the people… which are “self-transforming” many people, threatening to coalesce into a “malignant tumor” that will corrupt the regime, cause the nation's decline, and lead to the Party's demise… and all of this lies within ourselves. This is a “gigantic battle,” a “harsh self-surgery” for the survival of the regime, for the honor of our country and our people. Each person's integrity and the Vietnamese national pride are united within each other.

For the past 88 years, guided by the principle of "unity of purpose," under the banner of the Party – the "true offspring" of the Vietnamese people – our nation has overcome all obstacles, defeated all invaders, and preserved and continuously developed the entire land and heritage passed down by our ancestors for thousands of years. World history, from ancient times to the present, the complex situation from East to West, and the turmoil in some countries in the region, right now, still present us with burning warnings about the strategic vision, the strategic opportunities of the nation, the strategic interests of the country, and especially the main strategic driving force of national unity in our revolution. The unified land, the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the nation, and the national interests on the socialist path, must now be protected at all costs, built upon the invincible strength of the people.

That is the Party's strategic political vision, strategic goal, and strategic decision.

For the past 88 years, the Party has strived and sacrificed for the nation's position and stature, for the territorial integrity and unity of the Fatherland, for the survival and sustainable development of the Vietnamese people, and for the happiness of the people. The Party is naturally "close to the heart of every one of our compatriots," regardless of those who conspire to divide and destroy, so as not to bring shame to history and to never forget the gratitude owed to our ancestors. This is the morality, integrity, and natural conscience of a true "offspring" of the Party.

For the past 88 years, the Party has steadfastly protected the purity of noble national friendship and sacred human compassion. Regardless of changing times and the transformations of the world, the Party remains committed to working together with the Vietnamese people and progressive humanity to build a socialist Vietnam, contributing to the preservation of a peaceful, civilized, and progressive world in the 21st century.

Nhi Le - Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Communist Magazine