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Party General Secretary and Secretary of the Central Military Commission To Lam has requested the mobilisation of all possible resources to build the Vietnam Coast Guard (VCG) into an elite, streamlined and strong force advancing directly toward modernisation.
At a working session with the Ministry of National Defence’s Coast Guard Region 4 Command in southern An Giang province on November 20, the Party chief said as requirements for safeguarding maritime sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction become increasingly complex, the VCG, especially the Coast Guard Region 4 Command, must firmly grasp the Party’s viewpoints, principles, and directions on military and defence tasks. He underscored the need for political and ideological education, strong political will and morale of officers and soldiers, and unified awareness and action across all levels.
He demanded unflinching adherence to the Party’s military and defence guideline, insisting the VCG remain strong in politics, ideology, organisation, and ethics, absolutely loyal to the Party, Fatherland, and people while prepared to endure any hardship to complete its missions.
The General Secretary urged a review of the situation and mission requirements to propose timely, flexible, and effective strategic countermeasures to the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence, enabling the Party and State to soon pre-empt instability, conflict or war risks far from Vietnam’s shores.
Key tasks and breakthrough areas must be clearly identified, with priority placed on attracting quality workforce; advancing sci-tech, innovation, and artificial intelligence to support VCG operations, he said, ordering more combat-readiness training and exercises, better overall capability and combat power, and effective response to both traditional and non-traditional security challenges.
Comprehensive plans must be rolled out to firmly protect sovereignty, combat crimes and legal violations at sea; prevent illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; conduct search and rescue; and safeguard the marine environment, he said.
On sovereignty missions, he requested strict compliance with the Party’s principles and directives of staying firm and steadfast, skillful yet restrained, avoiding provocation and miscalculation while ensuring that no foreign entity encroaches on Vietnam’s seas and islands so as to maintain a peaceful and stable maritime environment. In law enforcement operations, they must act with unwavering determination to ensure no violator escapes justice, thereby supporting sustainable marine economic growth.
The Party leader called for seamless coordination with the Navy, Border Guard, Fisheries Surveillance forces and other agencies, always placing the nation, Party, State and people’s interests first. The command must stand shoulder-to-shoulder with fishermen - Vietnam’s “living markers” of sovereignty at sea, while maintaining regular patrols, backing offshore economic activities, bolstering the people’s sea-defence posture and deepening international partnerships, especially with neighbouring countries sharing maritime boundaries.
With Vietnam slated to chair and host the APEC Economic Leaders' Week 2027 in Phu Quoc special zone, he directed the Coast Guard Region 4 Command to work closely with local authorities on preparations to ensure absolute safety before, during and after the event.
Reiterating the need for the Party's absolute, direct leadership over the coast guard force, he emphasised the necessity to build a strong Party organisation grounded in political integrity, ideology, ethics, structure, and personnel, alongside relentless political and moral education for officers and Party members.
