1. Over 80 years of building, development, combat and victory, the External Security Force has always demonstrated absolute loyalty to the Fatherland, the Party, the State, and the People. Through unified coordination, bravery, resourcefulness, creativity, and a determination to fight and win, it has affirmed its role as the "sharp sword" and the "steel shield," guided by the motto "as long as the Party exists, we exist." The force has achieved exceptional merits, making tremendous contributions to the cause of national security protection, the struggle for national liberation, national reunification, and the building and defense of the socialist Fatherland.
Eighty years ago, on July 12, 1946, the People's Security Force, with the External Security Force as its core and primary strike unit, alongside other forces, achieved a particularly outstanding victory. They uncovered and annihilated a counter-revolutionary organization at No. 7 On Nhu Hau Street (now Nguyen Gia Thieu Street, Hanoi), crushing a counter-revolutionary coup plot colluded by the Nationalist Party (Quốc dân Đảng) and the French expeditionary army. This safeguarded the nascent revolutionary government, which was then "hanging by a thread." This is a brilliant milestone etched into national history, demonstrating the bravery, resourcefulness, and creativity in combating the enemy by the People's Security Force in general, and the External Security Force in particular.
During the resistance war against French colonialism, by relying on the people, the External Security Force collaborated with other units to uncover and dismantle hundreds of counter-revolutionary organizations, such as the "United Masses Front" and the "National Liberation Front." They captured numerous enemy commando teams, actively engaged in the movement to eliminate traitors, strongly mobilized the "secrecy protection" movement, and scored numerous feats in uncovering dangerous espionage cases. These efforts significantly contributed to the national counter-offensive phase against the French and the historic Dien Bien Phu victory.
Entering the resistance war against America for national salvation, in the North, the External Security Force intensified the fight against espionage activities. They proactively detected espionage organizations, individuals, and elements embedded within our agencies, schools, and factories; uncovered and dismantled hundreds of stay-behind spies, such as in cases C30 and GM65; and established dozens of special projects, annihilating and intercepting numerous commando spy teams. In the South, the External Security Force, alongside other forces, persistently stayed close to the land and the people to protect leadership bodies and resistance bases, safeguarding the revolutionary movement against the enemy's fierce suppression. Many officers and soldiers fought resiliently and sacrificed heroically, joining our army and people in defeating the enemy's war strategies, ultimately liberating the South and reunifying the country.
The great victory of the resistance war propelled the Vietnamese revolution into a new phase with fresh advantages and challenges. The External Security Force proactively assessed the situation, discovered and uprooted entire intelligence and espionage networks, and thwarted the enemy's post-war plans, while standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our army and people to fulfill noble international duties. During the period of Doi Moi (Renewal), industrialization, modernization, and international integration, the External Security Force reformed its mindset and operational measures, deeply grasped the viewpoints on partners and targets, and proactively advised on neutralizing external risks and threats to national interests and security. The force has achieved many outstanding feats on the frontlines of protecting national security, especially in combating intelligence and espionage plots and external interference, playing a crucial role in the cause of building and defending the Fatherland.
In recent years, together with other forces within the People's Public Security, the External Security Force has set an example and taken the lead in implementing the Party's guidelines. It has proactively prevented, detected, and fought to defeat the sabotage plots and activities of hostile forces and foreign special agencies against Vietnam from early on and from afar. It has affirmed its role as a highly reliable, special force, ready to serve as the frontline in fulfilling the mission of protecting national security, accepting and excellently completing all critical and unexpected tasks entrusted by the Central Public Security Party Committee and the Ministry of Public Security.
2. In the coming time, the global and regional situation will continue to undergo rapid, complex, profound, and multi-dimensional changes that will impact the security and development environment of nations. The trend of power politics and an international order based on strength is gradually replacing a rules-based order. Conflicts, wars, arms races, and major power competition are extremely fierce. The rapid development of science and technology, particularly AI and quantum technology, is fundamentally altering the connotation of security as well as security protection tactics and strategies. The "hybrid warfare" model and the combination of "intelligence warfare" with "military warfare" are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Many new forms of national security infringement are emerging (cyber warfare, information warfare, cognitive warfare, trade warfare, etc.), posing massive difficulties and challenges for the protection of national security and the assurance of external security.
The 14th National Party Congress established many new mindsets and perceptions regarding national security and its protection, officially cementing for the first time a comprehensive security perspective that integrates security across all areas of national development. National security in the new phase is not only about border and territorial security but also regime security, ruling security, ideological and cultural security, economic security, financial security, human security, digital security, nuclear security, and security in numerous new spaces and domains.
Against this backdrop, the External Security Force must continue to uphold its heroic tradition of "Absolute loyalty to the Party, utter devotion to the people; solidarity, synergy; resourcefulness, creativity, and determination to win, ready to become the frontline in performing the task of protecting national security," exceptionally fulfilling all assigned tasks, and focusing on the following core areas:
First, highly promote the role of External Security and increase contributions to implementing the Resolution of the 14th Party Congress and the Party's strategic guidelines. Firmly grasp and master the situation in all circumstances, and perform well the task of strategically advising the Party, the State, the Central Public Security Party Committee, and the Ministry of Public Security on policies and solutions to ensure external and national security, repelling risks and challenges early and from afar. External Security must be an exemplary, pioneering force in implementing the guidelines of the Party and State, especially the new thinking and perceptions on national security and its protection, deploying diplomacy at a new height, contributing to expanding the country's security and development space, and consolidating a peaceful environment domestically, regionally, and globally.
Second, continue to reform operational methods; build a revolutionary, regular, elite, and deeply modernized External Security force that is on par with its tasks in the new situation. External Security in the new era must tightly combine tradition with modernity, proactively and actively apply scientific and technological achievements in deploying operational measures, and possess sufficient capacity and readiness to neutralize all plots and activities infringing upon national security, especially those stemming from the explosive development of science and technology. The requirement to modernize the People's Public Security force, including the External Security Force, within the national development model driven by science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation is a highly urgent core motivation with many new connotations. The External Security Force urgently needs a specific strategy regarding this issue, especially in achieving deep modernization. Furthermore, it is necessary to focus on building an External Security force featuring the "Three Mosts": "Most Disciplined - Most Loyal - Closest to the People," taking the lead in implementing the Central Public Security Party Committee's Resolution on personnel work in the new revolutionary phase, and building an External Security force that is truly streamlined, compact, strong, and ready to fight and triumph over any hostile force accompanying national security risks and challenges.
Third, foster solidarity and synergy within and outside the force, building and consolidating a solid, continuous external security posture both inside and outside national borders, creating aggregated strength to protect national interests and security, and responding to any fluctuations in global, regional, and domestic situations. The task of ensuring external security covers many areas of social life. Coordinating with agencies and forces in the political system and mobilizing the entire society to participate in the fight against espionage is of crucial importance in deciding the victory of this struggle. This is also an urgent requirement to elevate the fight against espionage, promoting the "proactive security" perspective, and firmly protecting national security early and from afar, in accordance with the policies set forth by the 14th Party Congress.
The history of the External Security Force is a heroic one; its tradition is glorious, and its contributions to the cause of national security protection and the Party's glorious revolutionary cause are immense. This is the source of strength for the External Security Force to enter the new era with confidence and pride. They will certainly fulfill excellently all tasks entrusted by the Party, the State, and the people, successfully carrying out the instruction of General Secretary and President To Lam: "The External Security Force must be a core, modern and sharp force; protecting national security early and from afar; proactive in cyberspace, digital space, and diplomatic space, contributing to forging a peaceful and stable environment for the development of the country, the region, and the world."
