Corruption and waste threaten the survival of the Party and the regime.

"Corruption and waste are still among the four threats to the survival of the Party and the regime," President Tran Dai Quang shared on the occasion of the New Year 2018.

President Tran Dai Quang and APEC economic leaders in Da Nang.

Reporter:With the consensus of the entire Party, people and army, we have completed and exceeded the main socio-economic development targets of 2017. Could the President summarize the country's outstanding achievements?

President Tran Dai Quang:It can be affirmed that for the first time in many years, we have comprehensively completed and exceeded all 13 socio-economic development targets set by the National Assembly. The macro economy is stable, inflation is under control, budget revenue and major balances of the economy all meet the set requirements. GDP growth reached 6.81%, import-export turnover reached 425 billion USD, the highest ever; attracting foreign direct investment reached a record of over 33 billion USD...

The combination of economic development with the resolution of social issues, especially hunger eradication, poverty reduction, and people's health care, has yielded very encouraging results. National defense and security have been strengthened, political security, social order and safety have been maintained. The work of Party building and building a clean and strong political system has been focused on leadership and direction, and has achieved important results...

The comprehensive achievements in all fields have contributed to strengthening confidence, creating an exciting atmosphere in the whole society, creating favorable momentum for the country to continue its sustainable development, which has been recognized and highly appreciated by the international community. The United Nations ranked Vietnam's Sustainable Development Index in 2017 at 68/157 countries and territories, up 20 places compared to 2016.

Reporter:2017 marked Vietnam's success on the foreign affairs front. Could you please assess the outstanding achievements of foreign affairs work in the past year?

President Tran Dai Quang:2017 is a special year in the history of our country's diplomacy. In the context of the rapidly changing, complex and unpredictable world and regional situation, foreign affairs have been carried out proactively and positively and have achieved great achievements in realizing the country's strategic goals and interests.

First of all, it was the great success of the APEC Vietnam Year 2017 and the 25th APEC Summit, in which we successfully fulfilled our role as host, creating a historic mark in the process of economic and political integration in the Asia-Pacific region, demonstrating Vietnam's stature, mettle and intelligence; proposing many initiatives, priorities, flexible and creative management, overcoming differences, building consensus, not only maintaining the momentum of APEC cooperation and integration, but also contributing to building the strategic vision of the Forum in the coming decades.

We have strengthened our cooperative relations with neighboring countries, the region, major partner countries, and traditional friends. Leaders of our country and other countries have conducted many high-level visits and delegation exchanges. In particular, there have been dozens of high-level visits between us and leading major countries in the region and the world. Never before in one day have we welcomed the highest leaders of China and the United States to pay a State visit to Vietnam.

Foreign affairs have contributed to mobilizing important external resources for the country's development. In the context of the world economy's uneven and unstable recovery and the increasing trend of trade protectionism, we have strongly promoted economic, trade and investment cooperation with countries both bilaterally and multilaterally, and at the same time made an important contribution to shaping economic and trade links in the region.

During the APEC Summit Week, we played an active role in maintaining and promoting the negotiation process of the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement. This year's trade activities and foreign investment attraction achieved better results than expected.

Foreign affairs, integration and international cooperation in the fields of diplomacy, defense and security, both bilaterally and multilaterally, have contributed to firmly protecting sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity, ensuring national security, social order and safety and strategic interests of the country.

Within ASEAN, we have made a very important contribution to strengthening solidarity, consensus and a common voice on strategic issues in the region. Dialogue and cooperation mechanisms on security and defense with neighboring countries, the region and major partner countries, Vietnam's active participation in multilateral forums on security and defense as well as the United Nations peacekeeping operations have strengthened political trust between Vietnam and other countries, contributing to enhancing our country's position and prestige in the international arena.

On November 11-12, US President Donald Trump paid a State visit to Vietnam at the invitation of President Tran Dai Quang. This was President Donald Trump's first visit to Vietnam and took place in his first year in office.

Reporter:APEC 2017 was the highlight of Vietnam’s foreign affairs last year, affirming the country’s position and strength in multilateral diplomacy. As Chair of the 25th APEC Summit, could you please tell us about the significance and importance of this largest multilateral foreign affairs event?

President Tran Dai Quang:APEC Vietnam 2017, with the focus on the 25th APEC Summit Week, held in Da Nang from November 6 to 11, 2017, was a great success. This is an outstanding foreign policy achievement of the entire Party, people and army, contributing to enhancing the role of APEC as the leading regional economic cooperation mechanism in a rapidly changing world with turning-point changes.

That success marks a new milestone in the process of international integration and multilateral foreign affairs, contributing to consolidating the trend of peace, cooperation, development and enhancing the prestige and position of our country in the international arena.

The 25th APEC Summit Week has brought Vietnam to the center of attention of the world. The full participation of all APEC economic leaders and leaders of three guest countries including Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar at the APEC Summit Week; more than 21,000 people attending the activities of APEC Year 2017 and more than 11,000 people in the Summit Week created a record number of participants in APEC history.

This demonstrates Vietnam’s strategic position and important role in the region, the commitment of member economies to the APEC cooperation process, as well as the international community’s interest in APEC and Vietnam. APEC economic leaders all highly appreciate our role as host in leading and initiating many ideas and initiatives to bring APEC to consensus on many issues and towards building a common future.

The record number of more than 4,000 businesses participating in the APEC High-Level Week events demonstrates APEC's entrepreneurial, start-up and creative spirit, affirming that APEC is a forum for people and businesses, while opening up new prospects for investment, trade and business growth for the Asia-Pacific region and our country.

In particular, APEC Year 2017 is also an opportunity for Vietnam to carry out activities to celebrate historical milestones in its multilateral diplomacy journey, especially the 40th anniversary of its accession to the United Nations (1977 - 2017) and the upcoming 20th anniversary of its accession to APEC (1998 - 2018). The results achieved in APEC Year 2017 will create momentum for Vietnam to undertake major international responsibilities in the coming years, including running for the position of non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2020 - 2021 term and ASEAN Chairmanship 2020.

The success of APEC 2017 also laid the foundation for enhancing bilateral relations between our country and its partners. During the Summit Week, historic bilateral visits took place with dozens of bilateral meetings and contacts. Notably, General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping paid a State visit to Vietnam right after the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China; for the first time, a US President - President Donald Trump - paid a State visit to Vietnam in the first year of his term.

The success of APEC Year 2017 and the 25th APEC Summit Week once again affirmed the important role and contribution of multilateral diplomacy throughout our nation's journey of building and defending the country.

In the context of the current international situation with many new changes, on the basis of the results of APEC Year 2017 and the multilateral foreign affairs activities that our country has been implementing, we will continue to seek broad support and effectively mobilize resources to serve the comprehensive and synchronous innovation; lay the foundation to elevate and deepen bilateral relations; create conditions to improve the international integration capacity of ministries, branches, localities and enterprises across the country, making an important contribution to ensuring a peaceful and stable environment, firmly protecting independence, sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity and enhancing the country's international role and position.

This is an important foundation for us to continue to successfully implement the goals and tasks set forth by the 12th National Party Congress.

Reporter:Along with the achievements in both domestic and foreign affairs, we also see some limitations that need to be overcome. As the head of state, what are your concerns, President?

President Tran Dai Quang:We are happy and proud of the country's great achievements, but at the same time we must seriously and frankly acknowledge the limitations.

The quality of growth is not high, some sectors and fields are still growing slowly; many mechanisms, policies and legal regulations are still inadequate, administrative procedures in some fields are still cumbersome; corruption, waste and negativity still occur in many places, many complaints and denunciations have not been completely resolved; many investment projects are behind schedule, ineffective, losing money and leakage; the restructuring process of agriculture, industry and services in some regions and localities is still slow and ineffective; resource exploitation is still wasteful; there are no effective solutions to overcome environmental pollution in rural areas and craft villages; child abuse, domestic violence, negative manifestations, moral degradation and lifestyle cause public outrage; natural disasters, storms and floods cause great damage to people and property, severely affecting production and people's lives; The lives of ethnic minorities, remote areas, disaster-affected areas, and the poor still face many difficulties.

The above limitations are obstacles on the path of development of the country. The important thing is that we dare to face the truth and proactively propose solutions to overcome them.

Reporter:2018 is a pivotal year for the 5-year Socio-Economic Development Plan 2016 - 2020. Could you please assess the country's advantages and difficulties?

President Tran Dai Quang:The National Assembly has approved the main targets for socio-economic development in 2018, in which GDP growth continues to be determined at 6.5 - 6.7%; continuing to ensure macroeconomic stability, controlling inflation; creating clear changes in implementing three strategic breakthroughs, innovating the growth model associated with restructuring the economy, improving growth quality, labor productivity and economic competitiveness...

We have very basic advantages: stable politics and society, Vietnam's prestige in the international arena is increasingly high, confidence in the country's development prospects is strengthened; the country still has much development potential and most importantly, we have reaped great achievements of historical significance and drawn valuable lessons from the process of more than 30 years of national renovation...

The world and domestic situation has both advantages, opportunities, difficulties and challenges intertwined; posing many new issues, new requirements that are greater and more complex for the cause of innovation, national development and protection of independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the Fatherland. In particular, the advantage of labor is rapidly disappearing due to the impact of the fourth industrial revolution; Vietnam's economy is highly open, so it will be greatly affected by the world economic situation...

In the above context, we must promote the strength of solidarity, self-reliance, self-improvement, seize opportunities, overcome challenges to move forward steadily.

Reporter:The fight against corruption and waste has always been a concern of the people of the whole country. How does the President assess the work of preventing and fighting corruption and waste in the past year?

President Tran Dai Quang:In recent times, with the focused leadership and drastic direction of the Party Central Committee, the Politburo, the Central Steering Committee on anti-corruption, the efforts of the authorities and the support and assistance of the people, the fight against corruption and waste has achieved very important results, receiving the consensus, support and welcome of public opinion.

Many major cases, causing serious damage to the property of the State and the people, have been investigated, prosecuted, and tried; many corrupt assets have been recovered; and a number of corrupt subjects have been strictly dealt with before the law. However, corruption and waste are still one of the four dangers threatening the survival of the Party and the regime.

Therefore, the Party and State have affirmed their determination to continue to focus on leading and directing regularly and continuously the work of fighting against corruption and waste, mobilizing the strength of the entire population to actively participate in preventing and fighting against corruption and waste, considering this one of the key tasks of 2018 and the following years.

Along with actively fighting against corruption and waste, it is necessary to continue to effectively implement the Central Committee's resolutions, especially the resolutions of the Fourth Conference of the Party Central Committee (Term XI, XII) on strengthening Party building and rectification.

Every cadre and party member must be exemplary, honest, and take the lead in the fight against corruption and waste. The higher the position of the cadre, the more exemplary he must be, playing the core role in detecting and fighting all types of crimes, including economic crimes and corruption crimes, thereby contributing to building the Party, the State apparatus, and the political system increasingly clean and strong. The fight against corruption must be resolute, without forbidden areas, and must recover the assets that corrupt subjects have appropriated.

To prevent and gradually push back corruption and waste, all levels, sectors, agencies and units must consider this as one of the key tasks, regularly needing focused leadership, direction, and having practical and specific action plans. The Fatherland Front together with sectors, sectors, organizations and mass media agencies need to strengthen supervision, detection, coordination in the fight, and create conditions for people to actively participate in this work.

Reporter:On the eve of the New Year, what message does the President want to send to our compatriots, soldiers nationwide, and overseas Vietnamese?

President Tran Dai Quang:The country still faces many difficulties, but with the great achievements it has made, the country's position, strength, comprehensive power, and international prestige are increasingly enhanced, creating important premises to continue successfully implementing the goals and tasks set forth by the 12th National Party Congress.

I believe that, with the new spirit, our compatriots in the lowlands as well as in the highlands, at home and abroad, will promote to the highest extent the spirit of patriotism, the will of self-reliance, the strength of great national unity, join hands, unite, and strive to develop our country rapidly and sustainably, firmly protecting the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland.

On the occasion of the New Year 2018 and the preparation to celebrate the traditional Lunar New Year of the Dog, I would like to wish all our compatriots, soldiers nationwide and our compatriots abroad health, happiness and success.

Reporter:Thank you very much, Mr. President!

According to TPO