From colony to self-reliant nation

After nearly 90 years of invasion and rule by French colonialists (1858 - 1945) and Japanese fascists (1940 - 1945), with the victory of the August Revolution (1945) led by the communists, the Vietnamese people gained independence; the name Vietnam was "born" on the world map.

Ho Chi Minh City is developing rapidly, becoming one of the driving forces, promoting development for the whole region.

Photo: Independence

To escape from colonial and fascist rule, the Vietnamese people had to spend another 30 years (1945 - 1975) fighting to defend the country and restore peace and unify the country.

Since then, Vietnam has gone through a turbulent but resilient journey: from a post-war country, Vietnam has escaped colonial status, becoming an autonomous nation, a model of dynamic development in the Southeast Asian region.

In the context of a rapidly changing post-globalization world, Vietnam has emerged as an image of resilience, flexibility and initiative in international economic integration. This process reflects a strong transformation in policy thinking, internal capacity and the nation's aspiration for independence and self-reliance.

Eliminate colonies and utilize colonial legacies to develop the country

During nearly nine decades of colonial rule in Vietnam (1858 - 1945), French colonialism left many deep marks of colonialism, not only in terms of economy and society, but also in terms of national identity and consciousness. French colonialism implemented a series of colonial exploitation policies, exploited local resources and labor, and at the same time consolidated power through a centralized administrative apparatus, imposing Western-style education and legal systems on the country and people of Vietnam.

The colonial rule and oppression promoted diverse resistance movements of many social classes in Vietnam, from armed resistance (of the Nguyen Dynasty's military, the Can Vuong movement and the literati) to the cultural revolution and reform (of Phan Boi Chau, Phan Chau Trinh, etc.), and finally the revolution initiated by the communists, starting in 1930 and succeeding in August 1945. It can be seen that, in the heart of colonial society, the national spirit and the consciousness of modernizing the country of the Vietnamese elite arose, creating an ideological and organizational foundation, moving towards gaining independence for the nation through the August Revolution in 1945.

The Command of President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Protection performs the flag-raising ceremony at Ba Dinh Square (Hanoi).

Photo: VNA

On the other hand, the colonial period, although causing severe socio-economic consequences, also left Vietnam with the first "modern infrastructure" legacies, such as the railway system, urban areas, general education and legal administration. These factors later became part of Vietnam's "modernization" luggage.

Postcolonial Vietnam and Wartime Reconstruction

After the Geneva Accords were signed in July 1954, Vietnam was divided into two regions, with two opposing political and economic models: the North followed a socialist orientation, prioritizing industrialization and land reform; the South followed a republican regime, was pro-American and pro-Western, and developed based on aid and market mechanisms. Despite reconstruction efforts, both regions faced a long and brutal war. This war left serious consequences: exhausted economies, destroyed infrastructure, lost human resources, and damaged social psychology.

However, it was in those difficult circumstances that the spirit of self-reliance, national unity and the desire for peace - independence - autonomy were forged. This contributed to creating a "soft internal force" that Vietnam would promote in the following stages, as historian WJ Duiker commented in his work Ho Chi Minh: A Life, that: "These wars were not only about national liberation but also an effort to build a new type of socialist state, independent of the influence of the great powers" (Hyperion, 1995).

The period of Innovation and global integration

After peace was restored and the country was unified, Vietnam fell into a period of serious economic crisis (1975 - 1986). The centralized planning model could not adapt to post-war economic conditions. In addition, Vietnam was besieged, embargoed from the outside and lacked internal resources. This led to food shortages, inflation, production stagnation, and people's lives were very difficult.

Steel production at Hoa Phat Steel Factory

Photo: HP

Faced with this situation, the Communist Party of Vietnam initiated the Doi Moi process in 1986 - a historic turning point in development thinking. The Doi Moi process transformed the country's economy from a planned economy to a socialist-oriented market economy. Accordingly, many changes were implemented, such as abolishing the ration card system, reforming state-owned enterprises, encouraging the private economy, calling for foreign direct investment (FDI), restructuring the agricultural sector with product contracts, forming a two-tier banking system and a rudimentary financial market, opening up trade with the outside, participating in multilateral institutions such as ASEAN (1995), WTO (2007), CPTPP (2018), RCEP (2020) ..., signing a bilateral trade agreement with the US (2000) and many free trade agreements (FTAs) with other partners around the world, helping Vietnam become an attractive destination for FDI capital flows. These changes have helped the economy grow steadily, people's lives improve, and Vietnam gradually escapes from poverty.

More importantly, Doi Moi is not only an economic reform but also a "thinking innovation" in the approach to national development. During the years 1990 - 2020, the average GDP growth rate reached about 6 - 7%/year, helping Vietnam rise to become a lower middle-income country. In particular, the success in controlling the Covid-19 pandemic (2020 - 2023) and maintaining macroeconomic stability during the global crisis has highlighted Vietnam's national governance capacity.

Vietnam effectively takes advantage of globalization opportunities to become the world's manufacturing factory in the fields of electronics, textiles, footwear, etc. The poverty rate has decreased sharply, the middle class has increased. Big cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, etc. have developed rapidly, becoming dynamic cities, promoting development for the whole region.

However, economic development policies during this period also revealed negative aspects: dependence on FDI, low-value supply chains, mainly assembly, lack of national brands, weak domestic capacity, and growth not associated with sustainability.

The "self-reliant nation" model in the post-globalization era

Since the Covid-19 pandemic and the US-China trade war, the global order has been gradually shifting. Globalization based on the extreme free trade model is no longer the universal model. Instead, the trends of "technological sovereignty", "supply chain security", and "strategic localization" are shaping the world economy and the new global order.

Vietnam is one of the world's leading rice exporters.

Photo: Cong Han

In that context, Vietnam has emerged as a country that adapts quickly and intelligently. Despite being affected by the pandemic, Vietnam still achieved positive growth, even during the most severe outbreak of the pandemic (in 2020, with GDP increasing by 2.9%), effectively controlled the pandemic, maintained the supply chain, and became an attractive destination for international corporations.

More importantly, Vietnam is building a "self-reliant development" model with the following main characteristics: diversifying markets and not depending on a single trading partner; increasing domestic value in the supply chain - from assembly to design, research, and innovation; investing in digital transformation and high technology such as semiconductor chips, clean energy, and artificial intelligence (AI); developing domestic enterprises to reduce dependence on FDI; institutionalizing reforms through the promulgation of new investment laws, reforming administrative procedures, and strengthening digital government.

While humanity is facing many crises: the Covid-19 pandemic, regional wars breaking out in many places, escalating US-China competition..., "self-reliance" has emerged as a vital principle for developing countries. And Vietnam has proactively built and shaped its own model of "self-reliant nation" with the following characteristics:

- Multilateralization and diversification of foreign relations: Vietnam firmly adheres to an independent and autonomous foreign policy; multilateralizes and diversifies relations; has no military alliances, and does not rely on one side to fight the other.

- Developing domestic industry and digital transformation: The Government promotes the "Make in Vietnam" policy, encourages innovation and core technology development; strongly develops the startup ecosystem, especially in the fields of financial technology, digital education and logistics.

- Self-reliance in food security and health: Vietnam has become the world's leading food exporter; a powerhouse in agricultural exports in the Asia-Pacific region. Vietnam not only ensures its own food security but also supports other countries in ensuring food security; effectively controls epidemics, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.

- Protecting sovereignty and non-traditional security: Vietnam maintains a firm but flexible stance on resolving sovereignty disputes in the East Sea; at the same time, it actively participates in regional initiatives on climate change, cyber security and public health.

Currently, Vietnam is not only "going along with globalization" but is designing its own role in the new order, with a proactive, balanced and alert spirit.

***

From a poor colonial country, Vietnam has gradually emerged as a model of dynamic development in Asia. The transformation from "dependence" to "self-reliance" is the result of flexible policy thinking, steadfast political will of generations of national leaders, support from elites and consensus of the whole society.

In the context of global instability, Vietnam has the opportunity to shape a new role as a responsible, autonomous and capable "middle-class" country that can shape the future of the region. The model of "self-reliant nation" that Vietnam has chosen and is shaping does not mean closing the door, but rather proactively and selectively integrating, building endogenous capacity to adapt and overcome global fluctuations.

Thanhnien.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tu-thuoc-dia-tro-thanh-quoc-gia-tu-cuong-185250828164948666.htm