Choose people who are loyal to the Party and the people, possessing virtue, strength, and talent.
For the 14th Central Committee to truly be a fighting command center, representing the qualities, intellect, and will of a genuine revolutionary party, is the expectation of the entire nation. This requires a team of cadres capable of formulating policies and guidelines, organizing their implementation, and possessing impeccable moral character.
Bac VanOctober 9, 2025
To have a truly effective and exemplary Central Committee for the 14th term, representing the qualities, intellect, and will of a genuine revolutionary party, is the expectation of the entire nation. This requires a team of cadres capable of formulating policies and guidelines, organizing their implementation, and possessing impeccable moral character. "In the current new revolutionary stage, great emphasis is placed on the elements of 'Virtue, Strength, and Talent.' Absolutely no one seeking positions through illicit means, opportunism, or factionalism should be allowed into the Party's Central Committee."“This was emphasized by General Secretary To Lam in his opening remarks at the 13th Central Committee Conference recently held in Hanoi.”
For each Party Congress, personnel work and document drafting are two aspects that receive meticulous and systematic investment, especially personnel. This is because the Party's fighting force is responsible for concretizing and organizing the implementation of the policies and decisions set forth by the Congress. Practical experience always demands that this cadre not only possess intellect and innovative thinking to create strategic orientations and macro policies, but also have the capacity for practical organization and operation, dare to think, dare to act, dare to innovate to remove "bottlenecks" and unlock resources; and especially possess high moral character and prestige within the Party and among the people. At the 13th Central Committee meeting, when addressing the issue of personnel for the 14th Central Committee, the Party leader affirmed: The fundamental requirements in personnel selection are: Quality - competence - prestige - integrity - efficiency; dare to think, dare to act, dare to take responsibility for the national interest; be close to the people, respect the people, and serve the people.
Speaking about cadres, President Ho Chi Minh always valued both virtue and talent, with virtue being the foundation. "Talent must be accompanied by virtue. Talent without virtue leads to corruption and harmful practices that damage the country. Virtue without talent is like a Buddha statue sitting in a temple, unable to help anyone."(Ho Chi Minh Complete Works, Vol. 8, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi 2009, p. 184)"Virtue" is not only a moral quality, but also political acumen, absolute loyalty to the Party, the Fatherland, and the people; it encompasses diligence, frugality, integrity, impartiality, and selflessness; it is a fair and objective attitude in the use of power, placing collective interests above personal interests,...
To select truly virtuous individuals, the Party has always emphasized a comprehensive approach, not merely relying on resumes, background checks, or reports, but also examining their actions, daily lives, attitudes towards the people and colleagues, their response to criticism, their integrity in the face of material gain, and their contributions. This is the measure of public service ethics. Anyone who abuses power for personal gain, no matter how talented, cannot be considered virtuous. This is especially true in personnel management; if personal gain leads to favoritism, appointing unqualified family members or relatives rapidly and against regulations, the consequences are immeasurable for the organization, the favored individual, and the official themselves.
If "virtue" is taken as the foundation, then "talent" is the basis – vision, strategic thinking; the ability to practically implement the Party's policies and guidelines; the ability to organize, manage, and unite the collective, etc. "Talent" cannot be measured by degrees or words, but must be proven by concrete results in work and life. Talented cadres are those who dare to think, dare to act, dare to take responsibility, know how to innovate, dare to make breakthroughs while ensuring the Party's principles and the law, turning the situation around and transforming challenges into opportunities for development. This is the clearest measure of talent in today's era – an era of action, speaking less, doing more, and bringing practical results to the people and the nation. The results of our work must be the measure, the people must be at the center, discipline must be the foundation, and innovation must be the driving force, as General Secretary To Lam emphasized in his closing remarks at the 13th Central Committee Conference on the morning of October 8, 2025.
The Party consistently emphasizes the two standards of "virtue" and "talent" in cadres during training and appointment processes. "Strength" is also a criterion that receives attention, but it's not frequently mentioned in relation to "virtue" and "talent." "Strength" refers not only to physical health but also to mental resilience, the ability to withstand work pressure, and the perseverance to overcome objective difficulties or harsh natural conditions. With a streamlined organizational structure, a two-tiered local government system, and increasingly demanding work requirements and faster processing speeds, a capable cadre lacking in health, easily discouraged, or swayed by difficulties will struggle to fulfill their assigned responsibilities. Only cadres with "strength" dare to face any challenge, ready to go anywhere and do anything when the people need them or the Party calls. This is also a vivid manifestation of the inner strength that General Secretary To Lam emphasized in the personnel work of the new Central Committee.
The 14th National Congress of the Party had many new features compared to previous terms. Preparations for the Congress were carried out simultaneously with many historic decisions, such as streamlining the organizational structure and abolishing the district level; the Politburo issued many important resolutions on reforming the construction and implementation of laws; science and technology, national digital transformation; national energy security; international integration; private sector; education and training, etc. This created momentum for the country to enter a new stage of development with the goals set by the 13th National Congress of the Party: By 2030, Vietnam will become a developing country with modern industry and a high-middle income; by 2045, it will become a developed country with a high income. Realizing this aspiration is the responsibility of the entire political system, and directly of the 14th Central Committee.
In every era, virtue, strength, and talent are three fundamental factors that cadres, especially at the strategic level, must possess. Virtue is the foundation; with virtue, talent will endure, and strength will be solid. In the new stage of national development, opportunities and challenges are intertwined, the goals set are ambitious, and the demands are increasingly higher. Selecting the right people with virtue, strength, and talent, who are dedicated to the Party, the people, and the future of the country, to participate in the new Central Committee is a demand stemming from the very lives and the trust and expectations of the people.
With only a few months left until the 14th National Congress of the Party, and with a tradition of 95 years of steadfast and heroic progress along challenging paths, and with 40 years of continuous innovation, the Party will continue to write its glorious history, "opening the pen to usher in the new year" for the goals of the nation's rise to reach their destination on schedule.
