(CPV) - The life and revolutionary career of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong embody exemplary conduct, consistency between words and deeds, the tireless struggle of a staunch communist, a lifelong dedication to industriousness, thrift, integrity, righteousness, and impartiality, pairing theory with practice; a truly wonderful exemplar of a Party member in this century in studying and following the ideology, morality, and style of President Ho Chi Minh.
General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong talks with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dao Duy Quat
At 13:38 on July 19, 2024, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong - a great heart of the country ceased beating, leaving behind boundless grief for the nation, the Vietnamese people, and international friends. To shed further light on General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's monumental contributions to national construction and defense, a reporter from the Communist Party of Vietnam Online Newspaper had an in-depth exchange with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dao Duy Quat, former Permanent Deputy Head of the Central Commission for Ideology and Culture.
Reporter: Dear Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dao Duy Quat, with 80 years of age and 57 years of Party membership, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong held many key leadership positions in the Party and State. Could you please outline the General Secretary's prominent contributions to the cause of national construction and development?
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dao Duy Quat: As a compatriot of the same generation, I am one year younger than comrade Trong. I engaged in political and ideological work in the military from 1967. Comrade Trong engaged in theoretical and ideological work also starting in 1967. From 1983 until my retirement in 2016, I worked at the Institute of Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought; the Central Commission for Ideology and Culture; the Central Theoretical Council, and the Central Council for the Theory and Criticism of Literature and Art. Thus, I had many opportunities to work directly, converse, and exchange thoughts with comrade Trong on numerous occasions, and I would like to share my deepest impressions of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.
General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was born in a land steeped in revolutionary historical traditions. Graduating from the Faculty of Philology, Hanoi University, the young Nguyen Phu Trong matured under the socialist school environment, gradually nurturing noble ideals and exemplary character. From February 1967 to August 1996, he was tempered, cultivated, and advanced from editor through positions including Deputy Head and Head of the Party Building Department, Member of the Editorial Board, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, and Editor-in-Chief of the Communist Review (Tap chi Cong san).
It can be said that for nearly 30 years after graduating from university, Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong immersed himself in the environment of a central political and theoretical organ of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Working during the anti-American resistance war for national salvation, through the era when the nation entered a new epoch of peace, independence, national reunification, and socialism, and especially during the first 10 years of the Doi Moi (Renewal) process, he fulfilled a vital role upholding the Party's political, ideological, and theoretical banner.
Indeed, during the first 30 years of his career, Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong lived, studied, cultivated, and trained himself into an outstanding theoretical ideologist of the Party. Notably, after five years as Editor-in-Chief of the Communist Review, he was honored to receive, on behalf of the Editorial Board, the commemorative banner awarded by the Party Central Committee, recognizing the Communist Review for upholding its 60-year glorious tradition as the ideological and theoretical banner of the Party in renewal.
From August 1996 to June 2006, across this 10-year span, for over one year he served on the Standing Board of the Politburo, and for over eight years he served as Deputy Secretary and then Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee. His profound legacy during this period was inspiring aspirations and promoting the millennia-old cultural heritage of the Capital, building a civilized, elegant, and modern Hanoi based on national solidarity, cultivating Hanoi for the whole country, and the whole country for Hanoi. He paid exceptional attention to effectively promoting the role of artists, writers, and intellectuals in the capital.
When assuming the office of Chairman of the National Assembly, together with the National Assembly Standing Committee and the National Assembly of Vietnam, he strongly and systematically reformed parliamentary activities to make solid progress in performing all three core functions: the highest organ of state power deciding vital national issues; the legislative body pushing institutionalization of Party policies; and the supreme supervisory authority elevated to new heights.
The greatest and most crucial contributions of Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong were in his role as General Secretary from the 11th to the 13th Party Congresses. In the 11th tenure, while the Party achieved major accomplishments, it faced severe challenges, particularly the degeneration of political ideology, morality, and lifestyle among a significant number of cadres and Party members. Recognizing this as a threat to the survival of the Party and the regime, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong provided comprehensive leadership to combat decay, accumulating profound experience.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dao Duy Quat: General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong - An exemplary Party member of this century in studying and following the ideology, morality, and style of President Ho Chi Minh
Also during the 11th tenure, in the ideological and theoretical arena, as Commander-in-Chief, he directly led the review of 20 years of Doi Moi practical experience. With sound theoretical foundation and generalization capacity, he made pivotal contributions to supplementing and developing the 1991 Political Platform into the 2011 Platform (Platform on National Construction in the Period of Transition to Socialism), approved at the 11th National Party Congress.
Entering the 12th Congress tenure, his outstanding contribution was leading the Central Committee and the Politburo to formulate a comprehensive renewal guideline across economics, politics, society, culture, national defense, security, and foreign affairs, identifying economic development as central and Party building as key.
He devoted his energy to issuing Central Resolution 4 (12th tenure) on Party building and rectification. This document marked a crucial strategic milestone in repelling existential threats, identifying 27 manifestations of degradation and launching four synchronized solutions covering political ideology, mechanisms/policies, inspection/supervision, and social oversight. In organizational terms, the Central Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption was transitioned under the direct leadership of the General Secretary, unifying leadership across the National Assembly, Government, Party bodies, and judicial agencies with decisive, systematic action under the motto "no forbidden zones, no exceptions."
Entering the 13th Congress tenure, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong emphasized balanced renewal with an emphasis on economic recovery post-COVID-19 and building a clean, strong political apparatus. The international standing and trust of the people have been strongly reaffirmed under his leadership as the core symbol of solidarity for the Party and nation.
Reporter: As Head of the Central Steering Committee on Prevention and Control of Corruption and Negative Phenomena, what are your thoughts on General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's contributions?
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dao Duy Quat speaks with reporters of the Communist Party of Vietnam Online Newspaper
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dao Duy Quat: The discipline of the Party has been strictly enforced without forbidden zones, while simultaneously being applied rationally, humanely, and constructively. Special mechanisms have been instituted to protect proactive and innovative cadres acting for the collective good, streamlining anti-corruption efforts without paralyzing administrative or corporate operations.
General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong visits and presents gifts to wounded soldier Dinh Phi and his wife Dinh Brat in Gia Lai Province (April 12, 2017). Photo: VNA
In daily life, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong remained remarkably modest, incorruptible, and close to the people. He consistently matched his words with actions, setting a sterling example of communist morality and integrity.
Source: Communist Party of Vietnam Online Newspaper
