Formulation of the reform policy (prior to the 6th National Party Congress)

The process of shaping the renewal policy of the Communist Party of Vietnam originated from breakthroughs in reforming the economic ideology before the reform policy was formulated at the 16th National Party Congress.

Based on a review report of effective models in socio-economic development, the 6th Plenum of the 4th Party Central Committee (August, 1979) devised a policy with the aim of boosting production. This was the first breakthrough of the renewal process in Vietnam. The 6th Plenum of the 4th Party Central Committee focused on measures to address weaknesses in economic management and socialist transformation; adjust economic policies, remove obstacles to production; encourage laborers’ proactive involvement in order to boost the production of agricultural, forestry, fisheries, and consumption products and exports, adjust a number of economic policies; improve goods circulation and distribution policies; renovate and approve socio-economic development plans, combine planning with market development; combine 3 interests; adjust organization and steering activities.

The Party Secretariat issued Directive 100-CT/TW on January 13, 1981, on improving payments on the job in agricultural cooperatives. This Directive initiated a new economic ideology, creating a strong impetus for agricultural production.

In agriculture, a breakthrough in ideology was to enhance the right to mastery of all entities in production, business, and post-transaction, with the policy “3-phased plan” initially determined by Decision 25/CP and Decision 26/CP, dated January 28, 1981, of the Government Council on expanding forms of payments on the job and product as well as bonuses in production units.

In the area of socialist transformation, the idea of using a variety of economic components has been proposed; considering economic efficiency to be the basis and criterion to flexibly apply appropriate forms of production; the policy on the individual economy has been adjusted to be closer to reality; with a greater focus on haste, subjectivity, voluntarism, and carelessness causing considerable losses to production and everyday life.

Ideology reform, particularly in economics, was the starting point for the formulation of the reform policy of the Communist Party of Vietnam and breakthroughs in economic ideology in the resolution of the 6th Plenum of the 4th Party Central Committee, Directive 100-CT-TW of the Party Secretariat and Decisions 25/CP and 26/CP of the Government Council were initial but important ideas. The dominant ideology was to “liberate production forces” on the basis of addressing shortcomings in economic management and socialist transformation, and creating impetus for production: combining 3 interests with more attention paid to the economic interests of laborers.

Based on a review of the initial achievements and limitations concerning ideology reform, particularly in economic ideology, at the end of its tenure the 4th Party Central Committee prepared documents to submit to the 5th National Party Congress. The 5th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (March, 1982) made objective evaluations of the initial achievements and limitations, using that as a basis on which to propose a number of important reform policies. The 5th National Party Congress recalled the ideology of dividing the process of socialist transformation in Vietnam into different phases with the concept “the first leg”, setting the goals for each phase, particularly from 1981 to 1985, during which agriculture was at the forefront; agriculture, the consumer goods industry and heavy industry were combined in one appropriate structure, considering this to be the “main content of socialist industrialization in the next phase”. The 5th Congress also confirmed the existence in a certain period in the southern region of 5 economic sectors (state, collective, joint ventures, the individual, and private capitalist sectors).

Facing many economic and livelihood difficulties with a tendency for returning to the old concepts and practices, the Party was aware of the need for a political solution: reform to survive and stand firm. With this spirit, the 8th Plenum of the 5th Party Central Committee (June, 1985) approved the policy of resolutely abolishing the bureaucracy and subsidies and implementing the one-price mechanism; eliminating the provision of low-priced objects; shifting all production-business activities to a socialist accounting mechanism; shifting banking operations to a business-based mechanism. It was important that the 8th Plenum of the 5th Party Central Committee admitted goods production and related rules. The 8th Plenum of the 5th Party Central Committee was considered the second breakthrough in the process of formulating the reform policy.

While drafting documents to submit to the 6th National Party Congress, the Politburo of the 5th Party Central Committee considered major economic issues before releasing a Conclusion to a number of issues concerning economic viewpoints, policies:

1- When dealing with economic, investment structures, agriculture should be in the forefront; develop light industry; develop selected heavy industries. 2- During socialist transformation, a multi-component economic structure should be a typical characteristic of the transitional period to socialism in Vietnam. 3- In economic management mechanisms, planning should be in the center with the proper use of the goods-currency relationship, resolutely eliminating bureaucracy, subsidy; the price policy must apply rules of validity towards implementing a one-price mechanism. This was the third breakthrough, which helped significantly to reform ideologies and theories about socialism and set directions for the re-drafting of documents to submit to the 6th National Party Congress.

Ideology renovations regarding socialism and the path to socialism in Vietnam prior to the 6th National Party Congress were an accurate evaluation of the difficulties on the path to socialism from a backward economy characterized by small-scale production; about the steps that must be taken; of the need to liberate all social production forces and develop goods production; of the need to change the management mechanism and eliminate bureaucracy and subsidy; of the need to implement socialist economic and business mechanisms; of the need to create a strong impetus for laborers – caring about economic and personal interests.

The process to supplement, fine tune and develop the reform policy (from the 6th Congress until today)

1- Gradually supplementing, developing the reform policy

Accelerated research to prepare draft documents for the 6th National Party Congress (December, 1986) to discuss and devise the policy to comprehensively reform the country marked a turning point of revolutionary significance in Vietnam’s building of socialism, creating a source of encouragement in society, changing the situation, and moving the country forward.

With the motto of “look into the truth, evaluate the truth, say the truth”, the 6th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam analyzed achievements, limitations, shortcomings, and mistakes, including mistakes in arranging economic structures, management mechanisms, distribution, circulation, and socialist transformation, which were considered as “serious and prolonged mistakes in major policies, guidelines, mistakes in strategic direction and implementation”, stemming from shortcomings in ideological activities, organizational and personnel work of the Party”.

The 6th Congress set out 3 major economic programs: foodstuffs, goods for consumption and exports, considering them to be spearheads for economic development in the reform period; at the same time resolutely eliminating bureaucracy and subsidy, developing new management mechanisms, applying measures to stimulate production, expand goods exchanges, eliminating market fragmentation; re-establishing order and discipline; maintaining political-social security, and gradually improving people’s lives.

The 6th Congress confirmed that as Vietnam was in the first stage of the transition to socialism, the country needed necessary premises to boost socialist modernization, reform economic and social policies, considering the reciprocal impacts of these policies the basic factor in ensuring people’s right to mastery. This was the first time the concept about socialism, social policies and their correlation with economic policies were correctly aligned.

The 6th Congress also stressed the need to increase transparency and fighting spirit of Party organizations, the effectiveness of the state apparatus, combat and eliminate negative behavior, promote healthy social relations; reform relations between the Party leadership, State management and people’s right to mastery; implement the mechanism of “people know, people discuss, people implement, people supervise”.

While implementing the Resolution of the 6th Congress, based on the practical situation, the Party continued to remain pragmatic in discussing ways to supplement and fine tune the reform policy at its Plenums.

Following the 6th Congress, the Party Central Committee and the Politburo continued to supplement, develop, and specify the reform policy, further introducing the Resolution of the 6th Congress in daily life. The Resolution of the 2nd Plenum of the 6th Party Central Committee (April, 1987) on circulation and distribution decided to give up the dual price policy, reduce (the pace of inflation; price increases; budget deficit; daily difficulties for paid workers, soldiers, police officers, and pensioners), continue to give up the practice of banning goods circulation from one locality to another. The Resolution of the 3rd Plenum of the 6th Party Central Committee (August 1987) decided to shift the activities of state-owned industrial units to socialist business, reform state economic management, and exercise self-support in business. Resolution 10-NQ-TW of the Politburo (April 1988) was on the management of the agricultural economy, implementing the mechanism of payments on the job for households, creating new driving forces to boost rapid, comprehensive agricultural development.

Realizing that risks resulting from reform tended to be rightist deviationist as in the Soviet Union and other socialist countries in eastern Europe, the 6th Plenum of the 6th Party Central Committee (March, 1989) proposed 6 new reform principles, which stressed that: reform was not changing the goals of socialism but being more aware and having more appropriate solutions to successfully build socialism; maintain socialist orientations and Party leadership; continue with Marxism-Leninism; be consistent with the principle of concentrated democracy, not accepting political pluralism or a multiparty system.

The 7th Congress (June, 1991) approved the Platform for national construction in the transition to socialism. In addition to clarifying the content and nature of time, the Platform highlighted the two basic contents: 1- The most general concept about the socialist society we needed to build; 2- Basic directions to build socialism in Vietnam in the new era. The Platform pointed out: that the socialism that the Vietnamese people were building was a society in which the laborers were the masters; a society with a highly developed economy based on modern production forces and public-private ownership over essential production materials; a society with an advanced culture embracing national identity; a society in which humans are free from oppression or inequality, are allowed to work with their ability, enjoy the fruits of their labor, have a sufficiently, free and happy life and have the conditions for comprehensive personal development; a society in which all ethnic groups are equal and united and support one another for their mutual development; a society which develops friendly relations and cooperation with all countries around the world.

To maintain socialist orientation during the reform process, it was important to uphold Party leadership and continue to develop ideological foundations and revolutionary and scientific theories. The Platform confirmed: “The Party used Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh’s Thoughts as the lodestar for actions and considered concentrated democracy to be the basic organizational principle”.

The Platform determined that the Party runs society with Platforms, strategies, policy orientations, and major policies; communications, persuasion, oversight, and role models among cadres, and Party members. The Party introduces outstanding Party members to work in government agencies and organizations. “The Party rules the political system and is part of that political system. The Party has close relations with the people and is under their supervision and operates in line with the Constitution and law”. The Party must be politically, ideologically and organizationally strong; regularly renovate and rectify itself, improve its intelligentsia and leading capacity, care for competent and morally sound cadres, party members, who are capable of carrying out Party-related activities.

The main contents of the 1991 Platform reflected new awareness of our Party about socialism and the path to socialism in Vietnam.

The 7th Congress also determined the development of a multi-component economy, which operates under market mechanisms and state management with socialist orientations, in which the state sector plays the central role and the state economy and collective economy gradually become the foundation for the national economy. The Congress set a policy of equal cooperation and mutual benefit with all nations and non-discrimination against different political-social regimes on the basis of co-existence for peace. The 7th National Party Congress declared that: “Vietnam wants to befriend all nations in the world community and strives for peace, independence, and development”.

In face of the rapidly changing global situation and global revolutionary movements, the Party Central Committee decided to convene a mid-term National Congress (January, 1994). The Congress continued to develop and specify the 7th Congress’s ideologies, determine the overall target of the renewal process and socialist building in Vietnam, which is to strive for a prosperous people, a strong nation, and an equal and civilized society. The Congress pointed out a number of risks that the country could face: economically lagging behind other countries in the region and the world; socialist deviation; corruption and bureaucracy; evolutionary schemes by hostile forces. The Congress set a stance on national industrialization and modernization in the new era; building a Vietnamese socialist state governed by law, of the people, by the people, and for the people”, considering “economic development the central task and Party building the key task”.

The 8th National Party Congress (June, 1996) confirmed that Vietnam had escaped its socio-economic crisis, continued to clarify the concept of the first leg and the next leg of the transitional period; determined the goal of accelerating national industrialization and modernization toward turning Vietnam into an industrial nation by 2020. The Congress also clarified socialist orientations in building a commodity-based multi-component economy; continued to confirm the building of a socialist state governed by law of the people, by the people, and for the people with the characteristics of the working class, humanity, and nationalism; continued to confirm that developing education-training and science-technology is a top national policy, and a breakthrough in the industrialization and modernization process.

The resolution of the 8th National Party Congress and resolutions of plenums of the 8th National Party Congress addressed many difficulties, but in reality, the situation encountered new complex developments: continuous natural disasters between 1997 and 1999, which caused huge losses to many countries; the impact of the financial-monetary crisis in Southeast Asia and other countries caused new difficulties for Vietnam’s economy. In this context, the 8th Plenum of the 8th Party Central Committee (December, 1999) accurately evaluated the situation, determined new policies and solutions to achieve political stability and continue socio-economic development.

The 9th Congress (April 2001) opened the 21st century in Vietnam. It provided a panoramic view of Vietnam’s revolution in the 20th century, reviewed 5 years of implementing the resolution of the 8th National Party Congress (1996-2000), 10 years of implementing the Socio-economic development strategy (1991-2000), drew 4 lessons after 15 years of renewal (1986-2000): First: during the renewal process it is important to be persistent in the goal of national independence and socialism on the basis of Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh’s Thoughts. Second: reform must be based on the people, in the interest of the people, in conformity with reality, and be creative. Third: reform must combine the strengths of the nation and time. Fourth: correct Party policies are the decisive factor for ensuring successful reform; set a national development strategy for the first two decades of the 21st century with a general direction: “Enhancing national strength, continuing reform, accelerating industrialization and modernization, constructing and defending the Socialist Republic of Vietnam”. The Congress determined the common goal of Vietnam’s revolution in the current period which is “national independence is linked with socialism, a prosperous people, a strong country, and an equal, democratic, and civilized society (the new point is “democratic”).

The 9th Congress gave a more complete and comprehensive evaluation of the role, position, and contents of Ho Chi Minh’s Thoughts.

The Congress stressed the difficulties and complexity of the socialist revolutionary period in Vietnam, which must go through a long transitional process of many phases with many transitional economic, social models; and confirmed that socialist-oriented market economy is the general economic model of the transitional period.

The Congress clarified the important role of national unity, democracy, and caring for people’s legitimate interests; pointed out the main content of the current class struggle in Vietnam: fight to defend national independence, combat poverty, backwardness, reduce poverty and get out of lower-development status; successfully carry out the cause of socialist-oriented industrialization and modernization to make Vietnam a prosperous socialist country.

The Congress elevated foreign policy to a higher and more comprehensive level: “Implement a consistent foreign policy of national independence, openness, diversification and multilateralization of international relations. Vietnam is ready to be a reliable friend, partner with all countries in the international community and strives for peace, independence, and development. This policy was stipulated in the Resolution of the 8th Plenum of the 9th Party Central Committee with a new and unified view on partner and subject issues, directions for foreign policies and external relations of the Party and State in the new phase.

After the 6th National Party Congress, the 7th Congress (June 1991), the 8th Congress (June 1996), and the 9th Congress (April 2001) were important development steps by the Party to fine-tune the reform policy with socialist orientations. This was a reform policy from low to high level, from each component and aspect considered for comprehensive, in-depth reform.

The 10th National Party Congress (April, 2006), after reviewing a number of theoretical-practical issues in the 20 years of renewal, confirmed that the renewal process had recorded major and historical achievements. Awareness of socialism and the path to socialism were improved; basic features of the theoretical system regarding the renewal process, socialism, and the path to socialism were established. Documents of the 10th National Party Congress generalized 8 typical characteristics of the socialist society Vietnam was building; 8 basic directions for socialist building. The 10th Congress and plenum resolutions of the 10th Party Central Committee marked an important step forward in the development and fine-tuning of the Party’s reform policy. In particular, the 6th Plenum of the 10th Party Central Committee issued a Resolution on continually fine-tuning socialist-oriented market economy institutions. The 11th National Party Congress (January, 2011) supplemented and developed the 1991 Platform, clarified 8 typical characteristics of the socialist society Vietnam was building, 8 basic directions and 8 major relationships that needed to be considered. The platform on national development in the transitional process to socialism (supplemented and developed in 2011) marked an important step in the Party’s reform policy and its ideological socialist theories and the path to socialism in Vietnam.

Plenums of the 11th Party Central Committee discussed and issued many important resolutions and conclusions on reforming the growth model and restructuring the economy (3rd Plenum); about a number of urgent issues in current Party building (4th Plenum); about a number of issues concerning salary, social insurance, preferential policies on social beneficiaries, and reform directions until 2020 (5th Plenum); about continued restructuring of state-owned enterprises (6th Plenum); about reforming and increasing mass mobilization work; about continued comprehensive reform of education and training; about a national defense strategy in the new situation (8th Plenum); and building and developing Vietnamese culture and humans to meet national sustainable growth (9th Plenum). Resolutions and conclusions of the 11th Party Central Committee were evidence of improved awareness on the basis of practical reform experiences with socialism orientations.

During the term of the 11th Party Central Committee, the Vietnamese Party and state have revised the 1992 Constitution, the National Assembly has approved the 2013 Constitution, which is an important political-legal document of the Vietnamese state and the institutionalization of the reform policy of the Communist Party of Vietnam in the new era.

2- Prominent reform policies and viewpoints of the Communist Party of Vietnam established and developed after nearly 30 years of renewal based on reality and theoretical research:

First, confirming and developing the ideological foundations of the reform policy.

Under the flag of Marxism-Leninism, the Communist Party of Vietnam led Vietnam’s revolution to one victory after another. The more the reform process was accelerated, the more theoretical analysis was required, particularly in dealing with new and developing issues. Based on requirements of the reform process, the 7th National Party Congress decided: “The Party considers Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh’s Thoughts as the guiding stars for its actions”. This is an issue of extreme importance and significance to the acceleration of the renewal process and the future of Vietnam’s revolution in the new era.

By its 9th Congress, the Communist Party of Vietnam had become more aware of Ho Chi Minh’s Thoughts, the relations between Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh’s Thoughts and their great strengths in leading the renewal process to success.

Second, determining socialist orientations, building a socialist model in Vietnam.

After nearly 30 years of renewal, the Communist Party of Vietnam basically formulated socialist orientations in essential areas of the renewal process: economics, politics, culture, society, security, national defense, and external relations, pointed out aspects that must prevent risks of deviation from socialism on the path to socialism in the new context of time and the nation. Theoretical orientations are decisive factors and play a leading role in a ruling Communist Party, increasing state management, enhancing people’s right to mastery; are theories regarding “shortcut development”, transitional path, “skipping” capitalism, to socialism in Vietnam in a dialectical and practical way: from orientative, qualitative to quantitative and periodic with specific, appropriate steps. It is possible to generalize that socialist orientations are a process that defines limitations, “degrees” of pending historical issues of socialism from the starting point to the finish line, with specific, appropriate processes and steps in line with socialist regulations and principles because if beyond these limits, these “degrees” would cause deviation from socialism and there would be another social regime different from the socialist society.

The Communist Party of Vietnam has determined socialist orientations in all aspects of social life and has supplemented new awareness around this fundamental issue. The shifting from a socialist model of 6 typical characteristics (1996) to the model of 8 typical characteristics (2006 and supplemented in 2011) has been a step forward by the Party in addressing the dialectical relations between the popular characteristics and characteristics typical of socialism on the basis of Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh’s Thoughts these days.

Third, cultivating theories about the socialist-oriented market economy.

Leading the renewal process, the Communist Party of Vietnam determined that economic development is the central task and Party building is the key task. With ideology reform, particularly in economics being the breakthrough, theoretical work should concentrate efforts on implementing a commodity-based multi-component economy operated by market mechanisms under state management. At its 11th National Congress, the Communist Party of Vietnam confirmed: the socialist-oriented market economy – general economic model in the transition to socialism in Vietnam. That is a form of market economy that abides by the regulations of the market economy and is guided and manipulated by regulations representing the nature of socialism to serve the interests of the workers and people of Vietnam.

The building up and development of a socialist-oriented market economy has been essential to the renewal process and conforms to Party principles and viewpoints, and has been a requirement of reality in a country with a low starting point for socialism like Vietnam; it has been not only the foundation ensuring national independence and self-reliance in terms of politics, society, national defense, and security but also the basic condition and a wide open environment for dynamic, vigorous growth and economic sustainability, along with social equality and progress in the context of the domestic situation and the proactive and effective international economic integration process. This has been a demonstration of the ultimate advantage of the social regime in Vietnam, which considers the market economy as an effective tool to build socialism to serve the people in comparison with other social regimes that have also developed market economies.

Fourth, devise theories on a socialist Vietnamese state governed by law, of the people, by the people, and for the people.

Theories on building a socialist Vietnamese state governed by law, of the people, by the people, and for the people are a new development of political awareness, a decisive goal, a big practical step forward in the comprehensive renewal process, at first on the political front of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

The state governed by law, which the Vietnamese people have been building, retains its revolutionary nature, the nature of the class, and has been an effective tool to exercise people’s right to mastery by practicing management under law; it highlights the position, role of legislation, requires all organizations and citizens in society to respect and abide by the law while upholding national moral and cultural values.

At this point in time, although there have been considerable limitations, the theoretical work has outlined a fundamental, specific and practical theoretical system and has exerted efforts to build a socialist Vietnamese state governed by law: from position, role, nature, function, task of typical characteristics, content, power organizational model, institutional reform, and mechanisms to operate the state apparatus, develop a contingent of civil servants with the necessary qualifications to ensure the practice of the state’s authority to ensure people’s interests and rights to mastery, under the leadership of the Party and in conformity with the nation’s conditions and the current development trend.

Fifth, identify and develop an advanced Vietnamese culture embracing national identity and unified in diversity; develop the Vietnamese people to compliment national sustainable growth.

While enhancing cultural traditions and selected renewal achievements and acquiring new cultural features, the Communist Party of Vietnam has gradually identified a new system of values for Vietnam’s equally traditional and modern culture, devised a strategy for cultural development to the furthest extent, with key areas forming the perfect organic whole of Vietnam’s new culture as a target, the foundation, and the driving force to lift Vietnam out of lower-development status, improve people’s spiritual and material lives and create the foundations for Vietnam to become a modern, industrial nation by 2020. The new point is that the Communist Party of Vietnam has become more aware of the organic links between economics with culture combining national development in the industrialization and modernization process with effectively coordinated contents in: appropriate operational mechanisms, continually reformed institutions and appropriate personnel, developing culture to improve human personality and development, and boosting the development of the Vietnamese people.

Sixth, develop theories for international integration.

The Communist Party of Vietnam has developed, supplemented, and continued to fine-tune the theories and foreign policy of Vietnam in the context of the country’s active and proactive international integration and globalization.

Vietnam’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralization has shifted: from “Vietnam wants to befriend all nations in the world community, and strives for peace, independence, and development” (1991) to “Vietnam is ready to be a reliable friend, partner with all nations in the world community, strives for peace, independence, and development” (2001), and “Vietnam is a reliable friend, partner and a responsible member of the world community” (2011), dialectically and clearly demonstrating Vietnam’s viewpoint, motto, diplomatic arts, and aspirations in the world community.

Seventh, develop theories about the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam.

One of the most outstanding theoretical achievements in nearly 30 years of renewal is that: the Communist Party of Vietnam has gradually clarified the basics of the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam at present.

During the renewal process, the Communist Party of Vietnam has attached great importance to basic issues concerning Party leadership in politics, ideology, and organization in all social and economic aspects. In particular, reform lessons from the 6th, 7th, and 8th Congresses remain valid and serve as the foundation for the 9th, 10th, and 11th Congresses to draw other valuable lessons. These can be considered a combination of concentrated, specific, and vivid theories about the rule of the Party.

After 30 years of renewal, new theories about the ruling Party have focused on 10 main aspects: 1- Laws of rule; 2- Concept of rule; 3- Basis of rule; 4- Stratagem of rule; 5- Content of rule; 6- Mechanism of rule; 7- Methods of rule; 8- Resources of rule; 9- Environment of rule; 10- Risks to rule.

Eighth, determine and enhance the strength of Vietnam’s revolution.

The Communist Party of Vietnam confirmed: “Inheriting the nation’s valuable traditions, the Communist Party of Vietnam has always upheld national unity. That is a strategic guideline, a source of strength and driving force for national construction and defense. Building national unity is the responsibility of the political system and the entire society”. That is a big step forward, a new supplement in the awareness and action toward consolidating national unity for one target, one task, one leading mission, and one standard of life for the Vietnamese nation. That is the creative development of Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh’s Thoughts: “Unity creates strength, “Unity is our strength”, “Unity is key to success”, “Unity, unity, great unity. Success, success, great success”.

The motto for action is uniting all ethnic groups, religions, classes, economic sectors, and groups of all genders and ages, Party and non-party members, and all members of the Vietnamese nation at home and abroad; unity based on similarities, openness and mutual trust toward the future; consolidate and develop national unity in the Vietnam Fatherland Front on the basis of the solid alliance between workers, farmers, and intellectuals, under the Party’s leadership. This is the Party’s new creative application and development of Ho Chi Minh’s Thoughts.

Confirming and consolidating national unity is the “main impetus” to form a system of economic, cultural driving forces in the cause of reform and a great and new effort of the theoretical work.

The Vietnamese people have been implementing the Platform of national development in the transition to socialism (supplemented in 2011), the Resolution of the 11th National Party Congress; resolutions, directives, and conclusions of plenums of the 11th Party Central Committee; and at the same time preparing to hold Party congresses at all levels toward the 12th National Party Congress. The first and foremost task is to review a number of theoretical and practical issues after 30 years of renewal and prepare documents for submission to the 12th National Party Congress.